Why Do We Age? Get Sick? Get Diseases?

Will I get cancer or heart disease? How will I look and feel ten years from now? With the current state of health in our society it is quite possible you have asked yourself these questions. This page is meant to shine some light on things which may help you feel better about them.

The Cause of Disease

This might seem hard to believe... but, we as humans don't actually age, we don't get sick and we don't get diseases - our cells do. Our body's health is dependent on our cells' health. So to slow down aging, limit sickness and prevent disease we must protect and properly feed our cells. If you were to put buttermilk in your car's gasoline tank - it would get a 'disease' and stop working.

What are cells made of? Cells are made up of many atoms. When these atoms are healthy the cells replicate (make an exact copy) and keep the body young, well and disease free. What makes an atom health (right) is that it has 'paired' electrons (yellow dots).

How do cells age, get sick and get diseases? Atoms missing an electron (yellow dot) are not just 'bad' - they actually destroy surrounding atoms by stealing their electrons. An atom missing an electron is called a Free Radical. Free Radicals alter or destroy cells. Cells that die, and cells that replicate in a damaged state are the cause or contribute to premature aging, sicknesses and diseases such as cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, and many others.

Where do free radicals come from? smoking, stress, sunlight, pesticides, pollution, airtime travel, medications, foods, food additives, x-rays, exercise, chlorine in treated water, mercury in seafood and teeth fillings, and many more...

The Solution

The solution is antioxidants. Antioxidants have 'extra' electrons (yellow dots) that they can give to free radicals, which eliminates their harmful effects. Antioxidants are your body's defense against destructive free radicals. Therefore they are your defense against aging, sickness and disease.

STEP 1: Antioxidant gives an extra electron to the free radical. STEP 2: This atom is now neutralized. The chain reaction of free radicals stops here. This reduces your risk of most sickness and disease.

 Where do antioxidants come from? Antioxidants are found in fruits and vegetables. They are also found in other types of foods such as nuts, oils, beans, etc. Research studies suggest that organic foods have higher concentrations of antioxidants than processed foods grown with pesticides. Research studies also show that wild foods have a much higher antioxidant potential than organic foods. The soil plants grow in are also extremely important in antioxidant potential. Antioxidants are also found in high quality food supplements, which are recommended by the American Medical Association because most adults do not eat the right foods to properly feed their cells.

Vitamin Supplement Warning! Not all supplements are beneficial. They must be absorbed by your body, and preferably be whole food supplements. As you can see from the x-ray, these man-synthesized supplements from a 'name brand' company, would do you no good. They're still undissolved in the colon! They are actually causing more free radicals in your body - doing more harm than good!

Man-made and processed supplements are far incomparable to whole food supplements. One reason is because synthesized and processed vitamins are not bio-available, which means your cells can not receive their benefit! What a waste of money!  Most beneficial compounds from plants are not active on their own - their benefits are truly seen when consumed in their natural state with a complex of co-factors, enzymes, and assisting compounds. Also, most man-made supplements have additives and fillers which can actually do an array of harm on us. Pure whole-food supplements are fully bio-available and provide us full benefit the way nature intended - because nature knows best!

Let's Clear The Air On The Top Two Killers In America

A heart attack isn't the cause of the disease.  It's a symptom.

 What is heart disease? There are several forms of heart disease, but heart disease primarily comes from the buildup of fatty deposits on the inner surface of arteries. Eventually these deposits blocked blood flow, leading to a heart attack or stroke.

How free radicals cause and/or contribute to heart disease. Scientists now believe that it's not just the eating of fat that causes the buildup on the inner surface of the arteries, but those fats have been damaged by free radicals. This is called 'oxidized fat', which causes the fat to be more 'sticky' therefore adhering to the inner artery walls more easily. This explains why smoking and stress are risk factors to heart disease - as are high fat consumption.

How antioxidants reduce the risk of heart disease. - By neutralizing the free radical, antioxidants limit the number of damaging free radicals in the body, thereby reducing the risk of the free radicals 'oxidizing' (damaging or making sticky) the fat. "don't underestimate the threat free radicals pose to our health. Scientists now believe that free radicals are causal factors in nearly every known disease, from heart disease to arthritis to cancer to cataracts. In fact, free radicals are a major culprit in the aging process itself. By controlling free radicals, antioxidants can make the difference between life and death, as well as influence how fast and how well we age." -Lester Packer, Head of Packer Laboratory, Dept. of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California Berkeley.

If you were to get or already have cancer, cancer isn't the cause of the disease. It's a symptom.

What is cancer? There are many different forms of cancer, but basically all forms involve the abnormal growth of cells. Humans are made up of about 75 trillion cells that continually replicated themselves. Each cell has a set of genetic instructions in its center called DNA that controls cell growth, development, and replication. When the DNA gets damaged, it can replicate an altered (damaged) cell - when/if this altered cell replicates itself... this can become cancer. 

How free radicals cause and/or contribute to cancer. It is proven that free radicals damage DNA. Most scientists believe it is free radical damage to the DNA that begins many forms of cancer. 

How antioxidants reduce the risk of cancer. One of the most important roles antioxidants play in the body is to protect DNA from damage caused by free radicals. In addition, particular antioxidants can actually repair damaged DNA before it replicates - if antioxidants are there. The importance of maintaining proper antioxidant levels can not be over emphasized. Not so long ago, diseases were accepted as unfortunate but inevitable facts of life. We now know that diseases are not 'caught' but are caused by what we eat or don't eat. Symptoms alert you that something isn't right in your body - but they are not the cause of illness or disease. So what is the cause? Could it possibly be the same 'cause' is responsible for every disease? YES

So, What do Vitamins and Minerals Do For You?

Where do vitamins/minerals come from?

Vitamins are not individual molecular compounds. Vitamins are biological complexes found in living things such as plants, and must be taken in as food. Vitamin activity only takes place when all conditions are met within that environment, and when all co-factors and components of the entire vitamin complex are present and working together. Vitamin activity is even more than the sum of all those parts; it also involves timing. Vitamins cannot be isolated from their complexes and still perform their specific life functions within the cells. When isolated into artificial commercial forms, like ascorbic acid, these purified synthetics act as drugs in the body. They are no longer vitamins, and to call them such is inaccurate.

Minerals are found in plants. Plants get their minerals from the soil, and soil gets minerals from washing over rocks. For vitamins to do their job, they require the proper minerals. Minerals are also best obtained from food. Antioxidants are specific parts of vitamins or minerals that protect body cells from the damaging effects of Free Radicals. Free radicals are one of the primary causes of premature aging, sickness and disease.

How do vitamins/minerals get in the body? Vitamins and minerals get into your body when you eat plants such as fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and spices. You can also get some vitamins and minerals into your body by eating meat because most animals eat plant food.

Supplements are vitamins and minerals that have been either extracted from a plant or created in a laboratory. There are effective supplements, ineffective supplements and hazardous supplements. In the world of supplements, two unfortunate things are occuring:

1. The consumer knows they should supplement but doesn’t know how to select an effective supplement; wasting their money, time and health.

2. The consumer is uninformed (or given bad advice) on the need to supplement and sacrifices their health.

Where do vitamins/minerals go in the body? Vitamins and minerals go from your stomach to your intestines. They then go through a very complex allocation system whereby the body distributes certain vitamins and minerals to parts of your body based on its own priority system. If a nutrient is needed in a certain organ that it (the body) deems more important, it will take the nutrient from a less important organ, and allocate it to a more important organ. Sort of a “rob Peter to pay Paul” action. This shows how critical it is to maintain proper vitamin & mineral levels.

Should you take Vitamin & Mineral Supplements? Only Whole Food Supplements! This way you can actually receive natural balanced benefits! Vitamins and minerals are vital nutrients for bodily functions and prevention of disease. There is an archaic argument of “I can get everything I need from food.” Are you? In a large 26,000 person study it was concluded that not one person received the nutritional requirements set forth by the RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance), 96% of the US population dies of a disease – we are NOT getting proper nutrition. “Insufficient vitamin intake is apparently a cause of chronic diseases. Most people do not consume an optimal amount of all vitamins by diet alone. Pending strong evidence of effectiveness from randomized trails, it appears prudent for all adults to take vitamin supplements.” -American Medical Association

Vitamin & mineral supplementation is necessary for the following reasons:

1. Crop nutrient losses – Decades of agriculture have overworked and depleted soils of minerals, resulting in 'devitalized foods'.
2. Poor digestion – Eating too much or too quickly and stress can cause indigestion. Indigestion reduces absorption of vitamins and minerals.
3. Over-cooking – Can easily destroy valuable food nutrients.
4. Microwave cooking – Studies suggest that microwave cooking alters the nutritional structure of food.
5. Food storage – Length of storage and freezing depletes the nutritional value of most foods.
6. Food selection– Eating a too limited range of different food groups will result in nutrient deficiencies.
7. Food omission – Allergies to foods, crash dieting and poorly designed vegetarian diets omit significant dietary sources of nutrients.
8. Environmental factors – Herbicides and pesticides are used on crops, leaving them with low nutritional value.
9. Antibiotics – Antibiotics interfere with the intake of essential nutrients.
10. Poor lifestyle habits – Smoking, alcohol and caffeine can inhibit the absorption of vitamins and minerals or accelerate the loss of nutrients.
11. Stress – Be it physical or emotional, can increase the body’s requirement of vitamins and minerals.
12. Out of balance – The level of each vitamin and mineral in the body has an effect on others. So if one is out of balance (missing), all are adversely affected. With antioxidants, one is not nearly as strong as several combined as each greatly enhances the power of the others.
13. Nutrient variances – There are substantial differences between one fruit or vegetable and another. Vitamins and minerals in your body should not be viewed as independent substances, but rather as a cooperative network of nutrients working together. If one nutrient is missing, it throws the entire network of nutrients out of balance. Vitamins and minerals are not functionally separable. They make each other work. Example: vitamin D is necessary for the body to absorb calcium. Copper is necessary for vitamin C activity. And so on. Mineral deficiencies can cause vitamin deficiencies, and vice versa. Epidemic mineral deficiency in America is a well-documented result of systematic soil depletion. This is the other prime difference between whole food vitamins and synthetics - whole food vitamins contain within them many essential trace minerals and co-factors necessary for their synergistic operation. Synthetic vitamins contain no trace minerals, relying on, and depleting, the body's own mineral reserves.

“A deficiency of a vitamin or mineral will cause a body part to malfunction and eventually break down – and, like dominos, other body parts will follow.” James F. Balch, M.D. Prescription for Nutritional Healing

How do vitamins/minerals leave the body?

Vitamins and minerals are “used” by the body. As they perform their function, they often use themselves up in the process, which is the case with most of the critical disease fighting antioxidants. Even thinking uses vitamins and minerals. Exercise and stress use a lot of vitamins and minerals; the use of diuretics (substances that increase the discharge of urine) such as drugs, alcohol, coffee, tea and sodas all wash vitamins and minerals out of the body which creates deficiencies – this can create a major health problem! Tobacco and alcohol can also inhibit the absorption of vitamins and minerals, or accelerate the loss of them. Your health, your intelligence, your energy and your appearance are dependent on you replenishing your vitamins and minerals several times per day.

What Each Vitamin & Mineral Does In Your Body

VITAMIN A Prevents skin disorders, such as acne, wrinkling and age spots. Enhances the immune system – protects against colds, flu, and infections to kidney, bladder, and lungs. Maintains and repairs the mucous membranes (all tissue that interacts with air, such as lungs, throat, eyes, etc).
VITAMIN B COMPLEX Enhances memory, concentration, judgment, learning capacity and prevents mental deterioration. Helps maintain health of the nerves – anti-stress. Vitamin B Complex plays an important role in healthy sex hormones and fertility, necessary for healthy sleep patterns, converts carbohydrates, fats and proteins into energy, enhances stamina, helps in fighting infections, alleviates eye fatigue, helps ward off cataracts, and lowers Cholesterol and improves circulation.
VITAMIN C This antioxidant protects against the harmful effects of pollution, helps to prevent cancer, protects against infection and enhances immunity, may reduce levels of “bad cholesterol” while increasing levels of “good cholesterol”, protects against bruising, promotes the healing of wounds and burns, helps maintain growth of teeth, bones, gums, ligaments, and blood vessels, aids in the production of anti-stress hormones. Required for at least 300 metabolic functions in the body, works together with Vitamin E and beta-carotene to create an even more potent antioxidant effect, needs to be taken into the body at least twice a day.
VITAMIN D Supports bone and tooth formation, muscle function, and thyroid gland function, necessary for the absorption and use of calcium and phosphorus, especially important for the growth and development of bones and teeth in children, involved in regulation of the heart beat, important in the prevention and treatment of breast and colon cancer, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis and hypocalcemia, enhances immunity. Some cholesterol-lowering drugs, antacids, and steroid hormones interfere with Vitamin D absorption.
VITAMIN E An antioxidant that is important in the prevention of cancer and cardiovascular disease. Retards aging, improves circulation, necessary for tissue repair, aids in prevention of PMS, reduces scarring from wounds, reduces blood pressure, aids in preventing cataracts, promotes healthy skin and hair, protects against approximately eighty (80) diseases. Long-term use has been proven to reduce prostate cancer risk in smokers, aids in tissue healing, essential for normal cell structure, involved in the formation of red blood cells, protects the lungs against injury from air pollution and helps preserve tissues.
MOLYBDENUM (ma-lib’-de-num) Converts the air we breathe into something usable by the body, supports bone growth and strengthening of the teeth.
PHOSPHORUS (fos-fer-us) Is needed for blood clotting, tooth formation, cell growth and repair, contraction of the heart muscle, normal heart rhythm, and kidney function, assists the body in utilization of vitamins and the conversion of food to energy.
SILICON (sil-i-kon) Used for bone formation, supports the skin, hair, nails, blood vessels and connective tissue, needed to maintain flexible arteries. Plays a major role in preventing cardiovascular disease, important in the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease and osteoporosis, stimulates the immune system and inhibits the aging process in tissues.
CALCIUM (kal’ se-em) Needed for bone and tooth formation, blood clotting, heart rhythm, nerve transmission, muscle growth and contraction, deficiency can result in muscle cramps, irritability, insomnia and osteoporosis- bones lose their normal density and strength.
CHROMIUM (kro’ me-m) Helps to maintain proper blood sugar levels and healthy functioning of the circulatory system
COPPER (kop’ er) Needed for bone formation, hair and skin color, healing processes, red blood cell production, mental and emotional processes, deficiency can result in Anemia, inflammation and arthritis.
IRON Supports growth and development in youth, is needed to produce hemoglobin, supports a healthy immune system, deficiency can result in: Iron deficiency, anemia, fatigue, irritability, headache, shortness of breath, intolerance to cold, increased vulnerability to infections.
MAGNESIUM (mag-ne’ ze-em) Highly involved in energy production, can help prevent depression, dizziness, muscle weakness and twitching, and PMS. Aids in maintaining the body’s proper pH balance and normal body temperature protects the arterial linings from stress caused by sudden blood pressure changes, helps reduce and dissolve kidney stones. Has a dramatic effect in reducing birth defects. Involved in blood sugar metabolism and energy maintenance, plays a role in metabolism of calcium, potassium and vitamin C.
MANGANESE (mang’ ga-nez) Needed for protein and fat metabolism, healthy nerves, healthy immune system, and blood sugar levels, is used in energy production. Required for normal bone growth and for reproduction, used in the formation of cartilage and lubricating fluid of the joints.
POTASSIUM (pe-tas’e-um) Needed for healthy functioning of nervous system (communication between the brain, spinal cord, and nerves with the rest of the body), supports the normal function of the heart muscles, kidneys and blood. Important for regular heart rhythm, helps prevent stokes, aids in proper muscle contraction, works with sodium to control the body’s water balance, important for stable blood pressure.
SELENIUM (si-le’ne-um) Vital antioxidant, especially when combined with vitamin E. Protects the immune system by preventing the formation of free radicals that can damage the body, vital role in regulating the effects of thyroid hormone on fat metabolism, principal function is to inhibit the oxidation of fats, supports healthy functioning of cell membranes and pancreatic function. Has shown promise in the treatment of arthritis, cardiovascular disease, male infertility, cataracts, AIDS, and high blood pressure.
VANADIUM (va-na’de-em) Needed for cellular metabolism, required for formation of bones and teeth, plays a role in growth and reproduction and inhibits cholesterol synthesis, improves insulin utilization, resulting in improved glucose tolerance.
ZINC Important in prostate gland function and the growth of the reproductive organs, helps prevent acne and regulates the activity of oil glands, required for protein synthesis and collagen formation. Promotes a healthy immune system and the healing of wounds, helps the acuity of taste and smell. Protects the liver from chemical damage, vitamin E requires proper levels of Zinc in the blood, promotes burn and wound healing, supports the immune system, involved in carbohydrate and protein digestion. Once again remember - these vitamins are only truly vitamins when consumed in their natural state. Wild Amazonian plants provide all vital nutrients to sustain optimal life.

A vitamin is "... a working process consisting of the nutrient, enzymes, coenzymes, antioxidants, and trace minerals activators." - Royal Lee "What Is a Vitamin?" Applied Trophology, Aug. 1956

Anti-Aging

1. Cutler RG. Antioxidants and aging. Am.J.Clin.Nutr. 1991;53:373S-9S.
2. Ames BN. Micronutrients prevent cancer and delay aging. Toxicol.Lett. 1998;102-103:5-18:5-18.
3. Dreosti IE. Nutrition, cancer, and aging. Ann.NY Acad.Sci. 1998;854:371-7.
4. Ames BN. Micronutrient deficiencies - A major cause of DNA damage. Ann.NY Acad.Sci. 1999;889:87-106.
5. Food and Nutrition Board, National Research Council. Recommended Dietary Allowances. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press, 1989.
6. Sastre J, Pallardó FV, De la Asunción JG, Viña J. Mitochondria, oxidative stress and aging. Free Radic.Res. 2000;32:189-98.
7. Lenaz G, D'Aurelio M, Pich MM et al. Mitochondrial bioenergetics in aging. Biochim.Biophys.Acta Bio-Energetics 2000;1459:397-404.
8. Shigenaga MK, Hagen TM, Ames BN. Oxidative damage and mitochondrial decay in aging. Proc.Natl.Acad.Sci.U.S.A. 1994;91:10771-8.
9. Hagen TM, Wehr CM, Ames BN. Mitochondrial decay in aging. Ann NY Acad Sci 1998;854:214-23.
10. Ames BN, Shigenaga MK, Hagen TM. Oxidants, antioxidants, and the degenerative diseases of aging. Proc.Natl.Acad.Sci.U.S.A. 1993;90:7915-22.
11. Hankinson SE, Stampfer MJ, Seddon JM et al. Nutrient intake and cataract extraction in women: a prospective study. Brit.Med.J. 1992;305:335-9.

Antioxidants

1. Smidt CR, Seidehamel RJ, Devaraj S, Jialal I. The effects of a nutritionally complete dietary supplement (LifePak) on antioxidant status and LDL-oxidation in healthy non-smokers. FASEB J 1999;13:A546.
2. Holvoet P, Collen D. Oxidized lipoproteins in atherosclerosis and thrombosis. FASEB J. 1994;8:1279-84.
3. Duthie SJ, Ma A, Ross MA, Collins AR. Antioxidant supplementation decreases oxidative DNA damage in human lymphocytes. Cancer Res. 1996;56:1291-5.
4. Knekt P, Heliovaara M, Rissanen A, Aromaa A, Aaran RK. Serum antioxidant vitamins and risk of cataract. Brit.Med.J. 1992;305:1392-4.
5. Leske MC, Chylack LT, Jr., He QM et al. Antioxidant vitamins and nuclear opacities - The longitudinal study of cataract. Ophthalmology 1998;105:831-6.
6. Lyle BJ, Mares-Perlman JA, Klein BEK, Klein R, Greger JL. Antioxidant intake and risk of incident age-related nuclear cataracts in the Beaver Dam Eye Study. Am.J.Epidemiol. 1999;149:801-9.
7. Manson JE, Gaziano JM, Jonas MA, Hennekens CH. Antioxidants and cardiovascular disease: a review. J Am Coll Nutr 1993;12:426-32.
8. Anderson JW, Gowri MS, Turner J et al. Antioxidant supplementation effects on low-density lipoprotein oxidation for individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus. J.Am.Coll.Nutr. 1999;18:451-61.
9. Mosca L, Rubenfire M, Mandel C et al. Antioxidant nutrient supplementation reduces the susceptibility of low density lipoprotein to oxidation in patients with coronary artery disease. J.Am.Coll.Cardiol. 1997;30:392-9.
10. Calzada C, Bruckdorfer KR, Rice-Evans CA. The influence of antioxidant nutrients on platelet function in healthy volunteers. Atherosclerosis 1997;128:97-105.
11. Azen SP, Qian DJ, Mack WJ et al. Effect of supplementary antioxidant vitamin intake on carotid arterial wall intima-media thickness in a controlled clinical trial of cholesterol lowering. Circulation 1996;94:2369-72.
12. Maxwell SRJ, Thomason H, Sandler D et al. Antioxidant status in patients with uncomplicated insulin- dependent and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Eur.J.Clin.Invest. 1997;27:484-90.
13. Nuttall SL, Dunne F, Kendall MJ, Martin U. Age-independent oxidative stress in elderly patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Q.J.Med. 1999;92:33-8.
14. Cunningham JJ. Micronutrients as nutriceutical interventions in diabetes mellitus. J.Am.Coll.Nutr. 1998;17:7-10.

Immune Support

1. Chandra RK. Nutrition and the immune system: An introduction. Am.J.Clin.Nutr. 1997;66:460S-3S.
2. Erickson KL, Medina EA, Hubbard NE. Micronutrients and innate immunity. J.Infect.Dis. 2000;182:S5-S10.
3. Lesourd BM. Nutrition and immunity in the elderly: Modification of immune responses with nutritional treatments. Am.J.Clin.Nutr. 1997;66:478S-84S.
4. Bogden JD, Bendich A, Kemp FW et al. Daily micronutrient supplements enhance delayed-hypersensitivity skin test responses in older people. Am.J Clin.Nutr. 1994;60:437-47.
5. Semba RD. Vitamin A, immunity, and infection. Clin.Infect.Dis. 1994;19:489-99.
6. Underwood BA. Hypovitaminosis A: International programmatic issues. J.Nutr. 1994;124 Suppl.:1467S-72S.
7. Stephensen CB, Alvarez JO, Kohatsu J, Hardmeier R, Kennedy JI, Jr., Gammon RB, Jr. Vitamin A is excreted in the urine during acute infection. Am.J.Clin.Nutr. 1994;60:388-92.
8. Bendich A. Beta-carotene and immune response. Proc.Nutr.Soc. 1991;50:263-74.
9. Hughes DA, Wright AJ, Finglas PM et al. The effect of beta-carotene supplementation on the immune function of blood monocytes from healthy male nonsmokers. J Lab.Clin Med 1997;129:309-17.
10. Santos, M. S., Gaziano, J. M., Leka, L. S., Beharka, A. A., Hennekens, C. H., and Meydani, S. N. Beta-carotene-induced enhancement of natural killer cell activity in elderly men: an investigation of the role of cytokines. Am.J.Clin.Nutr. 68(1), 164-170. 1998. Ref Type: Journal (Full)
11. Watson RR, Prabhala RH, Plezia PM, Alberts DS, Pike J, Chandra RK. Effect of beta-carotene on lymphocyte subpopulations in elderly humans: evidence for a dose-response relationship Effect of vitamin and trace element supplementation on immune indices in healthy elderly. Am.J Clin.Nutr. 1991;53:90-4.
12. De La Fuente M, Ferrández MD, Burgos MS, Soler A, Prieto A, Miquel J. Immune function in aged women is improved by ingestion of vitamins C and E. Can.J.Physiol.Pharmacol. 1998;76:373-80.
13. Hemila H. Vitamin C and common cold incidence: a review of studies with subjects under heavy physical stress. Int.J Sports Med 1996;17:379-83.
14. Hemila H. Vitamin C intake and susceptibility to the common cold. British J.Nutr. 1997;77:59-72.
15. Hunt C, Chakravorty NK, Annan G, Habibzadeh N, Schorah CJ. The clinical effects of vitamin C supplementation in elderly hospitalised patients with acute respiratory infections. Int J Vitam.Nutr Res 1994;64:212-9.
16. Jayachandran M, Panneerselvam C. Cellular immune responses to vitamin C supplementation in ageing humans assessed by the in vitro leucocyte migration inhibition test. Med.Sci.Res. 1998;26:227-30.
17. Peters EM, Goetzsche JM, Grobbelaar B, Noakes TD. Vitamin C supplementation reduces the incidence of postrace symptoms of upper-respiratory-tract infection in ultramarathon runners. Am.J Clin.Nutr. 1993;57:170-4.
18. Wilson CW, Greene M, Loh HS. The metabolism of supplementary vitamin C during the common cold. J Clin Pharmacol 1976;16:19-29.
19. Meydani SN, Beharka AA. Recent developments in vitamin E and immune response. Nutrition reviews 1998;56:S49-S58.
20. Serafini M. Dietary vitamin E and T cell-mediated function in the elderly: effectiveness and mechanism of action. Int.J.Dev.Neurosci. 2000;18:401-10.
21. Meydani SN, Meydani M, Blumberg JB et al. Vitamin E supplementation and in vivo immune response in healthy elderly subjects. A randomized controlled trial. JAMA 1997;277:1380-6.
22. Chavance M, Herbeth B, Fournier C, Janot C, Vernhes G. Vitamin status, immunity and infections in an elderly population. Eur.J Clin Nutr 1989;43:827-35.
23. Bates CJ, Pentieva KD, Prentice A, Mansoor MA, Finch S. Plasma pyridoxal phosphate and pyridoxic acid and their relationship to plasma homocysteine in a representative sample of British men and women aged 65 years and over. Br.J.Nutr. 1999;81:191-201.
24. Meydani SN, Ribaya-Mercado JD, Russell RM, Sahyoun N, Morrow FD, Gershoff SN. Vitamin B-6 deficiency impairs interleukin 2 production and lymphocyte proliferation in elderly adults. Am.J.Clin.Nutr. 1991;53:1275-80.
25. Talbott MC, Miller LT, Kerkvliet NI. Pyridoxine supplementation: effect on lymphocyte responses in elderly persons. Am.J.Clin.Nutr. 1987;46:659-64.
26. Folkers K, Morita M, McRee J, Jr. The activities of coenzyme Q10 and vitamin B6 for immune responses. Biochem.Biophys.Res.Commun. 1993;193:88-92.
27. Keen CL, Gershwin ME. Zinc deficiency and immune function. Annu.Rev.Nutr. 1990;10:415-31.
28. Brignola C, Belloli C, De Simone G et al. Zinc supplementation restores plasma concentrations of zinc and thymulin in patients with Crohn's disease. Aliment.Pharmacol.Ther. 1993;7:275-80.
29. Gupta RK, Bhattacharya SK, Sundar S, Kumar K, Kachhawaha JS, Sen PC. A correlative study of serum zinc and in vivo cell mediated immune status in rheumatic heart disease. Acta Cardiol. 1996;47:297-304.
30. Sherman AR. Zinc, copper, and iron nutriture and immunity. J.Nutr. 1992;122:604-9.
31. Mei W, Dong ZM, Liao BL, Xu HB. Study of immune function of cancer patients influenced by supplemental zinc or selenium-zinc combination. Biol.Trace Elem.Res. 1991;28:11-9.
32. Shankar AH, Prasad AS. Zinc and immune function: the biological basis of altered resistance to infection. Am.J.Clin.Nutr. 1998;68:447S-63S.
33. Wellinghausen N, Kirchner H, Rink L. The immunobiology of zinc. Immunol.Today 1997;18:519-21.
34. Prasad AS. Zinc and immunity. Mol.Cell.Biochem. 1998;188:63-9.
35. Mazzotta MY. Nutrition and wound healing. J.Am.Podiatr.Med.Assoc. 1994;84:456-62.
36. Sun E, Xu H, Liu Q, Zhou J, Zuo P, Wang J. The mechanism for the effect of selenium supplementation on immunity. Biol.Trace Elem.Res. 1995;48:231-8.
37. Roy M, Kiremidjian-Schumacher L, Wishe HI, Cohen MW, Stotzky G. Supplementation with selenium restores age-related decline in immune cell function. Proc.Soc.Exp.Biol.Med. 1995;209:369-75.
38. Rayman MP. The importance of selenium to human health. Lancet 2000;356:233-41.
39. Taylor EW. Selenium and cellular immunity - Evidence that selenoproteins may be encoded in the +1 reading frame overlapping the human CD4, CD8, and HLA-DR genes. Biol.Trace Elem.Res. 1995;49:85-95.
40. Levander OA, Beck MA. Selenium and viral virulence. Br.Med.Bull. 1999;55:528-33.
41. Beck MA. Nutritionally induced oxidative stress: effect on viral disease. Am.J.Clin.Nutr. 2000;71:1676S-9S.
42. Forceville X, Vitoux D, Gauzit R, Combes A, Lahilaire P, Chappuis P. Selenium, systemic immune response syndrome, sepsis, and outcome in critically ill patients. Crit.Care Med. 1998;26:1536-44.
43. Girodon F, Lombard M, Galan P et al. Effect of micronutrient supplementation on infection in institutionalized elderly subjects: A controlled trial. Ann.Nutr.Metab. 1997;41:98-107.

Nutrient Intakes

1. U.S.Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. Data Tables: Results from USDA's 1996 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals and 1996 Diet and Health Knowledge Survey. ARS Food Surveys Research Group 97. Electronic Citation.
2. Block G, Abrams B. Vitamin and mineral status of women of childbearing potential. Ann.N.Y.Acad.Sci. 1993;678:244-54.
3. Pennington JAT. Intakes of minerals from diets and foods: Is there a need for concern? J.Nutr. 1996;126:2304S-8S.
4. Benton D, Haller J, Fordy J. The vitamin status of young British adults. Int J Vitam.Nutr Res 1997;67:34-40.
5. Kant AK, Schatzkin A, Block G, Ziegler RG, Nestle M. Food group intake patterns and associated nutrient profiles of the US population. J.Am.Diet.Assoc. 1991;91:1532-7.
6. Breslow RA, Subar AF, Patterson BH, Block G. Trends in food intake: The 1987 and 1992 National Health Interview Surveys. Nutr.Cancer 1997;28:86-92.
7. Kant AK, Schatzkin A. Consumption of energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods by the US population: effect on nutrient profiles. J.Am.Coll.Nutr. 1994;13:285-91.
8. Block G. Dietary guidelines and the results of food consumption surveys. Am.J Clin.Nutr. 1991;53:356S-7S.

Supplemental Safety

1. Hathcock, J. N. Vitamin and Mineral Safety. 1997. Washington, DC, Council for Responsible Nutrition.
2. Food and Nutrition Board and Institute of Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Selenium and Carotenoids. (Advance Copy). 2000. Washington, D.C., National Academy Press.

What's more important than your health?

Absolutely Nothing.
Not your business, not your boss, not your children.
When you lose your health... Everyone suffers.

We thank the Health Awareness Foundation for their valuable information.