VITAMINS

                                           - IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER -


                                             Ascorbic acid

Commonly known as vitamin C. Thrown in every supplement sold because is cheap. Underrated: while it helps maintain tissue and speed wound healing, an overlooked strength is its impact on boosting immune function. Unlike most animals, our organism can’t produce it and moreover is very quickly excreted. Stress is another major reason for reducing its levels and all smokers need a higher amount.

As we usually use it only to reduce the duration and severity of colds, let’s try to know a little more its much higher benefits. As sometimes happens with technicalities, I have to be a little tedious, sorry, no alternatives.

Immune cells have active vitamin C transporter molecules embedded in their membranes that actively pump the vitamin into the cells that need more: this is why blood levels of vitamin C drop during times of disease or infection. To increase the intake of vitamin C when sick is a MUST! Its content is closely related to those cells that engulf and destroy infecting organisms.

In particular it should always be used in these cases: diabetes, cardiovascular disease, anemia, periodontal disease, osteoporosis.

Let’s get back to the four immune system’s cells benefited by this vitamin:

Natural killer (NK) cells are “hit men” of infectious targets identified as foreign by our organism. Vit. C helps NK cells to track and destroy tumor cells.

Neutrophils are the main cells fighting bacterial infections. They engulf invading organisms, then destroy them with powerful blasts of short-lived oxygen free radicals (yes, sometimes free radicals are our friends).

Lymphocytes are immune cells that produce antibodies (B-lymphocytes) and coordinate with other cells to guide them towards threats needing destruction.

Antibodies are noncellular components that help identify and destroy cancerous cells, known as immunoglobulins: IgA, IgG, IgM.

Please, from now on, don’t consider this vitamin less important merely because is widely used and cheap.

My personal, final hint: low quality supplements have low dosage of ascorbic acid. An effective amount is AT LEAST 1 gram (1,000 mg), if in addition to a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, otherwise even 2 or 3 grams daily. Like all other vitamins the more they’re combined together, the better. For this one in particular I suggest: quercetin.

That’s it. Sorry for the technicalities.

….Always humble,

Angiolino

Vitamin A
I’m giving you a tip right away: be very careful with this vitamin. Supplementation in this case might do more harm than good. Besides, it’s very seldomly needed (e.g. alcoholics have low level of this vitamin, due to excess alcohol toxicity), like in case of repeated inadequate protein intake which is necessary for optimal absorption. So why talk about it? Because it’s key for good vision, a healthy immune system (essential for our lymphocytes that fight infections), a healthy respiratory/urinary/intestinal tract, neurological function, reducing inflammation, gene regulation and maintain/foster cell growth. It has many other benefits:  skin conditions treatments, measles, dry eye, cataracts, some cancers treatments, macular degeneration, glaucoma.

Unless you have digestive disorders or a very poor diet (vitamin A deficiency is a health problem in Africa and South-East Asia, which are low income countries), you shouldn’t need extra vitamin A (also known as retinol). It has only animal-derived food origin in its “direct” form (e.g. beef liver, tuna, eggs, milk, butter, fish liver oil, cream), or vegetable/fruit-derived origin in all its “indirect” forms, or “pro-vitamin A”: carotenoids (alpha, beta and gamma). Find it in carrots, mangos, spinach, cantaloupe melon, sweet potatoes, apricots, broccoli, kale, tomato, peach, papaya, pumpkin. Generally speaking in yellow/orange vegetables, provided they contain such carotenoids. Anyway consider it’s a fat-soluble vitamin and therefore needs to be consumed with fatty foods to be absorbed. Even better together with vitamin D.

It’s worth being a little bit more specific on its benefits, being so many:

Bones and teeth – dentin forms the hard layer of our teeth. Their strength is also ensured by this vitamin, which also helps in replacing old or worn out teeth tissue.

Urinary stones – or urinary calculi. Vit. A produces a mineral compound called calcium phosphate that prevents the formation of calculi (which cause pain, nausea and vomiting).

Generic cancers – as all other powerful antioxidants, also vitamin A fights oxidative stress, protecting us against plenty of health problems and cancer as well

Skin – same reasons: the antioxidant properties combat free radicals and oxidative stress, protecting the skin from within and from common dryness. Keratinization of the skin (becoming hard and dry), occurs only in case of vitamin deficiency, which can also worsen psoriasis.

Respiratory problems – because the body’s immune system is weakened by a lack of this vitamin (it can also cause growth retardation and increase infections in children). Respiratory problems are usually the first hit.

Eye health – when light shines on the retina, a signal is sent to the retina: vitamin A plays a key role in this vision process. It’s also very effective for dry eyes treatment. As effective as more expensive, specific prescriptions. It’s also included in all macular degeneration treatments.

Immune support – genes involved in our immune system are regulated by vit. A. So it’s not difficult to understand why it’s essential for fighting all serious diseases and illnesses. It not only prevents the germs from entering the body, but also helps to fight the infections once the germs are into the body. Much more important in helping the immunity of children, whose vulnerability to infections is higher.

Fighting inflammation – as all antioxidants it neutralizes free radicals, besides it prevent cells from becoming overactive (fundamental against autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases). E.g. food allergies are caused by an overreaction of our organism.

Cell growth regulation – needed in wound healing, skin re-growth, support of epithelial cells (external and internal). Increases the production of collagen and improves hair health too.

Specific cancer prevention – retinoic acid is fundamental in cell development, control of malignant cells and cell differentiation: consequently it’s effective in  suppression of lung, prostate, breast, ovarian, bladder oral and skin cancer.

Lower cholesterol – therefore protecting against risks of heart disease and stroke.

Final tip: supplement ONLY with beta-carotene, which is then converted into active vitamin A if needed by our body after the food is ingested. By doing so, supplementation is utterly safe.

….Always humble,

Angiolino

(For more health supplements and extras, kindly visit: What do you lack ? )

Vitamin B1
(After-meal blood sugar)
Unfortunately as humans age blood sugar tends to rise: people don’t have to be a diabetic to suffer from health consequences of high blood sugar. Moreover, after a meal, one’s blood sugar (whether a person is diabetic or NOT) spikes and the result is the production of byproducts called “advanced glycation end products” (AGEs), that damage cells, tissues and organs. They also trigger inflammation and oxidation, generating a viscious cycle.
What is glycation exactly? As a reference, the browning that takes place when foods are cooked at high temperatures is the result of sugar-related molecular change: the same happens inside our bodies every day due to chemical reactions when a sugar and an amino acid (protein) reacts together. Put simply, the structure of normal proteins becomes warped.
So, first hint: this is why you should never combine carbs with proteins when eating. They require two completely different digestive process, chemical reactions that shouldn’t be combined. Otherwise you just mess it all up (and then complain feeling lazy and heavy). The byproducts of this chemical reaction are called AGEs and they damage the body’s DNA, deactivate enzymes, induce apoptosis (programmed cell death), inflammation, oxidative stress, nerve-cell damage, high cholesterol, reduce vascular health, therefore increasing aging itself: blocking them directly leads to an extension of human life expectancy.
With advancing age even normal blood sugar levels trigger AGEs.
Having said all the above, the question is: what are our defenses? One is vitamin B1, also called Thiamine. It prevents glycation molecules from becoming fully formed in the first place. It would sound like the perfect solution but there’s a problem: it’s water soluble. It has difficulties penetrating the lipid molecules of cell membranes. We could increase the intake of it but wouldn’t do any good, because it’d get excreted in the urine. The real solution is: Benfothiamine, a FAT-soluble derivative of thiamine (vit. B1), that boosts thiamine levels (from 20% to 40% higher), inhibiting the AGEs. It has an extremely safe record and slows all the chronic disease and aging effects of glycation both in nondiabetics and diabetics.
Just two words on other benefits:
reverses the pathways and memory loss of Alzheimer’s
defense against sugar-induced vision loss
protects against cardiovascular damage
inhibits sugar-related kidney disease
reduce neuronal dysfunction
My second hint is: stay away from pure sugar. Controlling much more what you eat during a meal is enough to prevent above damages (unless in elderly age or with high blood sugar levels already), without supplementing. Walk for half an hour after each meal (it’s enough only if the meal is balanced, as said).
Remember the three poisons: tobacco, alcohol, sugar. EQUALLY harmful.
….Always humble,
Angiolino

Vitamin D (3)

Our body converts sunlight into 25-hydroxyvitaminD, made in the skin. Maintaining an adequate level is absolutely essential, as low levels cause an accelerated decline in working memory, reasoning, task flexibility, problem solving and planning, higher risks of cancer, vascular disease and chronic inflammation. And of course loss of bone density.

But why should we supplement? Isn’t sunlight enough? No, wherefore to benefit from the lifesaving effects of this vitamin its blood levels must/should be maintained on a constant basis/level. As a matter of fact those who maintain optimal vitamin D levels will likely decrease their stroke risk, reducing the odds of permanent disability in the event of such a stroke. In countries with colder climates there are higher rates of vitamin D deficiency due to the lack of sun, increasing the chance of having an immune system related illness. Also an increased risk of multiple sclerosis is statistically associated to the same geographical data. So, what are the optimal levels? In the range of 50 to 80 ng/ml, which can be verified only with blood tests.
The typical dose range you have to look for supplementation is 0,5 to 1,000 IU, to be taken daily with a meal for better absorption, anyway never on an empty stomach. ALWAYS choose vit. D in its D3 form, being better tapped by our organism. In spite of the name, vitamin D is considered a pro-hormone and not actually a vitamin (but I will file this post among “vitamins”). This is because the body is capable of producing its own vitamin D through the action of sunlight on the skin, while vitamins are nutrients that cannot be synthesized by the body and must be acquired through the diet or supplements.
It is estimated that sensible sun exposure on bare skin for 5-10 minutes 2-3 times per week allows the body the ability to produce sufficient vitamin D, but vitamin D has a half-life of only two weeks, meaning that stores can run low, especially in winter, as said above. Recent studies have suggested that up to 50% of adults and children worldwide are vitamin D deficient. Vitamin D is produced when sunlight converts cholesterol on the skin into calciol (vitamin D3). Vitamin D3 is then converted into calcidiol (25-hydroxyvitamin D3) in the liver. The kidneys then convert calcidiol into the active form of vitamin D, called calcitriol (1,25-hydroxyvitamin D3). This is another reason why this specific form must be specified on the supplement you’re going to buy. My final hint is to take this vitamin with magnesium an calcium together. 

….Always humble,

Angiolino

Vitamin E

How boring. I know. The usual vitamin E, sold everywhere in any form: that’s the problem, in ANY form. But I don’t want you to waste money, so I’ll tell you the only important thing to know: the correct, efficacious type of vitamin. Another time I'll focus more on the usual, general properties of this vitamin. For the time being I just want to highlight a critical difference seldomly seen in vitamin E supplements.
You presumably know what free radicals are and more significantly you must know how to fight them. I.e. using the vitamin E in its tocopherol form.

The widely available commercially sold is almost surely: tocotrienol. A similar name with FAR LESS benefits. In my view, as I said above, a waste of money. The tocopherol form (both alpha and gamma) is the only one capable of trapping and neutralizing free radicals, especially “gamma” tocopherols.
Always check out the label! If you’re very lucky you’ll find in it the alpha tocopherol at best, which has a medium efficacy. Or worse, the tocotrienol one.

Strictly technically speaking only gamma tocopherol quenches “peroxynitrite”, a free radical that plays the major role in the development of age-related decline.

Some supreme supplements combine gamma tocopherol only, without alpha, with sesame lignans extracts to further boost its antioxidant effects. Now you are aware of what’s best to buy: your choice, your money.

Hoping of giving you useful hints.

….Always humble,

Angiolino