Those who consult with us about what nutritional supplements or vitamins they should take each day, get a few general recommendations - keeping in mind that our average client is above 30 y.o. In addition to our first broader recommendation of Juice Plus+® to cover a wider spectrum of nutrients from the whole food of a variety of fruits and vegetables, we also recommend some more specific supplements. And those are Vitamin D, Calcium, and Fish Oil. Here's some additional info on all three--
Vitamin D
A meta-analysis of 18 randomized controlled trials has found that supplemental vitamin D significantly reduces mortality from all causes.
The analysis emphasizes the medical, ethical, and legal implications of promptly diagnosing and adequately treating vitamin D deficiency.
Not only are such deficiencies common, but vitamin D deficiency is implicated in most of the diseases of civilization. Vitamin D's final metabolic product targets more than 200 human genes in a wide variety of tissues. One of the most important genes vitamin D up-regulates is for cathelicidin, a naturally occurring broad-spectrum antibiotic.
Since vitamin D deficiency is both endemic and is associated with numerous diseases, it is one of the most important medical problems in modern society. Treatment of vitamin D deficiency in otherwise healthy patients must be individualized due to the numerous factors affecting vitamin D levels. Steps should be taken to keep patients with chronic diseases associated with vitamin D deficiency, especially internal cancers, in the higher normal range of vitamin D blood levels. (click here for a MUST watch video on Vitamin D)
Calcium
A new study suggests that calcium from food sources may be more effective than calcium from supplements. It found that women who get most of their daily calcium from food sources have healthier bones and greater bone density, even though those who took more supplements tended to have higher average levels of calcium.
Researchers asked 183 postmenopausal women to document their diet over the course of a week, after which their bone mineral density and estrogen were tested. Women who got at least 70 percent of their daily calcium from food sources instead of supplements took in the least calcium (830 milligrams per day, on average), but higher spine and hip bone density than women consuming 1,030 milligrams of calcium per day primarily from supplement sources.
Women who got calcium in relatively even amounts from both food and supplemental sources had both the highest bone mineral density and the highest calcium intake (1,620 milligrams per day).
Calcium from dietary sources is usually more completely absorbed than calcium from supplements, which could explain the difference. Women who got getting calcium from foods also had higher estrogen levels; estrogen is needed to maintain bone mineral density. The connection between dietary calcium and estrogen is as yet unknown, although it could be the result of eating plant sources containing the hormone.
Those who got calcium from food sources might have also taken in more vitamin D, which would aid in calcium absorption. (source)
Fish Oil
Fishes have proven once more that they are truly one of God's finest creations through the seemingly endless benefits of fish oil that only you can get from them.
Yyou have heard about fish oils and Omega 3 Fatty acids.
1. Starting with the most well grounded benefits of fish oil, heart disease prevention and recovery are the most talked about advantages of Omega 3 Fatty acids. Basically, omega 3 lowers the level of low density lipoprotein (the bad cholesterol) and increases high density lipoprotein levels (the good cholesterol.)
2. Fish oil tends to help diabetics as well. Since people with Diabetes have higher triglycerides and lower High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) levels, fish oil can play for the diabetics' advantage. It can both decrease triglycerides and increase HDL, aside from the benefit of making the blood less viscous (diabetics tend to have very viscous and dense blood due to its high sugar content.)
3. Fish oil may also help people with osteoporosis. Studies revealed that Omega 3 Fatty acids help improve Calcium level. It was also found out that fish oils plays a significant role in depositing Calcium in the bones, thereby improving overall bone strength.
4. Fish oil also helps people dealing with obesity to lose weight. In a recent study, overweight people who included Omega 3 Fatty acids in their diet and exercise lost more weight than those who just exercise without the fish oils.
5. With rheumatoid arthritis, researches show that Omega 3 Fatty acids supplements lessened the joint pains and morning stiffness. With Osteoarthritis, test tubes containing cartilages infected with the diseases showed reduce inflammation and cartilage destroying activities when Omega 3 Fatty acids were introduced. (source)
Comments: There you have it. Four very important and helpful nutritional supplements. Juice Plus+® for fruit and vegetable nutrients from whole foods; Fish Oil for your omega 3's; Calcium and Vitamin D, both of which are proving to be extremely important as a supplement (more so Vitamin D!!) due to a common deficiency.
Keep in mind as noted withe Calcium, the best source of nutrition comes from our foods. Unfortunately we don't have the best diets nor do our foods contain the same density of nutrients as we did many years ago. So vitamins and nutritional supplements are a good idea.
Dr. J. Patrick Havey
The Health & Wellness Institute, PC
Official Juice Plus+® Independent Distributor
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