Timing Tops Supplement Usage

The last time I was with my doctor, we were talking about the supplements and vitamins we take. He advised that you should not just pop pills but understand how to get all the benefits you can from them, and prevent any side effects. This led to the topic of when the best time to take them was.

The first thing we agreed on was to read and follow the directions that are printed on the package or bottle. There are recommendations on whether they are best in the morning, afternoon or evening based on the individual supplement.

I checked my directions and verified the following:
Fish Oil (Omega-3) Take 2 to 3 times per day with meals
Vitamin B Take 1 per day with a meal
Vitamin C Take 1 per day with a meal
Vitamin E Take 1 per day

If you are in doubt as to the directions for a supplement, the recommendation is during or right after a meal, unless there are other directions. Remember to hydrate, (drink plenty of fluids) as well.

Another tip about vitamins that I got was to give them a chance to work. Take them consistently to get the most benefit to your health. Normally it takes 2 to 3months before you feel the full positive effects of adding nutritional supplements.

Finally he said when I come in for my exams to keep him filled in on what I am taking. If I forget he asks me if I am still taking them.

If you need to restock your supplement supply click on the above links or shop for yourself at supplementstogo.com Get an extra 5% off by using the coupon code vip5off when you check out.

The Myth Of Vitamin E

Vitamin E is not to be avoided but appreciated for promoting health. If you eat sufficient vegetable oils, nuts, green leafy vegetables, and fortified cereals, you probably have enough vitamin E. but the average American is well below recommended amounts, which means we might need a supplement.

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin. The current recommendations by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) for vitamin E range from 9-300 IU per day for children 1-3 years of age and 28.5-1,500 IU per day for lactating mothers.

The vast majority of published reports show the benefits of vitamin E in using free radicals and helping control inflammation which cuts down chronic diseases.

Other research has been released cautioning the dangers of vitamin E. In 2005 a review of 19 states found that 400 IU per day of vitamin E increased the risk of dying of any cause. They were small samples, but one with a large target population (nearly 21,000), concluded “no significant differences in all-cause mortality”.

The 2005 study also neglected to publish 12 excluded studies in which fewer than 10 patients died, which made the results less reliable. Even the researchers concluded that they could not evaluate the findings to healthy adult populations” but only those who were already sick when the supplementation was done.

What was not well known at the time was a study showing up to 1,600 IU of vitamin E per day to be safe and other research showing women with the highest vitamin E intakes had a 30-40% lower incidence of heart disease than those with the lowest vitamin E intakes.

Bad news always seems to get more attention.

More recently in 2007, a classic example of conflicting data was one study finding vitamin E to be protective against prostate cancer and another finding no benefit. Further analysis of the studies shows that the one with a protective benefit was far more rigorous than the other study. It lasted over 5 years, giving more reliable results.

Other research has backed up the protective vitamin E study by finding a 32% reduction in prostate cancer risk with vitamin E supplements.

Many times when thinking of dietary or nutritional supplements, we assume if one is recommended, two must be better, and then take four just for good measure.

The secret to being healthy is to use the optimal quantity over time. This is difficult to gauge sometimes because the optimal dose for the majority of dietary supplements have not been defined, but research in this area is growing.

So is vitamin E safe? Yes.

How much should you take?

If we are in good health and eat all our veggies, nuts, and seeds, we may not even need to use vitamin E supplements. But if you decide to use them you can go here to get them cheaper.

There is a short video about vitamin E, as we get older. Click here to see it.

Is Vitamin E OK To Take?

In the last couple of weeks I have seen a number of articles about vitamin E and whether it is OK to take

Earlier this year, a researcher presented data at an American Heart Association meeting suggesting that daily vitamin E consumption may be linked to increased risk of death. This discovery was widely publicized and has caused some concern among those taking vitamin E.

I noticed that the research was not a clinical study, but a meta analysis, which means it was a combination of many other studies. This type of analysis can be very revealing, but there can be problems with the methods used that can affect interpretation of the data.

The large majority of vitamin E studies have not demonstrated any dangers, and more studies suggest that vitamin E is necessary to protect the heart, brain and other organs from damage.

The meta analysis can still be on target, but that it’s only part of the overall story.

All medications and supplements have three types of doses associated with them: Less than optimal dose, an optimal dose and a toxic dose. Also just because it’s "natural" doesn’t mean that it can’t be toxic. Too much of anything can still harm you.

The meta analysis noted that increased risk of death was found at only the higher doses of vitamin E, over 800 IU a day over a period of time, also people who had more severe medical problems were the ones at greatest risk.

The headlines of the story focused on the increased risk of death with higher doses of vitamin E. The part that got mostly ignored showed that lower doses of vitamin E (400 IU a day and below) were associated with a reduced risk of death, even in those people with severe medical problems.

A lot of the time when we think of dietary or nutritional supplements, we think that if one is recommended, two must be better, and then take four just for good measure. The secret to being healthy is to use the optimal quantity over time. This is difficult to guage sometimes because the optimal dose for the majority of dietary supplements have not been defined, but research in this area is growing.

So Is vitamin E safe? Yes. How much should you take? If we are in good health and eat all our veggies, nuts, and seeds, we may not even need to use vitamin E supplements.

As a guide, most medical studies with positive results have used between 200-400 IU of vitamin E a day. However for most Americans, our daily diets provide less than 20 IU of vitamin E, which is probably well below the optimal daily dose, whatever it winds up to be. Note that vitamin E can also be found in many other dietary supplements, and taking vitamin E much beyond 200-400 IU a day might not give extra benefits.



PS I found a short video about vitamin E as we get older. Click here to see it.

What Is Vitamin E Good For?

I have seen where low blood levels of vitamin E are linked to greater physical decline as we get older. Since the economy is in the shape it is in, it looks like I will have to extend my working years, and will need to stay active longer.

I decided to look up who may need extra vitamin E to prevent a deficiency or in diseases where vitamin E plays a role and came up with a very brief summary:

Individuals who cannot absorb fat may require a vitamin E supplement because some dietary fat is needed in order to absorb vitamin E from your intestines. These include Crohn's Disease, and Cystic Fibrosis. They may need a special water-soluble form of vitamin E.

Abetalipoproteinemia is a rare inherited disorder of fat metabolism that results in poor absorption of dietary fat and vitamin E. These Individuals may be prescribed special vitamin E supplements by a physician to treat this disorder. Ataxia and vitamin E deficiency (AVED) is also a rare inherited disorder. It is caused by a genetic defect in a liver protein. These people have such severe vitamin E deficiency that without supplements they are unable to walk (ataxia).

Very low birth weight infants may be deficient in vitamin E. These infants are usually under the care of a neonatologist, a pediatrician specializing in the care of newborns, who, evaluates and treats the exact nutritional needs of premature infants.

A study was conducted in Tuscany Italy from 1998-2000, on people between 70-80, and the findings provided a solid base that low concentration of vitamin E contributes to decline in physical function in older people between 70-80.

Preliminary research has led to a widely held belief that vitamin E may help prevent or delay coronary heart disease. Researchers have reported that oxidative changes to LDL-cholesterol (sometimes called "bad" cholesterol) promote blockages (atherosclerosis) in coronary arteries that may lead to heart attacks.

Antioxidants such as vitamin E are believed to help protect cell membranes against the damaging effects of free radicals, which may contribute to the development of chronic diseases such as cancer.

Some evidence associates higher intake of vitamin E with a decreased incidence of prostate cancer and breast cancer.

A study of women in Iowa provides evidence that an increased dietary intake of vitamin E may decrease the risk of colon cancer, especially in women under 65 years of age.
Observational studies have found that lens clarity, which is used to diagnose cataracts, was better in regular users of vitamin E supplements and in persons with higher blood levels of vitamin E.

The number of things vitamin E was associated with surprised me, and also how in the studies already done researchers cannot yet confidently recommend vitamin E supplements for the prevention of any of the issues noted because the evidence on this issues are inconsistent and limited. Even though I should probably be able to get what I need daily in a balanced diet, with my family history I choose to continue to supplement my nutrition needs with a little E just in case.

How can I control my Diabetes Better?

Here is another good supplement that assists you in managing diabetes. It contains Alpha-Lipoic Acid

Researchers have discovered that this potent antioxidant (experts say it's more potent than vitamins E or C) may be an effective treatment for a common complication of diabetes, known as diabetic neuropathy, which develops when high blood sugar levels damage delicate nerve endings. The result is a stabbing, tingling, and burning pain in the legs, feet, and hands, especially at night.
In Germany, alpha-lipoic acid is a prescription drug used to treat diabetic neuropathy.

It may also help control blood sugar in diabetics, possibly by lowering insulin levels and increasing the transport of sugar into cells.

Alpha-lipoic acid is found in small amounts in some foods like spinach and meat, but not enough to make a real difference. For that, studies show you need 600 to 1,200 mg a day, amounts that can come only from nutritional supplements.

P.S. If you would like to find out more about nutritional supplements, weight loss, fitness and other health products click on to this link at supplementstogo.

Can E Vitamins Help With Diabetes Also?

In researching ways to help control diabetes I ran across some nutritional supplements that may help control blood sugar and help manage diabetes. One of them is Vitamin E.

Vitamin E has been known for its antioxidant abilities, which seem to reduce the free radical damage that causes the complications of diabetes, like heart disease and nerve damage, which can lead to blindness and amputation. Research shows that daily nutritional supplements of vitamin E can really reduce the damage in diabetics that later on leads to cardiovascular disease. Seventy percent of deaths from diabetes are related to damaged and clogged arteries.

Recent studies have not confirmed vitamin E effectiveness in preventing cardiovascular disease, but most experts still believe it still may. From the FDA's website: "Some scientific evidence suggests that consumption of antioxidant vitamins may reduce the risk of certain forms of cancer. However, FDA has determined that this evidence is limited and not conclusive." There is also evidence suggesting specific benefit in managing diabetes.

Ishwarlal Jialal, MD, PhD, professor of internal medicine and pathology at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Dallas found that giving 1,200 IU of E Vitamins a day to people with diabetes greatly reduced the tendency of LDL cholesterol to begin creating a buildup of fat and other debris on artery walls.

Since it's impossible to get such large amounts of E from your diet, "it's not unreasonable to take an E supplement," he says. Diabetes experts recommend 600 IU of E a day.

There are two types of vitamin E, natural (d-alpha tocopherol) and synthetic (dl-alpha tocopherol). Milligram for milligram, natural is more potent, so it takes less to get the same benefit. Vitamin E can be found in single ingredient supplements, multivitamins, and herbal preparations. But large doses are generally found as single-ingredient nutritional supplements.

The National Institute of Health lists good ways to get Vitamin E from foods. In addition food manufacturers fortify many products with vitamins and minerals. It is important to read the nutrition facts panel of the food label to determine whether a food provides vitamin E. Here is a short list from National Institutes of Health of foods containing vitamin e:

Wheat germ
Corn
Nuts
Seeds
Olives
Spinach and other green leafy vegetables
Asparagus
Vegetable oils -- corn, sunflower, soybean, cottonseed
Products made from these foods, such as margarine, also contain vitamin E.

P.S. I almost forgot. If you would like to check out more supplements online, click here