Four Vitamins You Should NEVER Take

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2 Four Vitamins You Should NEVER Take If you think that all vitamins are safe, you re dead wrong. Here at the Health Sciences Institute (HSI), we talk a lot about vitamins and minerals being essential for your good health. But unfortunately, not all supplements are created equal. Some of them will do you no good at all others could harm you, possibly even kill you. That s what this special report from the HSI research team is all about: Knowing which nutritional supplements you should always avoid in order to keep yourself healthy and safe. 1. America s Favorite Calcium Source Wreaks Havoc on Your Stomach We all like products that can do more than one thing. And that s how antacid tablets became one of the most well-known sources of calcium. But that doesn t mean it s a good one in fact, it can actually be quite harmful. The label comes with this calcium advice: Chew two tablets twice daily. That provides 2,000 mg of calcium carbonate, which sounds like a good calcium intake but what else is happening? You re putting a steady stream of antacid medication into your stomach, neutralizing the acid you need to digest food! Repeated antacid use comes with substantial dangers, even when you re just taking it as a calcium supplement. In fact, this calcium supplement can actually cause an ongoing heartburn problem. You see, your body knows just what to do to protect your esophagus from your stomach acid but it doesn t have to bother if you re taking an antacid. That allows remaining acid to sneak past and irritate your esophagus and it s hello, heartburn! Add to this the fact that antacids like TUMS may have adverse interactions with prescription drugs, and supplies one of the worst forms of calcium for humans, and you have plenty of reasons to find another (almost ANY other!) source of calcium. On top of all that, too much calcium can be a very bad thing. Your body also can t really handle mega-doses of this mineral, so taking 2,000 mg at one time is not a good option. Excessive calcium intake can cause a dangerous condition called hypercalcemia. Very high blood levels of calcium can cause the mineral to accumulate in your soft tissue, making them calcify (or turn hard). You need the right kind of calcium The most common (and cheapest) calcium supplement, by far, is calcium carbonate the primary ingredient in antacid tablets. Unfortunately, it s the most poorly absorbed form of this mineral: Only 5-10 percent of the calcium actually gets where it needs to go. The best form of calcium based on price and absorption is calcium citrate. The absorption level runs at about 30 to 35 percent, and the citric acid in the formula (the citrate part) reduces the amount of stomach acids required for absorption. That gives you a healthy dose of calcium without messing around with your stomach acid.

3 And even with this better form of calcium, your body still needs help to get it exactly where it needs to go. To get the most out of your calcium, you need several other supporting nutrients, including magnesium, vitamin D, vitamin C, and vitamin B-12, most of which can be found in a standard multi-vitamin. The best way to take your calcium is in several small doses 500 mg each throughout the day for a total daily dose of 1,000 to 2,000 mg. 2. The synthetic form of this vitamin is potentially toxic Vitamin E has been getting a lot of bad press for the past few years, and it s a shame. This essential nutrient is critical to your overall good health. Unless you re taking the wrong and possibly dangerous supplements. There are eight different kinds of vitamin E though you would never know that from listening to the news. Most studies only generally refer to vitamin E, and never make a distinction as to which specific form was used. To make things even more confusing, you ll find eight different natural forms of this vitamin, plus several synthetic versions. And that s the kind you need to worry about synthetic vitamin E. That s because the synthetic form may actually cause you more harm than good. Your body can only use half of the molecules present in synthetic vitamin E it doesn t even recognize the other half, but it has to somehow handle them anyway. That throws a big (sometimes hazardous) wrench into the processes involved in normal body functioning. So it s important for you to carefully read the labels when you re shopping for a vitamin E supplement or even a multi-vitamin. You need the right kind of vitamin E Here s the trick to knowing just what kind of E is in the various formulation you re considering: Natural vitamin E will be listed as d-alpha-tocopherol, and the synthetic versions have an extra letter l in their description. If the label lists dl-alpha-tocopherol, it s not the real deal. Put that bottle down, and look for a brand that contains the natural vitamin. The optimal dose of vitamin E is 400 to 1,600 IU per day of natural mixed tocopherols which contain alpha, beta, delta and gamma fractions. And since vitamin E is what s known as a fat-soluble vitamin, it s best to take it with food that contains some fat. 3) You need vitamin A but be very careful how you get it Vitamin A is essential to the health of your eyes, bones, skin and immune system. But many doctors shy away from recommending vitamin A, and some may even tell you not to take it at all, based on some research showing that this nutrient can be dangerous in excessive doses. They re not entirely wrong: There are potential risks associated with vitamin A if you take the wrong kind. Vitamin A comes in two forms, retinol and beta-carotene, but only one of those forms can lead to serious health problems. Retinol, especially the synthetic variety, can increase your risk of conditions like osteoporosis.

4 In fact, the widely reported 2002 Nurses Health Study showed that a high intake of vitamin A increases the risk of hip fractures in postmenopausal women. The women who had a high intake of dietary vitamin A and vitamin A supplements had an 89% higher risk of hip fracture! And the study showed that most of the vitamin A supplements taken by the women contained a synthetic form of vitamin A a form that delivered retinol. And even though its an essential nutrient, when your body gets too much of the wrong kind of vitamin A, it can also cause a whole host of disturbing symptoms like Headaches (usually the first sign of vitamin A toxicity) Nausea Blurred vision Enlarged spleen or liver Deep bone pain Fatigue Hair loss (which is, fortunately, reversible). Unfortunately, many multivitamins and supplements do contain the synthetic version of vitamin A that delivers retinol the form that can cause vitamin A toxicity. You need the right kind of vitamin A The right way to get enough vitamin A is through its benign form: beta-carotene, which can not cause vitamin A toxicity. That s because your body converts beta-carotene into vitamin A as your body needs it preventing the possibility of toxicity. Beta-carotene is abundant in dark green leafy vegetables and colorful orange vegetables and fruits (for which it helps supply the color) such as pumpkins, squash, sweet potatoes, peaches, apricots, cantaloupes, mangoes and (most famously) carrots. In supplement form, beta-carotene is naturally available in fish oil. A particularly good source is cod liver oil, which contains beta-carotene along with vitamin D, and the combination of the two may provide excellent support for good bone health. For optimal health, you need a total of about 10,000 IU of vitamin A every day (that includes food sources and beta-carotene supplements). 4) You need iron to survive but iron supplements can be very dangerous For years, HSI Panelist Dr. Allan Spreen has warned against the use of inorganic iron supplements. Iron is highly reactive when it s not insulated from the system by being encased within a heme ring (hemoglobin). Free radical formation from free iron is just too much of a threat. In fact, if you take iron supplements, you may be suffering from iron toxicity due to chronic iron overload or excessive iron storage. Men especially are susceptible to this dangerous condition because they don t lose iron regularly. In fact, excess iron storage again, particularly for men has been

5 linked with heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and cancer. And before things get that bad, you may be struck with other seemingly unrelated symptoms: Appetite loss Fatigue Headaches Dizziness Nausea Shortness of breath All possibly due to the iron supplements you take. You need the right kind of iron Iron toxicity is a leading cause of death among children. Iron deficiency, especially in women, can also cause serious problems, like anemia and cognitive deficiencies. So you do need this essential mineral. You just need the right amount of the right form to get your daily dose without risking severe damage to your overall health. Most iron supplements come in its inorganic form, like ferrous sulfate, and that s where problems creep in. The mineral is just too reactive in the body when it s not insulated from your system by being encased within the heme structure of hemoglobin. You see, free iron, like the kind your body gets from typical supplements, increases the risk of free radical formation and that can lead to severe health problems. The best form of iron is organic, meaning it comes from an animal: red meat, pork, and poultry. The very best sources are beef and chicken livers and you can boost absorption by eating foods high in vitamin C at the same time. But if you just can t choke down liver, there is one very safe iron supplement. It s called desiccated liver tablets. They re organic, inexpensive, and easier on your body than inorganic iron supplements. Copyright 2014 Institute for Health Sciences L.L.C., 702 Cathedral St., Baltimore, MD All rights reserved. No part of this report may be reproduced by any means or for any reason without the consent of the publisher. This information is provided as information only and may not be construed as medical advice or instruction. No action should be taken based solely on the contents of this publication. Readers should consult appropriate health professionals on any matter relating to their health and well-being. The information and opinions provided in this publication are believed to be accurate and sound, based on the best judgment available to the authors, but readers who fail to consult appropriate health authorities assume the risk of any injuries. The publisher is not responsible for errors or omissions.