Nutrients We Should Not Take in Excess

Too much of good things is bad. This saying is true especially if we talk about vitamins and other nutrients that could harm if taken in excess.

Harmful level of certain vitamins and minerals is impossible to attain if such nutrients are taken only by eating nutritious foods, and is very possible when it is taken in supplement form. Thus, the right way to get our body’s needed nutrients is by eating various nutritious foods than taking them as supplement.

Here are some of the supplements that you must not take in excess:

IRON. Too much of iron stored in the body could cause headache, fatigue, low blood sugar, liver problems, accumulation of fluid in the lungs, testicular problem in men, or even coma.

Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA):
men: 8 mg/day
women: 18 mg/day
women 51 y.o. and over: 8 mg/day
Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (UL): 45 mg/day

VITAMIN A. Too much of vitamin A in the body could lessen bone mineral density (could lead to osteoporosis), liver damage, disorders in central nervous system and risk of birth defects.

Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA):
men: 3,000 IU/day
women: 2,310 IU/day
Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (UL):
10,000 IU/day

VITAMIN C. Too much of vitamin C could upset the gastrointestinal tract and could even cause diarrhea.

Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA):
men: 90 mg/day
women: 75 mg/day
Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (UL): 2,000 mg/day

CALCIUM. High level of calcium in the body could interfer the absorption of other important minerals like iron, magnesium, zinc and phosphorus, and could impair the functioning of our kidneys.

Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA):
adults 19-50 y.o.: 1,000 mg/day
adults 51 y.o. and over: 1,200 mg/day
Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (UL): 2,500 mg/day

VITAMIN E. Vitamin E is a natural anticoagulant thus too much of it in the body put the individual at risk of bleeding problems.

Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA): 22.5 IU/day
Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (UL): 1,500 IU/day
NOTE: 400 IU/day or more increase the risk of death

VITAMIN D. High level of vitamin D in the blood could raise blood calcium level too that may cause changes like confusion. Poor appetite, constipation, weakness, nausea, vomiting and weight loss are some of the symptoms of high level of vitamin D.

Adequate Daily Intake (AI):
70 y.o and below: 400 IU/day
71 y.o. and over: 600 IU/day
Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (UL): 2,000 IU/day

ZINC. Too much of zinc in the body could weaken the immune system and lower the good cholesterol (HDL) level and alter iron function and copper levels.

Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA):
men: 11 mg/day
women: 8 mg/day
Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (UL): 40 mg/day

SELENIUM. Too much of selenium in the body exhibits symptoms like hair loss, gastrointestinal upset, fatigue, white blotchy nails, irritability, garlic breath odor, and mild nerve damage.

Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA): 55ug/day
Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (UL): 400ug/day

VITAMIN B6. If it is taken at high doses but lower than 500mg/day, it could cause nerve damage to the legs as well as on arms.

Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA):
19-50y.o.: 1.3 mg/day
men 51 y.o. and over: 1.7 mg/day
women 51 y.o. and over: 1.5 mg/day
Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (UL): 100 mg/day

COPPER. Too much of copper could damage the liver and kidneys, and could cause neurologic problems. The following are symptoms of too much copper in the body: abdominal pain, weakness, insomnia, diminished concentration, learning disabilities, memory lapses, stuttering, hyperactivity, seizure, and delirium.

Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA): 900mcg/day
Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (UL): 10,000mcg/day

Got A Joint Pain?

Joint pain due to osteoarthritis is so common to people on their 50′s and above. My mom jokingly call it as a sign that someone is on his or her old age already  because their cartilages are no longer that elastic compared to the young people. Of course, we need not just easily accept that fact and let our love ones suffer the joint pain that sometimes even alter their day-to-day schedule. We need to do something to alleviate their pain, soreness or aches.

Some people automatically grab analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs from the nearest pharmacy to relieve the pain while others resort to external and, or internal herbal medications. Old folks usually recommend herbs like ginger, turmeric and grape seed extracts as great help for those who are suffering from osteoarthritis. Others take natural supplements that could fight degeneration of cartilage.

Whatever ways you do to lessen the joint pain due to arthritis, it is important to remember that elimination of pain does not mean that the cause is cured. You still need to consult your doctor to guide you with the right things to do like proper diet and other aspects of healthy lifestyle aside from medication.

The Importance of Diet and Exercise in Weight Loss

Weight loss supplements are proven that they do great job for those who want to be slim. For those who want not just to look good but be healthy as well, why not change your diet into healthy one and take some time for an exercise everyday? Fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and polyunsaturated oils could not just help you lose weight but promotes good health all in all like exercise. Incorporate right diet and exercise to your weight loss supplements starting today and definitely you’ll be more amazed of the result than solely taking a weight loss supplement.

Choosing The Right Omega 3 Supplements

Who needs omega 3 health supplements? All of us needs omega 3 for our body to function well. Omega 3 is an essential fatty acids that cannot be produced in our body. Thus, we need to take omega 3 either as supplement or through diet by eating plenty of fish and vegetables that are rich in alpha linolinic acid or ALA.

The greatest way to take omega 3 is through diet but unfortunately there are lots of contaminants now like mercury from fish causing great percentage of our population to take animal meat and dairy products more instead of fish plus, the less consumption of vegetables rich in alpha linolinic acid or ALA could result to deficiency of omega 3 in the body. Heart disease, inflammatory disorders and certain cancers are some of the results due to lack of omega 3 in the body.

What is the safest way to take omega 3? The safest way is by taking omega 3 health supplements, a high quality fish oil supplement in particular. Please take note that not all fish oils are of good quality, better be vigilant in choosing fish oil supplements, you need to check its purity. If you are one of those who takes anti-inflammatory drugs like my on mom on her painful joints, omega 3 health supplement is a great alternative for it too aside from long list of benefits we could get from omega 3. And, what over the counter omega 3 supplement is best for me?  Nothing could bet the purity grade of Omax3.

Iron Supplements and Iron Deficiency Anemia

You and your family are taking iron supplements? Did you know that too much iron in your body is harmful? Yes, our body needs iron, it is important for red blood cell production but too much of it is harmful to the body. There is a theory that extra stored iron in your body release harmful free radicals that may put you to risk for heart problems, liver damage, cancer,iron overdose in children and other illnesses. Medically speaking when there is an excessive amount of iron accumulated in the blood and tissues is is called hemosiderosis if the accumulated iron in the macrophages causes parenchymal cell injury. If the extra iron accumulates in the parenchymal cells and injures the tissue it is called hemochromatosis.

Because of iron side effects, most doctors agree that it is not necessary to take iron supplements unless your blood test shows that you need it. If the person is anemic, with low hemoglobin and, or hematocrit level in the blood, it does not mean automatically that he is suffering from iron deficiency and need to take iron supplements, always bear in mind that anemia has lots of causes and iron deficiency is just one of them. To confirm that the person is suffering from iron deficiency, the person will undergo a special laboratory test called serum ferritin test.

Again, taking iron supplements are not recommended unless prescribed by your doctor. If you want to make sure that your family family is getting enough iron for their body needsgo for good food sources of iron. Fish, poultry, red meat, shellfish, tofu, potatos, peas, beans, pumpkin seeds and dried apricots are rich in iron, some cereals and other processed foods are fortified with iron too thus, you need not to take iron supplements unless prescribed by your physician.

How Important is Folic Acid to Your Health?

How important is Folic Acid to your health? For healthy individuals like me, folic acid or folate is beneficial in preventing your body from certain cancers, anemia and cardiovascular diseases. For pregnant women, it plays a big role in the development of the fetus, folic acid or folate fights birth defects like neural tube defects.

Folic Acid or folate is another B vitamin. Kids who prefer to satisfy their hunger with fast foods and junk foods that are devoid of essential nutrients, alcoholics, pregnant or nursing women, dieters, women who are taking oral contraceptives, those who have intestinal problems that may cause hindrance in absorption of folic acid, those who are receiving kidney dialysis and those who are taking medications such as cholesterol lowering drugs, sulfasalaline and aspirin and other anti-inflammatory drugs are people who are at risk for folic acid or folate deficiency.

If you belong to the at risk of folic acid or folate deficiency group and you feel fatigue, forgetfulness, confusion, irritability and you observe paleness of your skin, reddened tongue or your suffering from anemia better consult your doctor. It would be best if you will undergo a laboratory test for folic acid deficiency.

Wheat germ, orange and orange juices, liver, eggs, milk, green leafy vegetables, lima beans and navy beans are great sources of folic acid or folate. Supplements are good but better take it as part of multivitamins because large doses of folic acid or folate could interfere the functioning of vitamin B12 or cobalamin.

The Importance of Vitamin B12

Let us talk about about vitamin B12 or cobalamin this time. Generally, you can get vitamin B12 or cobalamin from meat, fish, eggs and dairy products but liver, beef, tuna and oysters are food that are rich in vitamin B12 or cobalamin.Though food sources of vitamin B12 are so common there are still people that exist who are at risk for vitamin B12 or cobalamin deficiency. Pregnant women, smokers, alcoholics, drug addicts, people that are taking medications to lower their cholesterol levels, the strict vegetarians, people who have digestive problems (with low stomach acid and, or those who are lacking of intrinsic factor for vitamin B12 absorption), and those who have problem on their small intestine that causes hindrance to absorption of vitamin B12 or cobalamin are people that are at risk for vitamin B12 or cobalamin deficiency.

If you are one of the people that are at risk of vitamin B12 or cobalamin deficiency and you feel tingling sensations in your hands and feet as if you are pierced with pins and needles, muscle weakness, fatigue, loss of appetite, difficulty in breathing, memory loss, incoordination, disorientation or change in your personality it would be best if you undergo a serum B12 TEST along with test for folic acid deficiency. Deficiency of any of this two essential nutrients have more or less same signs.

Have you heared about Pernicious Anemia? This kind of anemia is due to vitamin B12 or cobalamin deficiency in which your red blood cells tends to become larger and immature that has less or no capacity at all to carry oxygen to your body thus, patient would feel the signs of vitamin B12 or cobalamin deficiency I have mentioned above.

Those who have been diagnosed of vitaminB12 or cobalamin deficiency and have no absorption problems are advised to take an oral vitamin B12 supplements while those who have absorption problems are usually given with injectable vitamin B12 every month.

Best Energy Enhancing Supplements

You are asking for best energy enhancing supplements? My brother called me up yesterday. His working schedule was changed starting last Monday. Not only that, he is studying and he said he really need energy enhancing supplements to coup with what he is doing now, working for 8 hours then spend most of his hours reviewing. He is searching for best supplements. He wants to take health supplements that has energy enhancing effects at the same time brain boosters.

I told him to search those health supplements that are not energy enhancing but brain boosters as well at the internet. There,  he can choose the  best supplements because he  can do some research and ask questions  to the concerned sites about the products he is interested compared to buying it on the nearest drug store, in which sales ladies are busy taking orders of their costumers and has no enough time to entertain all his inquiries.

Our mom reminded him that though he has hectic schedule nowadays, he must find time to prepare nutritious foods and have some stocks of fruits and vegetables for him to have easy access of good nutrition. He also need to spend at least 30 minutes a day for exercise. If he wants brain boosters, exercise could help him because exercise has good impact on  stress level and on cognitive aspect. And,of course he must not forget the necessity to relax, rest and have time for uninterrupted sleep.

Energy enhancing supplements at the same time  brain boosters are great help not just for my brother but for those who have active life like him. These health supplements are best supplements not just to young adults like us but to elderlies who wants to enjoy life not just physically but mentally as well.