Earl Mindell
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 NOTE: Throughout this book, beta-carotene will be the preferred form of vitamin A. I find it preferable because it does not have the same toxicity potential of vitamin A. Moreover, it has been shown to be a preventive for certain types of cancer, helpful in lowering levels of harmful cholesterol, effective in boosting the immune system by increasing the number of infection-fighting T lymphocytes (T cells), and a significant factor in reducing the risk of heart disease.
What It Can Do For You:
Counteract night blindness, weak eyesight, and aid in the treatment of many eye disorders. |
| Too much beta-carotene could, though, make you look as if you've been overdoing it on bronzers by turning your skin an orangey yellow.)
Lycopene, the substance that gives tomatoes, watermelon, pink grapefruit, and other fruits and vegetables their distinctive red color, is the new popular carotenoid on the nutritional block. Findings from Harvard University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute indicate that tomato consumption reduces the risk of cancer in general and prostate cancer in particular. |
Michael Castleman
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 Those with the highest levels of beta-carotene had the best survival rate.
Cranberry Juice: Zaps Bad Bacteria
Many women drink cranberry juice in the belief that it helps prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs). Dorothy Barbo, M.D., director of the Center for Women's Health at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, recommends it for prevention and as a complement to antibiotic treatment. "In my experience," she says, "cranberry juice seems to inhibit bacterial growth."
Incontinence. |
Earl Mindell
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| Vitamin E's absorption may be reduced if you have high levels of vitamin A and beta-carotene in your body, but unless you are overdoing your supplements
(or your skin looks a little orange from carotenoid overload) I wouldn't worry.
Is there any way to tell if I'm low on antioxidants?
As a matter of fact, there is. It's called an oxidative stress test and uses urine and blood samples to determine your body's free-radical levels and glutathione reserves. If you're in good health with no distressing symptoms or serious concerns, I don't feel there is a need to incur the expense of a test. |
Michael Castleman
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| One pint of fresh carrot juice contains 20,000 international units of beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A. This is four times the Recommended Dietary Allowance set by the Food and Drug Administration but in line with the generous amount now promoted by many nutritionists as a daily optimum.
Most juicers cost $20 to $300,- they are available at stores that sell small appliances, at health food stores and by mail order through companies that advertise in vegetarian publications. |
Earl Mindell
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| Vitamin E (dry form), 100-200 IU 1-3 times daily beta-carotene, 10,000 IU daily (check pediatrician for proper dosage according to age and weight) All-natural chewable vitamin and mineral MVP if child is over twelve years of age
261. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
It's known by different names in different countries, but the common symptoms are: sudden onset, extreme fatigue, chills or low-grade fever, sore throat, tender lymph nodes, muscle pain, headaches, joint pain (without swelling), confusion, memory loss, visual disturbances, and sleep disorders, among others. |
Dr. Mary Dan Eades
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 Mineral oil, which you might sometimes take by mouth as a laxative, can dissolve fat-soluble substances (such as vitamin A and beta-carotene). These vitamins then pass worthlessly on through your intestine, since they are bound up by the mineral oil, which your body cannot absorb. Chronic use of mineral oil, therefore, can render a person deficient in vitamin A.
• On the other side of the fat-soluble interaction story, however, proper absorption of vitamin A requires some fat and protein in the diet. |
| It is important to take only natural beta-carotene, however, if you have hypothyroidism.
Symptoms of Deficiency—Acne, dry dull hair, dry skin, fatigue, poor growth, insomnia, thickened scaly skin on the palms and soles of the feet, frequent infections, night blindness, weight loss, dry eyes (progressing to ulceration of the cornea if untreated), and dry mouth.
Symptoms of Toxicity—Probably no vitamin toxicity syndrome has received more study than hypervitaminosis A. |
| Vitamin E, in combination with vitamin C and beta-carotene, is being used in the prevention and treatment of cataracts.
Interactions—
• Dietary polyunsaturated fats (PUFA) and oils increase the requirement for tocopherol, with the need to prevent deficiency varying from 5 mg to as much as 20 mg per day. The rough ratio for intake to prevent deficiency of tocopherols as intake of PUFA increases is 0.4 mg tocopherol for each gram of PUFA.21
• A deficiency of tocopherol can lower tissue magnesium levels. |
| And although beta-carotene is a precursor to vitamin A, not all carotenoids act in this manner (less than 10% have vitamin A activity). The carotenes have been shown to protect against lung, colorectal, breast, uterine, and prostate cancers. They also protect skin cells against UV radiation.
The other type of carotenoids, xanthophylls, protect vitamins A, E, and other carotenoids from oxidation. Recent evidence suggests that xanthophylls are tissue specific.
Limonoids
Here's another subclass of terpenes. |
| Recommendation: Women should take 300,000 IU per day (and should use effective contraception to prevent pregnancy), and men should begin with 400,000 IU for 4 to 6 weeks, increasing to 500,000 IU only if they see no results.
• beta-carotene is an effective alternative for those of you who would rather not ingest the high doses required for vitamin A. It is nontoxic and gives excellent results, even in patients with severe acne who were not helped by medication, without exceeding 100,000 IU per day. |
Earl Mindell
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| Eating one large carrot daily will give you approximately 11,000 IU of vitamin A from beta-carotene!
• People who drink diet sodas and eat foods with sugar substitutes have been found to make up for the loss of sugar calories by eating an average of 11 percent more fat!
• You can lower your risk of stomach cancer 50 percent by eating half an onion a day, according to a four-year study in the Netherlands. The onion's allylic sulfides (anticancer compounds) apparently activate enzymes that neutralize cancer-causing substances. |
Earl L. Mindell, R.Ph., Ph.D.
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 To build collagen you need vitamin A (or beta-carotene), zinc and vitamin C. Vitamin C is especially important, as it is the primary ingredient in the collagen matrix. An esterfied vitamin C—2,000 mg daily—is good preventive medicine for nearly everyone.
What to Ave
Prevent Osteoporosis
There's a good chance that one of the leading contributors to osteoporosis in the U.S. is carbonated soft drinks containing phosphorus. Research has shown a direct link between too much phosphorus and calcium loss. |
Bill Gottlieb
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 And when taken in doses five to ten times what's typically recommended, which is about six milligrams (10,000 IU), beta-carotene has been shown to greatly reduce precancerous lesions of the mouth, says cancer researcher Harinder Garewal, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Arizona Cancer Center in Tucson. |
Earl L. Mindell, R.Ph., Ph.D.
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| Zinc, copper, beta-carotene and vitamin C are all important to the formation and maintenance of collagen in the body. If you're following the Six Core Principles for Optimal Health, you'll be getting plenty of these vitamins.
Japanese women have a significantly lower rate of osteoporosis than American women do, and it's likely that their high consumption of soy products is a factor. Adding soy products such as miso, tempeh and tofu to your diet will contribute to better overall health and stronger bones.
Progesterone and Osteoporosis
John Lee, M.D. |
| Be sure you're getting both beta-carotene and vitamin A in your multivitamin formula.
Other Tips on These Drugs
They can skew the results of many blood and urine tests. Take them with food or they may upset your stomach.
Potassium-Sparing Diuretics Amiloride (Midamor) Spironolactone (Aldactone) Triamterene (Dyrenium)
Combinations (Dyazide, Moduretic, Aldactazide, Maxzide)
The potassium-sparing diuretics are usually combined with one of the other diuretics to reduce excessive potassium depletion. |
| Be sure you're getting both beta-carotene and vitamin A in your multivitamin formula. Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Other Tips on These Drugs
They can skew the results of many blood and urine tests.
Loop Diuretics Bumetanide (Bumex)
Ethacrynic Acid (Edecrin)
Furosemide (Lasix)
Torsemide (Demadex)
What Do They Do in Your Body?
Increase urination, reduce fluid and water retention, largely by reducing sodium chloride (salt) uptake in your cells.
CAUTION! |
Bill Gottlieb
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| Same goes for beta-carotene, which converts into vitamin A in the body when needed. It's safer to take in supplement form than vitamin A because it derives from plant sources and excess amounts are excreted (whereas fat-soluble vitamin A comes from animal sources, and excess amounts are stored in your body). Studies show that people who take this antioxidant vitamin in supplement form—it's also found in carrots, squash, melons and other yellow-orange fruits and vegetables—cut their risk of heart attack and stroke in half compared with those who don't. |
Earl L. Mindell, R.Ph., Ph.D.
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| Vitamin E works well taken with its partners in the body, the nutrients vitamin C, beta-carotene and other flavonoids, and selenium.
Natural Remedies for a Stron
Natural remedies for strengthening the heart tend to help significantly with symptoms such as arrhythmia and angina, and can also make a big difference in people with congestive heart failure. Three of the most effective are coenzyme Q10, hawthorn and carnitine.
Coenzyme Q10 (CoQIO)
CoQIO has the ability to protect and strengthen the heart and lower blood pressure. |
Michael Castleman
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| The average carrot contains about 3 milligrams of beta-carotene. Not all of that is absorbed into the bloodstream, but a good deal is.
Heart attack. At the Institute for Pharmacological Research in Milan, Italy, scientists analyzed the diets and health of 936 elderly women. Compared with those who ate the fewest carrots and least fruit, those who consumed the most had an astonishing 60 percent fewer heart attacks.
Macular degeneration. This common eye disease of the elderly impairs the macula, the part of the retina that produces the sharpest vision in the center of the visual field. |
Bill Gottlieb
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| His recommendation: 1,000 milligrams of vitamin C, 400 international units (IU) of vitamin E in the natural alpha-tocopherol form and 15 milligrams (25,000 IU) of beta-carotene each day.
Others who may be in special need of vitamin and mineral supplements, according to Dr. |
Ralph W. Moss, Ph.D.
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 Effect of beta-carotene and canthaxan-thin on the immune responses of the rat. J Nutr.l986;116:2254-62.
16. Bendich A and Olson JA. Biological actions of carotenoids. FASEB J.1989;3:1927-32.
17. Lam LK, et al. Effects of derivatives of kahweol and cafestol on the activity of glutathione S-transferase in mice. J Med Chem.l987;30: 1399-403.
18. Crawford MA. Nutritional control of heart disease and cancer: are different diets necessary. Nutr Health.l985;4:7-15.
19. Cope F. |
Sheldon Saul Hendler and David Rorvik
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 In healthy male nonsmokers, beta-carotene supplementation (15 mg/day) was found to significantly increase the percentage of monocytes expressing the major histocompatibility complex class II molecule HLA-DR, to increase the expression of the adhesion molecules, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and leukocyte function-associated anti-gen-3, and to increase ex vivo secretion of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha by blood monocytes. |
| The carotenoid has been found to increase the levels of phase II detoxifying enzymes such as glutathione S-transfer-ase mu (GST-mu) and glutathione peroxidase. Beta-carotene's possible immunomodulatory activity may also play a role. Its possible antioxidant activity may result in prevention of oxidative damage to DNA and inhibition of lipid peroxidation as well as regulation of the expression of genes sensitive to the intracellular redox state that may be involved in carcinogenesis. |
| It has the ability to quench singlet oxygen (more so than beta-carotene), to trap peroxyl radicals, to inhibit the oxidation of DNA, to inhibit lipid peroxidation, and in some studies, to inhibit the oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL).
MECHANISM OF ACTION
Non-antioxidant mechanisms have also been proposed. Failure of cell signaling may be a cause of cell overgrowth and eventually cancer. Lycopene may stimulate gap junction communication between cells. |
| Garcia-Casal MN, Leets I, Layrisse M. beta-carotene and inhibitors of iron absorption modify iron uptake by Caco-2 cells. J Nutr. 2000; 130:5-9.
Harris ED. The iron-copper connection: the link to ceruloplasmin grows stronger. Nutr Rev. 1995; 53:170-173.
Huebers HA, Beguin Y, Pootrakul P, et al. Intact transferrin receptors in human plasma and their relation to erythropoiesis. Blood. 1990; 75:102-107.
Kurz KM, Galloway R. Improving adolescent iron status before childbearing. J Nutr. 2000; 130:(2S Suppl):437S-439S.
Lehto P, Kivisto KT, Neuvonen PJ. |
| This effect is most consistent when vitamin C is combined with vitamin E and/or beta-carotene, but it has also been observed when vitamin C is used alone. In the latter case, some hypothesize that it works by sparing or recycling vitamin E, an activity that has been observed in vitro. Results have been mixed in smokers in whom lipid oxidation is a serious problem. |
Earl L. Mindell, R.Ph., Ph.D.
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| Take 15,000 IU of vitamin A (not beta-carotene) daily for a week before surgery, and 50,000 IU the two days before and after surgery, then continue with 15,000 IU daily for about 10 days. (If you're pregnant, don't take more than 15,000 IU daily.) If you're having dental surgery you can rub it on your gums before and after surgery to greatly speed up the healing process.
• Take extra antioxidants, zinc and a B50 complex for two weeks before and after surgery. They will support your immune system and the healing process. |
Leo Galland
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 Instead, I recommend a diet high in mixed carotenoids, which includes many different varieties of fruits and vegetables: carrots, broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, winter squash, and papaya. Sea vegetables like kelp, wakame, dulse, hijiki, and nori are especially rich in mixed carotenoids. They can be quite tasty cooked or raw, along with rice or beans or in salad.
The darker colors of fruits and vegetables are supplied by a group of compounds called bioflavonoids, which typically range from bright yellow to deep purple in hue. There are over four hundred bioflavonoids in the human diet. |
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