Category: Vitamins/Minerals (Page 4 of 5)

Testosterone boosters, vegans, creatine and multivitamins

October 24, 2009 / Mike Furci

Are taking multivitamins necessary? do they work? How does a vegan get leaner? Should they be eating soy? Are testosterone boosters safe and effective? Which ones should I take and what’s the best way to take them?

Below is a sample of the recent Q&A column on www.bullz-eye.com.

Q:Mike, I?m currently taking a multivitamin because I?m trying to change my health for the better. Is this a good choice? Should I be taking other supplements?
A:Sergio, Short answer No. Multi vitamins are a waste because the absorption is so poor. Some vitamins and minerals compete with one another making absorption even worse.
What I take: Vitamin D (most important) 10,000iu per day, Vitamin A once per week 5000iu, CoQ10 100mg/day, Omega 3 fish oil, CLA, and cook with coconut and olive oils.
I recommend reading my article “Daily consumption for optimum health”, and below are a few other websites to consult.
vitamindcouncil.org
westonaprice.org
vitamin-d-max.com (this is where I purchase vitamin D)
vitacost.com (this is where I get omega 3, CLA and CoQ10.)
therabiotics.net (this is where I get my probiotics)

Anti-Aging, Creatine, Diets, Foods products, Nutrition, Protein, Supplements, Testosterone, Testosterone boosters, Vitamins/Minerals

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One more nail in the vegan diet coffin, but they’re not the only group at risk

October 2, 2009 / Mike Furci

Vitamin B12 is known as the ?energy vitamin,? and it is essential for many critical functions in your body, including energy production, supporting your immune system, and helping to regulate the formation of red blood cells. Recent studies from the US Framingham trial show that one in four adults in the US are deficient in this vitally important nutrient and nearly half of the population has suboptimal blood levels.

Bioavailable (absorbable) Vitamin B12 is present only in animal sources of food, which is one of the many reasons to stay away from a strict vegetarian or a vegan diet. In India, which is primarily a vegetarian based culture, current studies show about 80% of the adults are deficient in vitamin B12. But vegetarians are not the only ones at risk.

The older you get the more likely you are to have a vitamin B12 deficiency. The two ways that you become deficient in vitamin B12 are from not getting enough in your diet and from losing the ability to absorb it.

The older you get the more your digestive system breaks down, especially if you have been following the standard American diet. Specifically the lining of your stomach gradually loses its ability to produce hydrochloric acid which releases vitamin B 12 from your food. The use of antacids or anti ulcer drugs will also lower your stomach acid secretion and decrease your ability to absorb vitamin B 12. Infection with Helicobactor pylori, a common contributor to stomach ulcers, can also result in vitamin B12 deficiency.

However the main cause of vitamin B 12 deficiency is a term researchers call food-cobalamin malabsorption syndrome. Cobalamin is the scientific term for vitamin B12. This typically results when your stomach lining loses its ability to produce intrinsic factor which is a protein that binds to vitamin B12 and allows your body to absorb it at the end of your small intestine.

Mercola.com

Anti-Aging, Diets, Foods products, Medical Issues for Men, Men's Health and Wellness, Nutrition, Supplements, Vitamins/Minerals

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Calorie theory doesn’t hold water

August 5, 2009 / Mike Furci

In my latest Q & A I answer questions about supplement usage for raising testosterone and gaining muscle while offering advice to a reader who lost prescription drug coverage. I also delve into the “calorie theory,” below, explaining how burning food in a calorimeter just isn’t the same as eating it. Yum.

Q: Hi Mike,
First I just wanted to say I find you articles very informative, and am glad you’re debunking the myths of saturated fat and cholesterol causing heart disease. These myths just won’t die.
I was curious though as to what you suggest someone do to get shredded. I believe you have mentioned that you believe reducing carbs is the best way to get lean, as Vince Gironda did? But do you believe in calories in vs calories out as well? If you are cutting weight do you reduce your food as well (same as reducing calories) or do you just drastically reduce or eliminate carb sources of food (grains, fruits, veggies, dairy)?
Thanks for your help,
Antaeus
A: Antaeus,
A calorie is the amount of heat needed to raise 1 kilogram of water 1 degrees Celsius at sea level. What does this mean? A Double Whopper with cheese contains 990 calories. If we were to burn this burger, it would produce 990 calories. This is enough energy to raise 990 kilograms of water 1 degree Celsius.
Calories are measured in sealed device called a “calorimeter” which locks in heat of burning food. A small vacuum of water is contained above the food. Once the food is completely burned, the temperature of the water is measured. The rise in temperature will determine the amount of calories. The calorimeter can show the total amount of energy of a Big Mac, but it cannot account for what the body doesn’t absorb, or the energy used in the digestion and assimilation of it.
Does counting calories consumed matter, or even necessary when trying to lose weight? In a word, NO. Counting calories is completely inaccurate and a waste of time. Our bodies do not process food like a calorimeter. Our bodies do not use all the food we consume as energy, nor do we assimilate it all in the same manner. More-over, we do not store food we consume with the same efficiency. The assertion that macro-nutrients are all processed the same between individuals is just foolish. This is the basis for the calorie theory.
The best thing one can do is eliminate as much sugar and processed foods from their diet as they can. Eat as many whole natural foods as you can, including: beef, fowl, fish, vegetables, raw dairy products and some fruit. The following Nutritional principles will help anyone on their way to getting leaner.
Plan your meals in advance.
Prepare your food in advance.
Do not starve yourself. Eat when you?re hungry and stop when your full.
Eat at least 4 times per day.
Eat protein with every meal.

Q & A with Mike Furci

Cholesterol, Diets, Food preparation, Foods products, Heart disease, Hormone replacement, Men's Health and Wellness, Sexual Health, Supplements, Testosterone boosters, Vitamins/Minerals, Weight training

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Did you know…

May 9, 2009 / Mike Furci

In my latest “Did you know…” column I discuss more sunshine vitamin benefits (below); the link between obesity and bad sex; the relationship of soy foods and low sperm counts; decreasing your risk of infection in the gym, and cardiologist’s admissions.

… there are more than 800 scientific articles showing the effects of vitamin D on cancer? Some researchers point out that increasing vitamin D levels world-wide could prevent numerous diseases that claim nearly 1 million lives per year. Vitamin D, or the ?sunshine vitamin,? is really not a vitamin, but a powerful hormone precursor that has an enormous influence on our bodies. Receptors that respond to the vitamin have been found in almost every human cell. Researchers have found that vitamin D has a direct influence on 3,000 of your 30,000 genes.
The health benefits of optimal vitamin D levels are absolutely extraordinary. The main reason it?s not more widely promoted is there is no money to be made from it by the medical and pharmaceutical industries.

Anti-Aging, Cancer, Heart disease, Medical Issues for Men, Men's Health and Wellness, Supplements, Vitamin D, Vitamins/Minerals

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Supplements every guy needs

February 3, 2009 / Anthony Stalter

Men?s Fitness.com lays out supplements every guy needs to have in their 20s, 30s, 40s and beyond.

The Base Plan (also for you if you’re in your 20s):

1) Multivitamin
No rocket science here, but it’s surprising just how many guys still don’t take a multi. The key to making ’em work is to make them part of your routine. Instead of stashing the bottle on a shelf, keep it by your toothbrush or coffeepot?something you hit every day without fail. Make sure your multi also contains two key nutrients: selenium (for its cancer protective effects) and zinc (which helps you make sperm). Also, check the capsule size and dosage. It’s easier to take one pill rather than two or three.

2) Fish Oil
Fish is one of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which are crucial for brain and heart health and act as a natural anti-infl ammatory?especially benefi cial if you have sports injuries or aching joints. Even if you manage to eat the two to three recommended servings of fi sh each week, Carlson still suggests popping one to three grams of fi sh oil daily, veering toward the higher side if fi sh isn’t really your meat of choice. Also look for a brand that contains both EPA and DPA, the two key healthy fats in fish.

3) Probiotics
These are good bacteria?the same kind found in your intestine?that aid with overall gut health and enhance your immune system. You can get probiotics in your diet by eating yogurt, fermented and unfermented milk, miso, tempeh, and some juices and soy beverages. However, if you’re not eating those foods regularly, take a probiotic supplement with at least 10 billion live bacteria from one or more of the Lactobacillus family. It’s generally best to take one capsule before bed.

Click here to read the entire article.

Men's Health and Wellness, Sports Health and Fitness, Supplements, Vitamins/Minerals, Xternal Fitness, Xternal Furci

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