Health/Nutrition: Vitamins and Supplements

Q. I take a variety of supplements on a daily basis. As summer draws to a close and I prepare myself for fall and winter, I've been wondering if I should take a different regimen according to the season, or if I should stick to the same vitamins and supplements year round? Currently I take a multi-vitamin that is heavily weighted towards the B complexes, an additional 1000 mg daily of vitamin C (my multi-vitamin only has 100 mg), a 400 I.U. tablet of vitamin E as well as a magnesium and calcium supplement. Should I stick with this throughout the year, or should I add something during the winter months?

A. The first thing I would look at is the quality of the supplements you are taking, such as source material for your multi-vitamin, minerals and vitamin C. I would especially make sure you had no inferior or hard to absorb forms of the minerals. Citrates, chelates, malates and hydroxyapatites are some of the best forms for basic minerals from calcium, magnesium and potassium, etc. (Also make sure your formula contains the smaller, but very important trace minerals, which are wonderful for energy.) These forms are proven in recent research to absorb into the body much more efficiently than some of the other inferior mineral sources (oyster shell, carbonates, etc.) If a vitamin or mineral formula doesn't list the source for its minerals, don't bother with it, as these will inevitably be low-grade source materials.You also want to see if your multi-vitamin contains green-food sources and/or fruits and vegetables. These particular types of vitamin complexes are known as “food-combined” formulas, meaning that in the laboratory they combine basic vitamins with food-derived nutrients, and these types of vitamins are some of the finest available. There are also total food-grown vitamin/mineral complexes, which are completely derived from foods and herbs, and these are the absolute best. The closer we can get to the natural state of ingredients, the better the absorption by the body. Green foods such as wheat grass, barley grass, chlorella, spirulina, blue green algae and seaweeds, can be found in some of the finest formulas and aid all body systems, the immune system in particular. They also are an excellent source of antioxidants, organic minerals, protein, vitamin B12, essential fatty acids (healthy oils), and chlorophyll. Green foods are important any time of the year, but especially so in the fall and winter when we need extra support nutritionally.Dr. Andrew Weil MD, has recommended in his newsletter Health and Healing that adults should try to get 3000 - 4000 mg. of vitamin C on a daily basis. This is important for cold and flu prevention as well as for prevention of chronic illness. I usually suggest that in the summer we can slightly lower that amount to 1000 - 2000 mg. per day in supplements because hopefully we eat more fresh fruit and vegetables which will give us natural vitamin C. Then when cold weather hits again, increase the dosage back up to the higher range. Make sure you consider a good quality, acid-free or buffered vitamin C, with bioflavonoids included, if possible. This will not aggravate stomach acid in sensitive people.Traditional herbs to consider for fall and winter are:

• Echinacea - an excellent immune supporter and booster which works with your body to produce more white blood cells. This herb works very well with several others, but don't use during high fever conditions.

•  Astragalus Root - a traditional Chinese herb used to tonify and strengthen the immune system. Especially good for people who are always cold natured, who get sick easily and recover slowly. Used preventatively on a daily basis I have found excellent benefits to keep sensitive people from getting sick as often. Again, this herb works with your body to tonify the immune system, and is known to support red blood cells.

• Olive Leaf - this herb comes from the European herbal tradition, and studies have indeed confirmed the potential anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-fungal benefits it offers. For people that deal with chronic viral situations, this also can be a good one to consider.

• Garlic - the old favorite among traditional herbalists which continues to be at the top of the list and hold its own even with all the other new, fancy products available today. This herb is excellent to support the body, the quality of the blood, cleanse bacteria and fungus. The list really goes on and on for potential benefits of garlic. I prefer the natural garlic (non-deodorized) either raw or a freeze-dried capsule. Some studies show that the deodorizing process can lessen its effectiveness in fighting bacteria. Again, nature knows how to put these wonderful plants together, and it is only for us to continue to discover and appreciate the beauty and special gift of it.

A good rule of thumb for preventative dosage for these and any herb you wish to take on a daily basis is: 6 days on, 1 day off – 3 weeks on, 1 week off. This method allows you system to assimilate and utilize the herb during the days off.Here is a recipe for an Immune System Soup I like to recommend for the cold weather seasons:

• Make your favorite vegetable broth or chicken broth soup

• Add 4-6 slices of dried astragalus root (available at your local health food store)

• 4-6 Codonopsis root pieces (another Chinese herb for tonifying the system, also called “poor man's ginseng”)

• Several cloves (not bulbs!) of garlic (I like A LOT of this!)

• Any other herbs for seasoning, add sea salt and pepper to taste

This can be eaten once a week, or even every day if there is much sickness going around.Hope you stay well and happy during the winter months. Thanks for you question.--SusieBibliography/Reading list:

• The Way of Herbs, by Michael Tierra

• Planetary Herbology, by Michael Tierra

• The New Holistic Herbal, by David Hoffman

• The Nature Doctor, by Dr. H. C. Vogel

©Copyright 2001 by AlternativeApproaches.com

Susie Cooper, a community herbalist and homeopathic educator, has worked in the natural foods business since 1991 and has been teaching workshops on herbal and homeopathic medicine since 1993. In addition to presenting numerous talks, she has also appeared on radio programs pertaining to natural health. With her husband, Paul, she owns and operates Blue Mountain Herbs, a small health food store in Pilot Mountain, North Carolina, where she also teaches workshops in herbal and homeopathic medicine. “Offering a proper base of education for people interested in maintaining health the natural way is of utmost importance to me,” she says. “So many options exist in the world around us, and it’s important to me to offer the best traditional educational support I can to people wanting a healthy alternative for prevention and wellness.”

Important note: The information contained in this column is not meant to diagnose or prescribe for specific ailments, but is intended for educational support only. Please seek the advise of a licensed health practitioner for specific illnesses and emergency situations.