Chapter 5: More topics (How to have better health to better serve Krsna)
The 5th part of my book about health: Supplements and other things to consider.
Chapter 5: More topics
There is much discussion about the use of supplements and much hype around different vitamins and minerals, as well as different products that offer miraculous results. Similarly, there is much promise about the use of fasting or restrictive diets in the prevention or treatment of diseases or even cancer. To which extent can such claims be taken seriously?
One problem in modern medicine is that although there are many facilities for making studies about different subjects and thus finding good evidence about what can be helpful or not in terms of habits and diets, scientific studies are expensive to conduct, and thus the research tends to be concentrated in areas that bring direct revenue to the pharmaceutical industry, like the research for new drugs. A pharmaceutical company can invest billions of dollars in the development of a new antibiotic or a new vaccine, for example, expecting to make a good profit out of the final product, but will not be very enthusiastic about investing money on research about the use of vitamin D in the prevention of diseases, for example. Research connected to changes in eating habits or fasting is at the absolute bottom of the chart since they don’t bring any revenue at all. There is however still some information available. Here I try to give a summary.
Supplements: what to consider, what to avoid
The vitamin and supplement industry is a multi-billion business spread worldwide. Whole departments in drugstores (and even whole stores in some parts of the world) are dedicated to displaying and selling all sorts of vitamins and supplements. Some go crazy over it and spend thousands of dollars on pills in the hope it's going to make them healthier.
We can see practically that a lot of times multivitamin and multimineral complexes, as well as different supplements, can have adverse effects. Even doctors warn about this. To make things worse, the supplement industry is not as regulated as it should be in most parts of the world. New supplements can be put on the market without proper testing and proper quality control.
Since human beings are living on this planet for thousands of years without the need for vitamins and supplements, nurturing their bodies with all the necessary nutrients through their food, we should be able to do the same, without the necessity for synthetic vitamins and supplements from big pharma, right? Well, yes and no.
If one goes to live in the countryside, cultivating the soil, eating a good variety of organic fruits, vegetables, and grains, taking care of cows and drinking their milk, breathing pure air, drinking pure water, taking sun, and staying outdoors most of the time, he is probably going to have very good health and a long life. That’s the way human beings are supposed to live. The problem is that most of us live in cities, eating chemically cultivated vegetables and GMO grains. We stay indoors most of the time, working in front of a computer. Most of us drink UHT milk from the store, don’t take much sunlight or have contact with the soil. In fact, we usually have little contact with the elements. We are frequently stressed, depressed, repressed, compressed, living in small holes in the wall we call apartments. Living such an artificial lifestyle, eating food of questionable quality, it’s not surprising that nutritional deficiencies can be common. In such a desperate situation, it’s best to keep all options on the table.
In general, nutrients should come from food. Plants and milk offer nutrients in a bio-available form that can easily be absorbed by the body. With a few exceptions, nutrients in supplements don't come from plants but are fabricated in laboratories, or directly extracted from minerals. The nutrients are thus not as bioavailable as in food, and in many cases, they can have adverse effects.
Take vitamin C, for example. In nature, ascorbic acid is part of a chain that includes several nutrients and minerals, just like a grape bunch. What we buy in the pharmacy is not the complete thing, but just the ascorbic acid. Similarly, when we buy vitamin A, we usually don't get the bioavailable form, but beta-carotene, which can be converted into vitamin A by the body in limited amounts. In other words, most of the time we don't get the real vitamins, but chemicals that have a similar molecular structure, or compounds that (hopefully) can be converted into the bioavailable form by the body.
Finally, supplements cover only specific nutrients, or a combination of a few essential vitamins and minerals. Plants offer thousands of other useful compounds, such as enzymes and phytonutrients. Even many doctors recommend avoiding supplements and focusing on a balanced diet.
However, supplements can be useful when one is deficient in specific nutrients and is not being able to cover the gap with food. Nowadays this is especially common with minerals, since the use of chemical fertilizers and other modern practices are making the soils all over the world poor in minerals. To grow crops, farmers need to replenish only three minerals on the soil: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK), which are needed by the plants. Other minerals are thus slowly depleted as the same soil is used year after year.
Different from vitamins and phytonutrients, which are produced by the plants through different chemical reactions, plants can't fabricate minerals. If they are not present in the soil, they are also not going to be present in the food we eat. Nutrient deficiencies can cause all sorts of strange symptoms that can be confused with different illnesses, or simply remain unexplained. Fortunately, there are tests to identify deficiencies in specific nutrients, many of them inexpensive. When mysterious health problems appear, it’s useful to go to a doctor familiar with the subject. You can do a few tests on common deficiencies, and then supplement what the body may be lacking. Here are a few nutrients that you should be aware of:
Vitamin D: Although called a vitamin, actually vitamin D is a hormone. Plants don't produce any vitamin D, therefore (apart from some types of mushrooms), it can only be found in animal products. In the case of vegetarians, the only natural sources (apart from these specific mushrooms) are milk and milk products, and even those offer it in small amounts.
Human beings are capable of producing vitamin D from sunlight, but the process works only when one takes direct sunlight, for at least 10 minutes, and still it doesn't work on higher latitudes. One that lives in Saint Petersburg or in Finland, for example, will hardly produce any vitamin D at all.
The minimum daily dose of vitamin D (for adults) is 800 UI, but many studies point out that higher doses can offer benefits, including a stronger immune system, better disposition, and so on. Low levels of vitamin D are extremely common. If you don't go to the beach or frequently take direct sun for extended periods of time, you are probably low on it. Symptoms of low vitamin D include depression, getting sick often (low immunity), fatigue and tiredness, back pain, bone loss, and hair loss.
Several studies link sufficient levels of vitamin D to an increase in lean body mass and an improvement in the strength and function of the muscles overall. There is for example doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0170665 (from 2017), ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6021354 (from 2018), and karger.com/Article/Abstract/504873 (from 2019), just to mention a few examples. Other studies link sufficient levels of vitamin D with a higher resistance to respiratory infections, and so on.
Fortunately, it's easy to get vitamin D through supplements. Look for pills that combine vitamin D3 and K2. There are both pills and oral sprays, and both work. The combination of vitamin D3 and K2 is necessary because vitamin D mobilizes calcium. When this happens, vitamin K2 must be present, so the calcium is deposited in the right places. Vitamin D is soluble in fat, therefore it's better to take it with a little bit of some oil, or after meals. One who is not deficient can take a daily dose of 1000 UI, which is a very safe dose. One who is deficient may take a higher dose (up to 5000 IU per day) for a period, or as recommended by a physician.
Vitamin D is one of the most essential nutrients for the body, and lack of it can cause effects that go much further than problems in the bones. Vitamin D deficiency will seriously impair one's immunological system, leading to all kinds of health problems. Lack of vitamin D also affects one's mood, leading to lethargy and depression. That's why historically people that would go to the beach in the summer would generally be healthier: they had more vitamin D! Vitamin D is also an essential part of the mechanism that absorbs minerals in the small intestine. Without sufficient vitamin D, the body is not able to absorb minerals from the food efficiently, leading to mineral deficiency and a range of other problems.
Vitamin B12: Vitamin B12 is a serious issue for both vegetarians and vegans. Although essential for neurological functions, it is not produced by the body and most plant-based sources are completely devoid of it. Lack of vitamin B12 can cause serious problems in the nervous system, up to brain damage in the most serious cases.
Originally, B12 is produced by bacteria in the soil. Due to the wind and other factors, grains of dust loaded with bacteria soil the grass and thus grazing animals get good quantities of it when they eat it, as well as getting extra doses produced by their gut microbiome. Carnivorous animals in turn, get their share by eating their bodies. In the case of vegetarians, however, the situation is a little more complicated, since we don't eat grass, nor animals.
Vitamin B12 is stored in the liver and the stock can last for several years. One may thus live normally for years without any problems, but then suddenly start to feel tiredness or weakness, sometimes progressing into nerve problems, numbness, poor memory and mental confusion, difficulty walking, heart palpitations, and even loss of vision. One can become seriously sick due to a deficiency of B12.
It's possible to get small quantities of vitamin B12 by working with soil (since it's absorbed thru the skin and when we inhale the dust) and that's how most people in previous centuries would get it. A good solution for our B12 problems is simply to have a garden.
Apart from that, we can get small amounts of B12 from milk and dairy products. Certain mushrooms and seaweeds (like nori and spirulina) also contain some B12. The problem is that the body needs a specific protein called intrinsic factor to absorb B12. Many are deficient in this protein, and they are the ones who are usually prone to be deficient in vitamin B12. This deficiency is also common in elderly people. For both groups, a supplement is usually necessary.
B12 supplements can be easily found in any pharmacy. Oral supplements are usually not a very good option, because people who can't absorb B12 in the food due to a lack of the intrinsic factor protein will also not absorb it well from the pills. Oral supplements are more for healthy people that want to maintain their B12 levels than for those who are deficient.
A second option is B12 injections, that although painful, can quickly restore the stocks of the body. In the case of injections, the B12 is directly absorbed by the liver, therefore even one that lacks the protein will get it.
However, too much B12 is associated with a decrease in lifespan. It can result in a condition called hypermethylation, which is a risk factor for cancer. It's better therefore to take B12 injections with caution, except in cases of proven deficiency. If you just want to supplement your levels of B12, it's better to start with pills. Tests to check the B12 levels in the body are simple and cheap. In case of doubt, just take a test.
Potassium: Potassium is the most essential electrolyte and one of the essential minerals for the basic functions of the body. Potassium works in conjunction with sodium in the sodium–potassium pump, a basic component of all human cells, that is responsible for moving materials in and out of the cells, as well as powering the entire nervous system.
Each cell has millions of these minuscule pumps that depend on potassium to work correctly. Without sufficient potassium, the most basic functions of the body become impaired, resulting in symptoms like brain fog, muscular fatigue, lack of endurance, arrhythmia, and other conditions related to the heartbeat, fluid retention, and even bad digestion! Lack of potassium also results in problems in the transport of calcium, magnesium, and other minerals. A lot of times, deficiencies in these minerals are actually caused by a lack of potassium.
Potassium works in conjunction with sodium, therefore we need both. Getting sodium is easy since we get it from salt, but potassium is more complicated. We need quite a lot of potassium. Different sources recommend from 3500 to 4700 mg, but people that sweat a lot may need even more.
Most vegetables offer good amounts of potassium, but still, we need to eat a good quantity to get the amount needed. An average banana (100 grams), for example, has about 300 mg of potassium, therefore one would have to eat up to 1.5 kg of bananas (without even counting the peels!) to fill his needs. Different vegetables offer different amounts of potassium and other nutrients, therefore a good rule of thumb is to eat at least one to two kilos of vegetables and fruits per day, the more the better.
Potassium is a mineral that is better gotten from food, since the concentrated form is not very well tolerated by the body. There is no need to precisely calculate our ingestion of potassium (the body is capable of adjusting to less or more to a certain degree), but that’s something we need to be concerned about, since we really need a lot of it.
Just as the body suffers without potassium, it also suffers without sodium. Many people eat too much salt, which has adverse effects, but eating too little salt is also a problem. As in other situations, the key is moderation.
Magnesium: Lack of magnesium can cause or aggravate headaches, insomnia, depression, and muscular pains (especially in the lower back). If you are suffering from any of these problems, a magnesium supplement may help.
Apart from oral supplements, it's also possible to get some magnesium by rubbing magnesium oil on the skin. Although called an "oil" because of the oily aspect, magnesium "oil" is just a mixture of magnesium chloride flakes and water. Apart from buying the oil, it's also possible to buy magnesium chloride flakes in bulk and make your own. Having a massage with magnesium oil before sleep is also a good treatment for insomnia.
Zinc: Zinc is another important mineral, essential for the immune system and for many functions of the body. A deficiency of zinc makes us much more susceptible to viral infections, and can even stunt growth in children. Zinc is also not stored in the body, therefore we have to ingest a sufficient amount every day.
Normally, we would get sufficient zinc from vegetables and grains. The problem is that due to modern agriculture, most soils are deficient in zinc. Plants don't need zinc, therefore they grow normally without it but human beings suffer. Places where the soils are more depleted, like India, have a surprisingly high incidence of health problems connected with zinc deficiency.
Zinc is actually necessary for the production of more than 2000 different enzymes, as well as DNA synthesis and repair, some of the most basic functions of the body. Without sufficient zinc, the body suffers. Unfortunately, due to depleted soils, more than one-quarter of the world's population is now critically deficient in zinc.
Due to all this, it's recommendable to supplement zinc, especially if you have symptoms like decreased immunity, depression, apathy, excessive hair loss, brain fog, impaired memory, poor wound healing, lack of appetite or white spots in the nails.
Iron: Iron can be an issue for vegetarians, especially for women. Lack of iron reduces one's energy, and can even lead to anemia. The problem is that too much iron is very problematic also. Excess of iron can cause serious problems for the heart and circulatory system. On top of that, iron supplements can cause serious intestinal problems.
Iron is a mineral that is better taken from food, which contains it in an absorbable form and in balanced amounts. Iron supplements should be taken only in the last case, when one is deficient and is not able to replenish it through the diet, and discontinued when the problem is solved. In case of doubt, you can just take a test and follow the guidance of the physician.
Calcium: Calcium is essential for strong bones, but just as in the case of iron, we need to be careful with supplements. The first problem is that most supplements contain calcium carbonate, which is the mineral in its brute form, that works more like a toxin than a nutrient, causing kidney stones, plaques in the arteries and other problems.
The second problem is that the body needs vitamin D, vitamin K2, and magnesium to properly utilize the calcium. As long as one is drinking milk or eating milk products, lack of calcium shouldn't be a problem. Usually, the problem is not lack of calcium, but lack of vitamin D. If that's the case, one can just take a supplement of D3 and K2, along with magnesium.
Copper: Alongside zinc, copper is needed in very small amounts by the body, but it’s also important for many essential functions including the synthesis of essential enzymes and conjunctive tissue. Some symptoms of copper deficiency are fatigue and weakness, frequent sickness, weak bones, poor memory, pale skin, premature gray hair, and abnormal sensitivity to cold. We can notice that some of these symptoms are similar to the ones caused by a deficiency of zinc. This happens because these two minerals work together on the production of many enzymes.
The combination of sufficient zinc and copper is also linked with a longer lifespan. Copper and Zinc are the basic components of an enzyme called SOD that promotes longevity. The problem with copper is that just like iron, in excess it can cause serious problems, including depression, anxiety, lack of mental focus, fatigue, and insomnia. Therefore, copper supplements are usually not a good idea, except in cases of proven deficiency. The best way to increase the intake of copper is to consume sesame seeds, oats, and nuts, which are amongst the best sources of copper for vegetarians. Different from the supplements, these can be consumed in any reasonable quantity.
Another way to get a little more copper is to use a copper cup or bottle, leaving water there overnight and drinking it every morning. The water is going to absorb small amounts of copper, which will work as a very gentle supplement, without collateral effects.
Trace minerals: There are two kinds of essential minerals: macrominerals and trace minerals. Macrominerals are the minerals that we need in greater amounts, such as potassium, sodium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, chloride, and sulfur. Trace minerals, on the other hand, are all the others, minerals that, although also important, are needed in smaller amounts, such as manganese, iodine, cobalt, chromium, selenium, molybdenum, boron, etc. The list of trace minerals is long and there is not even consensus about all of them. There is also the possibility that other minerals may also perform important functions in our organism but they may not yet be discovered.
Traditionally, we would get trace minerals in food, just like all the other nutrients. There are particular foods that are especially rich in certain trace minerals, just like Brazil nuts, which are very rich in selenium.
Just like with zinc, the problem is that most soils nowadays are frequently depleted of essential trace minerals, therefore the amount of trace minerals in foods can vary radically according to the soil in which they were cultivated (if the soil is deficient in minerals, the plant will be also). In the case of Brazil nuts, for example, the nuts cultivated in the north of Brazil have a selenium content up to 30 times higher than nuts cultivated elsewhere.
A good way to get trace minerals is to consume vegetables cultivated in small properties, where the owners are not doing intensive agriculture, or from tracts of land that were previously unused. These are usually lands rich in minerals, that result in nutritious vegetables. It's also possible to get a small amount of trace minerals from black salt or pink salt, but in this case, the amounts are going to be very small, just a complement, not the main source.
There are also some supplements of trace minerals in liquid form. Such supplements are obtained by filtering the water from the ocean, or from lakes rich in such minerals. By taking out the water and sodium, one ends up with a concentrated solution. A portion per day diluted in your drinking water can help with many conditions.