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Vitamin D has an adventurous history. Following its discovery in the first half of the 20th century doctors began using it in massive doses for multiple maladies.  

As the dosage was extensive (hundreds of thousands of IUs through several weeks), vitamin D use did sporadically lead to adverse reactions but combined with vitamin A even these symptoms diminished and it became more effective against infection. (4) Instead of slightly decreasing the doses of vitamin D used, it was declared dangerous and the daily recommended intake was determined at 400 UIs. Unfortunately, such a low dose isn’t even enough to cure severe vitamin D deficiency.(5) This amount didn’t change for decades, even though it was later discovered that by sunbathing we produce 10000-25000 IUs of vitamin D in our skin in 15-20 minutes. (1)

What is Shilajit?

Shilajit is a natural substance that is found in the Himalayan mountains and is commonly used in Ayurvedic medicine. It is a sticky, tar-like substance that is rich in minerals and other compounds that are believed to have a variety of health benefits.

Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha is an ancient herb used in Ayurvedic medicine, a traditional system of medicine in India. It has been used for centuries to treat a variety of health conditions and is known for its adaptogenic properties, meaning it helps the body to better adapt to stress.

Collagen Peptides: Understanding the Benefits of This Protein for Your Health

Collagen is a protein that plays a critical role in the structure and function of various parts of our body. It is one of the most abundant proteins in the human body, making up about 30% of our total protein content. Collagen is found in various tissues, including the skin, bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments, and is responsible for providing strength, elasticity, and support to these tissues.

Collagen peptides, also known as hydrolyzed collagen, are a form of collagen that has been broken down into smaller peptides through a process of hydrolysis. This makes collagen peptides more easily digestible and absorbable by the body than intact collagen.

In recent years, collagen peptides have gained popularity as a dietary supplement due to their potential health benefits. In this article, we will explore the benefits of collagen peptides and how they can contribute to your overall health.

Why do we need vitamin C? 

Vitamin C serves many vital biological functions, which all become impaired in case of vitamin deficiency. Some select highlights of vitamin C’s chief qualities include the following:  

• Vitamin C is one of the most important antioxidants in the body. Our natural antioxidant system -- which vitamin C forms an indispensable part of -- helps reduce oxidative stress caused by free radicals, environmental toxins and infections. (4) increased oxidative stress, as well as its accompanying inflammation can lead to the development of several chronic illnesses. (5) 

• Vitamin C is necessary for collagen production, so it contributes to healthy skin and joints and improves recovery from injuries (6,7) 

• Infections can increase our need for vitamin C; in case of vitamin C deficiency the activity of immune cells decreases, and the risk of infection increases. (3) 

Is It Worth taking Calcium along with Magnesium?

Taking Calcium is generally not recommended, Calcium impairs the bioavailability of Magnesium. In fact, Calcium slightly impairs the bioavailability of all minerals. Consequently, Calcium is not required in any case as a supplement, given that it is available through the consumption of meat, vegetables, seeds and wholesome foods along with their other natural content of vitamins and minerals.

Iron

Iron has a strong oxidative, destructive impact in our body for all cells, so it is important to keep our free iron level as low as possible. At the same time, iron plays an indispensable role in numerous body functions, so its lack is also a problem.

For most pathogens, too, iron is an important nutrient, so iron supplementation and the high iron level in itself boost the proliferation of pathogens, and so it makes any chronic or acute infection even more severe. That is why in ideal case our cells store iron bound to ferritin, especially in case of infection, because for most pathogens iron is inaccessible when bound to ferritin. This is the main strategy of the body to deprive pathogens of iron, and so to protect itself against infections. Ferritin plays an important role also in the transportation of iron, as well as in regulating our free iron level. If a part of our body needs more iron (e.g. for the immune cells to produce peroxide, which it use against harmful cells/pathogens), then ferritin transports the iron there, whereas in turn, if the iron level in our blood gets too high, then ferritin stores the surplus, thus reducing it to the ideally low level.

Methyl folate - folic acid

Vitamin B9 is known as folic acid. It should be noted that folic acid does not occur in nature, in food products, nor in our body. Folic acid is a completely foreign substance. So-called folates occur in nature (in food products of vegetable - but also animal - origin), and/or - since the ingested food folates are transformed into methyl folates in animals (and in people, as well), food products of animal origin - besides folates - also contain methyl folate, as well. Methyl folate is the active formula, so the only thing that matters is how much methyl folate is contained in our body.

Folic acid is used in various dietary supplements, medications to enrich food products, in cereals, etc., because folate is unstable, so it can only be contained in fresh food.

Vitamin A

Why the supplementation of vitamin A is important and dangerous at the same time, and can it be optimized?

Vitamin A (retinol) contained in our body can originate from two sources:
- carotenoids (mainly alfa and beta carotene) contained in our food (mainly in vegetables) are transformed into retinol by the organism.
- Food of animal origin already contain vitamin A (retinol)

Both deficiency and surplus of vitamin A are harmful. Its surplus causes a relative deficiency of vitamin d3 on the receptor level, and so it is harmful (due to which D3 reduces its toxicity). On the other hand, the body transforms carotenoids into retinol only in the required quantity, so no overdosing is possible in this case (although a research test found the supplementation of both vitamin A and beta-carotene harmful; taking them increased the risk of lung cancer for smokers. But in that research synthetic beta carotene was used, and carotenoids are never present in food only in form of beta carotene, there is always at least alfa carotene present, too, so it is not lifelike, and the same problem exists, as in case of another test, where the supplementation of vitamin E was found harmful... it turned out that vitamin E was only present there as alfa-tocopherol, although gamma-tocopherol, for example, is much more efficient in many ways, and tocopherols are always present together in food, so taking vitamin E as only alfa tocopherol is harmful, even if it comes from natural sources, as it distorts the natural tocopherol ratios of the tissue. We take something that is good, but by doing so we reduce something that is even better - so the net impact is negative.)

Iodine (and Selenium)

Iodine is not only important for the thyroid gland. Among others, the brain, ovaries, women’s breasts and testicles use more iodine than the thyroid gland, provided that the iodine reserves of the organism are sufficient, in ideal case that is. It is said that many physicians still consider iodine only in connection with the thyroid gland, and often recommend to fully avoid iodine (even food with iodine content) to their patients with thyroid gland issues or to patients, whose thyroid gland has been removed. The reason many physicians make this recommendation because certain analysis suggests that iodine supplementation and/or high iodine intake might increase the risk of thyroid gland problems, or in case of those suffering from autoimmune thyroid gland disease - not often though - iodine supplementation may temporarily result in slight deterioration of the test results. Other examinations found just the opposite. i.e. that high iodine intake does not increase, but actually and explicitly decreases the risk of thyroid gland diseases, and that additional iodine intake did not deteriorate the values of patients with autoimmune thyroid gland disease, either. So the analyses in the field of iodine supplementation are contradictory. There is full consensus, however, that adequate intake of selenium does reduce the risk of thyroid gland diseases, improves the existing thyroid gland problems, and protects from a potential adverse effect of iodine. The analyses summarily suggest that if there is no lack of selenium, then iodine is not harmful, but is useful. Iodine level of the thyroid gland of patients suffering from autoimmune thyroid gland disease is always a lot lower than the iodine level of the thyroid gland of healthy people. And the worse of one’s condition is, the lower the iodine content of the thyroid gland would be. Iodine intake of Japanese people - who consume the most iodine in the world - is well above 1,000 mcg per day (typically between 1,200 and 13,000 mcg, but higher volumes aren’t rare, either). Still, many diseases of the thyroid gland are rarer in their case, and even the Hashimoto is not more frequent. In turn, their selenium intake is also high.

What are the effects of Magnesium?

• Improves muscle/sports performance
• prevents muscle cramps
• increases muscle regeneration
• promotes immune functions
• counteracts calcification (calcium deposition)
• supports cardiac muscles
• significant effects against stress
• better sleep
• clearer thinking
• days full of more energy

Magnesium is a particularly important mineral, which is difficult to supply in a sufficient amount through our diet.