What Your Doctor Will Not Tell You

According to the Journal of the American College of Nutrition “Inadequate micronutrient intake among older adults is common despite the increased prevalence of fortified/enriched foods in the American diet.” Further, The Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics article A role for supplements in optimizing health: the metabolic tune-up concludes An optimum intake of micronutrients and metabolites, which varies with age and genetic constitution, would tune up metabolism and give a marked increase in health, particularly for the poor, young, obese, and elderly, at little cost.

The American Diet and The Need For Dietary Supplementation (found here) sums it up nicely as follows:

There is general, if not universal,agreement among objective nutrition scientists, that the vast majority of the foods typically consumed by Americans are best described as fraudulent foods or, better yet, as "dismembered foods," a term used by Donald Davis, PhD, a nutritional biochemist at the University of Texas. Such food products include most snacks, virtually all foods sold in fast-food chains, over-processed and over-refined food products sold in supermarkets and grocery stores, and soft-drinks, both "naturally" and artificially sweetened. Collectively, these food products are high in added sugar, salt, saturated and omega-6 polyunsaturated fat and contain numerous additives, including artificial colors and flavors, artificial sweeteners, preservatives and synthetic antioxidants. Annually, billions of dollars are spent in promoting sales of these food products through the mass media.

It  goes on to say: One strategy that can be used to mitigate the poor dietary habits of Americans is to advocate the use of dietary supplements. There are numerous intervention studies that have shown the therapeutic effects of a wide variety of supplements in the alleviation and even, cure, of many common diseases.

Finally, what health care practitioners need to be especially aware of is the importance of increased micronutrient needs, especially during physiologically more demanding stages of the life cycle, such as growth, pregnancy and aging, and during excessive physical and emotional stress.

5 Supplements That Will Change Your Life

L-Arginine 

Arginine, also known as L-arginine, is involved in a number of different functions in the body. They include:

• Wound healing
• Helping the kidneys remove waste products from the body
• Maintaining immune and hormone function
• Dilates and relaxes the arteries

As a natural dietary supplement, arginine has garnered particular attention for its possible heart benefits.

In the body, the amino acid arginine changes into nitric oxide (NO). Nitric oxide is a powerful neurotransmitter that helps blood vessels relax and also improves circulation.

Some evidence shows that arginine may help improve blood flow in the arteries of the heart. That may improve symptoms of clogged arteries, chest pain or angina, and coronary artery disease. Since arginine may help arteries relax and improve blood flow, it may also help with erectile dysfunction.

There are other potential health benefits with arginine, such as possible reduction of blood pressure in some people and improved walking distance in patients with intermittent leg cramping and weakness known as intermittent claudication.

 

L-Citrulline 

boosts nitric oxide production in the body. Nitric oxide helps your arteries relax and work better, which improves blood flow throughout your body. This can be helpful for treating or preventing many diseases.

Evidence suggests the supplement can help lower blood pressure in people with prehypertension. This is an early warning sign for high blood pressure. It means you have a slightly raised blood pressure reading of 120/80 to 139/89. Prehypertension raises your risk for high blood pressure and heart disease.

L-citrulline supplements may ease symptoms of mild-to-moderate erectile dysfunction (ED). Scientists say L-citrulline, on it’s own, does not work as well as ED drugs such as Viagra. However, it appears to be a safe option.

Animal studies suggest L-citrulline might also help people with blood vessel problems such as slow wound healing due to diabetes. Other animal research says L-citrulline might improve muscle protein levels and prevent malnourishment in the elderly. The animal research also suggests L-citrulline may help treat intestinal problems, including:

Short bowel syndrome

Celiac disease

Radiation-caused small bowel damage

Certain genetic disorders and health conditions such as liver disease may be helped by L-citrulline supplements.

Early human studies done also hint that L-citrulline may be helpful for Parkinson's disease and certain dementias.

Some people also take L-citrulline to build muscles and improve athletic performance. But research shows it does not help well-trained athletes perform or exercise better.

 

L-carnitine

is an amino acid (a building block for proteins) that is naturally produced in the body.

L-carnitine supplements are used to increase L-carnitine levels in people whose natural level of L-carnitine is too low because they have a genetic disorder, are taking certain drugs (valproic acid for seizures), or because they are undergoing a medical procedure (hemodialysis for kidney disease) that uses up the body's L-carnitine. It is also used as a replacement supplement in strict vegetarians, dieters, and low-weight or premature infants.

L-carnitine is used for conditions of the heart and blood vessels including heart-related chest pain, congestive heart failure (CHF), heart complications of a disease called diphtheria, heart attack, leg pain caused by circulation problems (intermittent claudication), and high cholesterol.

Some people use L-carnitine for muscle disorders associated with certain AIDS medications, difficulty fathering a child (male infertility), a brain development disorder called Rett syndrome, anorexia, chronic fatigue syndrome, diabetes, overactive thyroid, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), leg ulcers, Lyme disease, and to improve athletic performance and endurance.

The body can convert L-carnitine to other amino acids called acetyl-L-carnitine and propionyl-L-carnitine. But, no one knows whether the benefits of carnitines are interchangeable. Until more is known, don't substitute one form of carnitine for another.

How does it work?

L-carnitine helps the body produce energy. It is important for heart and brain function, muscle movement, and many other body processes.

 

Zinc 

It is called an “essential trace element” because very small amounts of zinc are necessary for human health.

Zinc is used for treatment and prevention of zinc deficiency and its consequences, including stunted growth and acute diarrhea in children, and slow wound healing.

It is also used for boosting the immune system, treating the common cold and recurrent ear infections, and preventing lower respiratory infections. It is also used for malaria and other diseases caused by parasites.

Some people use zinc for an eye disease called macular degeneration, for night blindness, and for cataracts. It is also used for asthma; diabetes; high blood pressure; acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS); and skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, and acne.

Other uses include treating attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), blunted sense of taste (hypogeusia), ringing in the ears (tinnitus), severe head injuries, Crohn’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Down syndrome, Hansen’s disease, ulcerative colitis, peptic ulcers and promoting weight gain in people with eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa.

Some people use zinc for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), male infertility, erectile dysfunction (ED), weak bones (osteoporosis), rheumatoid arthritis, and muscle cramps associated with liver disease. It is also used for sickle cell disease and inherited disorders such as acrodermatitis enteropathica, thalassemia, and Wilson’s disease.

Some athletes use zinc for improving athletic performance and strength.

How does it work?

Zinc is needed for the proper growth and maintenance of the human body. It is found in several systems and biological reactions, and it is needed for immune function, wound healing, blood clotting, thyroid function, and much more. Meats, seafood, dairy products, nuts, legumes, and whole grains offer relatively high levels of zinc.

Zinc deficiency is not uncommon worldwide. Symptoms include slowed growth, low insulin levels, loss of appetite, irritability, generalized hair loss, rough and dry skin, slow wound healing, poor sense of taste and smell, diarrhea, and nausea. Moderate zinc deficiency is associated with disorders of the intestine which interfere with food absorption (malabsorption syndromes), alcoholism, chronic kidney failure, and chronic debilitating diseases.

Zinc plays a key role in maintaining vision, and it is present in high concentrations in the eye. Zinc deficiency can alter vision, and severe deficiency can cause changes in the retina (the back of the eye where an image is focused).

Zinc might also have effects against viruses. It appears to lessen symptoms of the rhinovirus (common cold), but researchers can’t yet explain exactly how this works. In addition, there is some evidence that zinc has some antiviral activity against the herpes virus.

Low zinc levels can be associated with male infertility, sickle cell disease, HIV, major depression, and type 2 diabetes, and can be fought by taking a zinc supplement.

 

Magnesium

is a mineral used by every organ in your body, especially your heart, muscles, and kidneys.1 If you suffer from unexplained fatigue or weakness, abnormal heart rhythms or even muscle spasms and eye twitches, low levels of magnesium could be to blame.

If you’ve recently had a blood test, you might assume it would show a magnesium deficiency. But only 1 percent of magnesium in your body is distributed in your blood, making a simple sample of magnesium from a serum magnesium blood test not very useful.

Most magnesium is stored in your bones and organs, where it is used for many biological functions. Yet, it’s quite possible to be deficient and not know it, which is why magnesium deficiency has been dubbed the “invisible deficiency.”

By some estimates, up to 80 percent of Americans are not getting enough magnesium and may be deficient. Other research shows only about 25 percent of US adults are getting the recommended daily amount of 310 to 320 milligrams (mg) for women and 400 to 420 for men.