Vitamins A,C,E the Good Guys

Vitamins A, C, and E are well known antioxidants. Antioxidants are the “good guys” fighting free radicals (the “bad guys”). The good guys help to prevent and sometimes even reverse cellular damage caused by the bad guys.

It is always best to get your nutrients from foods you consume whenever possible. Problem is, commercially grown foods these days just don’t contain the nutrients they did years ago because of the farming practices of agribusiness.

One alternative is to take supplements. The efficacy of the supplements is determined by the bioavailability of the ingredients. In other words, if your body can’t use them, they are of NO USE! Got it?

It makes sense to do research. The easier your body absorbs the nutrients in the pill or liquid, the more your body will get. Gee, what a concept!

Supplements come in all shapes, sizes and colors as well as prices!

If they are really cheap (I suppose that is a relative term) they may not be worth the money—ya get what you pay for, as they say.

Some come in attractive colors. Some are coated to cover up the taste. Some have hard smooth coatings to make them easier to swallow. Coatings can be polymers, sugar and/or carnauba wax (a natural wax derived from a palm tree).

(Read how vitamins are made.)

How easy are those hard coatings to digest? Depends on how efficient your digestive system works.

Cellular damage to joints in the form of arthritis can be helped with a combination of A and C. This same combination has been used to treat outbreaks of genital herpes.

C has also been shown to slightly reduce blood pressure. C is probably one of the best defenses against colds and flu along with adequate amounts of rest and D

Though A is essential, it is also important not to overdo in the form of supplements. Since it is fat soluble it is stored in your body Vitamin A toxicity has a whole list of ugly problems you do not want to deal with. Take only the recommended dosage of 5,000 IU a day unless otherwise instructed by a health practitioner.

Food sources of A: fruits, vegetables, beef, cheese, poultry, eggs

Recommended doses for C is 500mg/day though it is water soluble and safe to take higher doses. We take 1000 mg twice a day. C is vital to heart health and cellular protection. It is required to develop collagen to form muscle and tendons, ligaments and bone. It is also essential in preventing scurvy, as the British Navy discovered in the late 1700’s. For this reason they would lade a supply of limes on every voyage.

Click here for a handy chart for food sources of C

E is another fat soluble vitamin. It may lessen oxidative damage from LDL or bad cholesterol. Low fat diets can result in a deficiency of E.

E, when taken as a supplement should be done under a doctor’s supervision if you are a “bleeder” or if you are taking a blood thinning medication. It can cause even more thinning of the blood.

If you take E and are scheduled for a surgical procedure your medical practitioner will recommend that you suspend use for several days before the procedure.

A few sources of vitamin E: sunflower seeds, almonds, dry roasted mixed nuts, peanut butter (best source plain ground peanuts (not commercially prepared pb), toasted wheat germ, avocados, carrot juice, olive oil, spinach, canned tomato products

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