A couple of days ago I wrote about using vitamin & mineral supplements. I’d like to follow up a bit and touch on which vitamins and minerals are best.
Most minerals, those in the soil, are poorly assimilated in the body. There are two exceptions, magnesium and calcium. The rest are usually combined with amino acids or other substances (called ‘chelation’) to increase absorption. Look for products with multiple chelates (ie. carbonates, males, succinates, oxides, etc.) to cover all your bases and get the best absortion. Store minerals in a cool, dry place.
Most synthetic versions of vitamins are identical to those in nature and are okay to buy,with a couple of exceptions. Vitamin E should come in the form d-alpha tocopherol. A less expensive and much lower quality (and price) is d-l-alpha tocopherol, and it’s benefit is zilch-nada. Don’t buy it. Secondly, vitamin A should come in the pre-form of Beta Carotene. Your body will make the vitamin A it needs. Vitamin A in its pure form has the possibility of becoming toxic if you take too much. Get the Beta Carotene.
I also recommend these two supplements for overall health: Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA), and n-acetylcysteine (NAC). ALA supports normal insulin function and it boosts the activity of other antioxidants including vitamins C, E, and CoQ10.
NAC is a powerful antioxidant, an immune system booster, and a potent liver detoxifier.
There’s a lot to cover on this subject, quite a bit of misinformation that I hope I can clear up.
A reader wrote to say she and her husband tried a couple of the abdominal exercises using a medicine ball. They both were pleased with the exercises and the target area, the abs. Thank you Dot! These two workouts were posted on my website a couple of weeks ago-they’re also on youtube. Check them out.
Stay well, John R Blilie, M.S.