The Secrets About Vitamins and Minerals

By Ola R Hegge

2017 edition with all latest information and research about vitamins and minerals and other micro-nutrients necessary for our health.
You will find out how to know if you get enough vitamins from the food you eat, how to know which vitamins and minerals you need for a better health, how vitamins and minerals can improve your energy and well-being, how vitamins affect your sex life, how vitamins and minerals can make you cope with stress, how vitamins and minerals can make you sleep better, how to lose weight without dieting etc..
The book is recommended by many medics and nutritionists.
¤ "brilliantly and carries all essential and practical informations ".."a book which actually gives you knowledge you can apply to your day to day life. I like super food topic and practical tips the most" .."hard to know exactly what to eat and how to calculate the nutritive value, but with this book it becomes really easy. I will recommend it to my patients." Dr J.P Jaiswal, MD, FACC. Senior Physician, Cardiologist Norvik Hospital, Director, Iwamura Hospital.
¤ "an excellent manual, to apply both in my work as a pharmacist and as nutritionist. Also be used by anyone seeking to improve their lifestyle, nutrition". "Follow the advice in this book and see how it improves your body, mind, and of course your mood." Felisa Heliodora Ponce Bautista, Licenciada en Farmacia, Master en Dietética y Nutrición.
¤ "written in simple terms easy to read, follow and understand for everyone from lay person to medical practitioners who recommend nutritional supplemen-tation to their patients"..."a reference text for practitioners and all health conscious individuals." Hamisi Kote Ali, DC, MD Director Premier Rehab Centers Sports Medicine.
¤ "great book and I would recommend it." Dr.Uriel Ulises Espinoza, MD Specialist Internal Medicine.
¤ ”injection of a clear and usefull book” T.H. Falnes, MD.
This 260 page book includes a description of all known vitamins and minerals with tables of recommended daily intakes, deficiency symptoms, requirements, beneficial effects, precautions, therapeutic uses, tables of food sources and much more.
Additionally other micro nutrients like Omega 3, Omega 6, Q10, choline, inositol and bioflavonoids are described.
You learn about digestion, metabolism, protein, carbohydrates, fats, fiber, functional foods, super-foods, alkaline and acid foods and let you know easy steps to take if you want to lose weight without struggling with special diets.
CONTENTS OF THE BOOK:
What Are Vitamins - Do We Need Vitamins - Should We Take Vitamin Supplement s- Can Vitamins be dangerous - How Much Vitamins Should We Take - Natural Or Synthetic Vitamins - When And How To Take Supplements - Choosing Your Supplement - Absorption And Bioavailability - When Buying Vitamins - Vitamin A - Vitamin D - Vitamin E - Vitamin C - Thiamine - Riboflavin - Niacin - Pantothenic Acid - Vitamin B6 - Vitamin B-12 - Folic Acid - Biotin - Vitamin - ,Choline - Inositol - Para Amino Benzoic Acid - Bioflavonoid - Omega-3 - Omega-6 - Coenzyme Q10 - Vitamin Rich Foods.
Calcium - Magnesium - Phosphorous - Potassium - Sodium - Chlorine - Sulphur - Chromium - Copper - Fluorine - Iodine - Iron - Manganese - Molybdenum - Selenium - Zinc - Cobalt - Silicon - Vanadium - Mineral Rich Foods.
Nutrition - Eat Healthy - Digestion - Absorption - Metabolism - Protein - Carbohydrates - Fats - Fiber - Acid-Alkaline balance - Acid-Alkaline forming foods - Superfoods - Functional Foods - Losing Weight .

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ola R Hegge
• Release date: Jun 3, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310881602

Book preview

Among the many volumes of nutrition texts in the field of nutrition and supplements, Ola Hegge`s book The Power of Vitamins and Minerals finally provides a manual written in simple terms easy to read, follow and understand for everyone from lay person to medical practitioners who recommend nutritional supplementation to their patients.

The book begins with simple definition of what vitamins are to details of usage, dosage for all ages from infants to adults. I have no doubt this book will be a reference text for practitioners and all health conscious individuals.

The book has come out at a pivotal time in our life’s when people are conscious of what they eat and living healthy lifestyles. Understanding if, why, when and what kind of nutrition supplements one needs, is key to healthy living and disease prevention.

What a joy it is to have the power to understand your own body nutritional needs in an effort to stay healthy. 

Hamisi Kote Ali 

Foreword by Thor Henrik Falnes MD

In the big questions of life and health, illness and death the abundant nature give us the possibility to succeed best if we choose to conform to sensible and healthy rules. This should be rules based on generations of experience, as well as on our more recent systematic studies that show a close connection between health, wellness, disease, resistance or lack thereof, and a diet containing the necessary quality bio nutrients. The modern science has penetrated further into the mysteries which so crucially affect our health.

Today we are not only talking about calories, different protein substances, carbohydrates, fats and minerals, when the question comes to diet and health. In every natural food item that is not too much destroyed by heating or other conservation methods, we find the vital nutrients called vitamins. In addition, there are enzymes, minerals and other vital bio nutrients. If one feeds an animal food without these important micro-nutrients such as vitamins and enzymes the animal will die in a short time. The knowledge that vitamins may directly prevent disease or illness or can have healing effects has led to a growing interest in this field within nutrition physiology.

This relationship should really be an obvious matter of the health community. Nevertheless, it has sometimes been a rather scornful dismissive and ridiculing attitude towards those who pioneered and experienced that with diet, supplements and health food diets one can obtain medical effects on even severely ill patients.

Had the Public Health officials adopted a more positive attitude towards those who through long and sacrificing practical work has experienced the healing powers that lie within the sound nutritious foods, many of the official medicine’s too expensive and not so good health plans would be redundant in a short time.

This encouraging injection of a clear and useful book on the Norwegian market, is the first in-depth presentation for the lay man about these subjects in this country. The book on vitamins and minerals is concise and practical authored with good over- view registry and referrals for treatment of diseases.

It is going to be a guide and reference for many people for several years. By this, one also achieves a meaningful dialog between layman and scholar, between patient and physician. That would increase the interest in promoting the development of more conscious practical use of these biological pathways of influence on our health.

Thor Henrik Falnes

Written as foreword to the first editions published in 1984 and 1985

PREFACE

The aim of this new book is to introduce readers an easy, clear and concise way to learn about vitamins and minerals. I have included the latest research and findings about these important micro-nutrients.

Some people and books state that nobody needs to take any vitamin or mineral supplements to maintain good health. Others imply that vitamins and minerals can cure all kinds of illnesses. Both statements are of course wrong. Vitamins and minerals are very important bio-chemicals that aid our body in a lot of functions and are necessary for us to grow and function. Some of these compounds cannot be made in our body and we must obtain them from food or supplements. A lot of diseases occur because our body does not get enough of these micro-nutrients. There can be various reasons for this; like a poor diet, stress, eating too little or a sickness that may deplete your body of vitamins and minerals.

Although there may be no clinical signs of deficiency, there are often many who suffer from subclinical deficiencies of vitamins and minerals. Shortages which may not bring out any definite signs, but could be the cause of conditions such as headache, fatigue, stomach pain, irritability and sleeplessness. Therefore it is important to eat a balanced healthy diet to make sure your body obtains enough of these bio chemicals. This book will help you know in a quick and easy way which vitamins and minerals effects what and thus hopefully will benefit your health. Remember though, that to feel a positive change from an improved diet often takes some days or even weeks to occur.

It is always better to prevent an illness than to cure one, hence it is beneficial to adopt healthy eating habits. Not only for a couple of weeks, but for the long haul.

The late Adelle Davis, who was the foremost nutrition authority in USA, said: Your nutrition can determine how you look, act, and feel; whether you are grouchy or cheerful, homely or beautiful, physiologically and even psychologically young or old; whether you think clearly or are confused, enjoy your work or make it a drudgery, increase your earning power or stay in an economic rut. The foods you eat can make the difference between your day ending with freshness which lets you enjoy a delightful evening or with exhaustion which forces you to bed with the chickens. To a considerable degree, your nutrition can give you coddled-egg personality or make you a human dynamo. In short, it can determine your zest for life

Since the 1990`s heart disease, diabetes and cancer have become the main causes of death around the world. They are all, in most cases, caused by less than optimum nutrition and life style. Our health system was designed to cure illnesses as infections and so on, but in the 21 century there is also a need for a system based on prevention and well-being and that encourages people to eat healthy nutritious food.

Ola R Hegge

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION TO VITAMINS

What are vitamins?

A vitamin is an organic compound required by an organism as a vital nutrient, but in tiny amounts. Such a nutrient is called a vitamin when it cannot be synthesized in sufficient quantities by an organism, hence must be obtained from the diet. Despite the attention vitamins get today through media few people know what vitamins are and how they work in our body.

Most of us, adults as children, are aware of the fact that vitamins and minerals are necessary for having a good health, and are important for preventing some diseases. Yet, not many people know how important vitamins and minerals are for our physical and mental well-being.

Vitamins or natural vitamins are organic substances, and they must be made of living plants, animals or in our body. They can also be produced synthetically, but even in this process, they are often made by living organisms. It was only around the turn of the century, that some began to understand that there was more to food than just proteins, carbohydrates, fats and minerals. Laboratory experiments showed that although all these nutrients were present, one could find cases of malnutrition. Researchers began looking for the missing link in the food chain and hence vitamins were discovered. There have been found 13 types of these very important nutrients which are universally recognized as vitamins. However, some experts believe that perhaps there are many left to be discovered.

There is a continuous vitamin research, and most importantly is the research that gives us knowledge about how these substances affect and function in our body.

The first vitamin discovered was vitamin B1 (Thiamine) in 1910. Vitamin A or Retinol was found in 1913. In 1920 the vitamins; C (Ascorbic acid), D (Calciferol) and B2 (Riboflavin) were discovered. In 1922 vitamin E (Tocopherol), in 1926 vitamin B12 (Cobalamins) and in 1929 vitamin K1 (Phylloquinone and in 1931 vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid) and vitamin B7 (Biotin) 1934 Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine). In 1936 vitamin B3 or Niacin. Then in 1941 vitamin B9 (Folic acid).

Experiments and studies continue to give us new and useful knowledge about all these vital compounds. There are indications that we have only gone a short distance in the knowledge about vitamins.

Vitamins are either classified as water-soluble or fat-soluble. Vitamin C and the B vitamins are water-soluble and vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble.

Water-soluble vitamins dissolve in water, and are normally readily excreted from the body via urination and one can see or predict from the urine our vitamin consumption. As these vitamins are not stored in our body, a consistent intake is important. Many types of water-soluble vitamins are synthesized by bacteria.

The fat-soluble vitamins are absorbed through the intestinal tract with the help of fats. They accumulate in the body, and one has to be aware of the likelihood that the fat-soluble vitamins can be overdosed.

Do we need vitamins?

All our bodies and organs need vitamins and minerals. Not just once in a while, but all the time. The different organs and body parts, directly or indirectly, use vitamins and minerals in processes such as digestion and metabolism. When a function is to be started like digestion of food, it needs a catalyst. In our body, such a catalyst is called an enzyme. You can say enzymes act like spark plugs do in an engine. Enzymes are required for almost all biochemical processes such as digestion, cell renewal and growth.

An enzyme is composed mostly of a protein molecule which is associated with a coenzyme. Often a coenzyme is a vitamin in itself or it may consist of a substance prepared from a vitamin or mineral. Our body cannot produce such coenzymes, therefore it is vital that essential vitamins and minerals are added continuously into our organism. A lack of only one vitamin may cause various diseases. This is because vitamins and minerals often work best together and because they affect nearly every function in our body.

Dr. Bruce Ames, a well-known biochemist at the University of California, has hypothesized that when the intake of vitamins and minerals is lower than the recommended levels, short-term requirements for such micronutrients in metabolic reactions take precedence over long-term needs, thus resulting in long-term, cumulative oxidative damage to macromolecules as DNA and RNA. Proteins decline in mitochondrial functions, accelerates cellular aging and may lead to an increase of risk of age-related diseases. Micronutrient intakes at the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) would allow sufficient amounts for normal metabolism. Intakes of the RDA or higher may be needed for optimum health promotion and chronic disease prevention.

Should we take vitamin supplements?

Everyone knows that vitamins are found in vegetables, fruits, meat and fish, but do we get enough vitamins in the foods we normally eat? Some argue that we do.

If we have a good, varied and balanced diet and live a life without any stress, yes, most likely we do get enough vitamins and minerals from the food we eat. Thus any extra supplements should not be necessary.

However, only a few of us have such a perfect diet that would supply adequate vitamins and minerals. In addition, most of us have a busy and demanding lifestyle. People living in heavy polluted cities with stressful jobs and with little time to make sure the nutrition is optimal, would benefit from taking a regularly supplement of vitamins and minerals. Sometimes we get ill and these supplements will help us to recover more quickly making sure the body is supplied with adequate nutrients. However, supplements do not replace a good balanced diet!

Much of the foods we eat are cooked or fried or have been prepared in ways that destroys a part of the important substances we need. Many people get their daily calorie intake from eating too much snack food and sweets. Most often these substances provide little or no vitamins and minerals. Therefore additional supplements are even more