Why must I take oral supplements?
I am continually asked that question, so occasionally I have to act as your “conscience” and remind you that chelation and supplements are like urban renewal. Chelation breaks down and supplements help rebuild. The vitamins are broken down into three categories of Basic Maintenance Vitamins, thehe Minerals, and the Specialized Supplements.
BASIC MAINTENANCE VITAMINS
Omni Macs or Ultra Macs
This is the mainstay supplement that contains a little bit of every known biologically active mineral. Omni is Latin for all. It takes care of those minor deficiencies to make sure there is no weak link in the metabolic chain.
C-Macs 1000 or ACE Plus Z
Vitamin C has many important biological roles. It helps the immunne system fight infection by increasing the white blood cells’ ability to scavenger and digest bacteria. It is involved in making collagen (which is the most important structural protein in the body), which helps repair the throat after an infection as well as repairing cartilage in the knees after prolotherapy. It is also an important component in the antioxidant cascade that helps keep vitamin E in its antioxidant form. It doesn’t prevent colds, but cuts in half the amount of time missed from work with colds.
E-Macs 1000 or Natural E
Vitamin E is the body’s main antioxidant As aging is synonymous with oxidation (like rusting in the pipe), it is important to take this antioxidant )which, like a rustproof paint, keeps the pipes, in our case arteries from rusting. The studies show the effectiveness of vitamin E in studies is mixed, which illustrates an important point not only about studies, but also patients picking and choosing what vitamins they want to take. If vitamin E is taken without vitamin C (in studies, they only study a single vitamin, so they leave the others out of the diet), vitamin E can act as a pro-oxidant and can generate free radicals (which damage the arteries) instead of squelching them like an antioxidant. Vitamin C and a little selenium ensure that vitamin E will do what you want it to do. Moral of the story: Take all of the supplements, as they work synergisticlally (together).
SAM-EPA and Proform-Omega 3
The fish oils have two active ingredients: DHA and EPA. These helps arteries repair, lower triglycerides, reduce the ability of platelets to clump (which causes clots), and even help (the DHA component) the brain function better (even baby formula has DHA added these days to help infant brain development).
Vasomacs
It contains very important antioxidants that help heal the arteries, aid in cancer prevention, and participate in the antioxidant protection of the arteries. Its main component are green tea extract, grape seed extract, grape skin extract and several other proanthocyanidin antioxidants, and the all-important resveratol, the active ingredient of red wine that prevents heart disease.
SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS FOR SPECIAL PROBLEMS
K-Mag Macs-60
This special combination of potassium magnesium aspartates is actually one of the basic maintenance vitamins. Magnesium is involved in a cell-wall enzyme that pumps out potassium into the heart and other muscles. It increases endurance and can help treat certain types of rhythm problems (PVCs, or extra beats). Caffeine can deplete magnesium, making extra beats worse, so watch your caffeine intake if you have PVCs.
Glucosamine
If one takes this disc material between vertebrae and boils it in acid to identify the smallest molecular component, it is glucosamine sulfate. This supplement is very important in our prolotherapy patient. The “Three Musketeers” of joint reconstruction include chelation to help with calcium deposits, injection therapy to strengthen the ligaments, and last but not least, glucosamine to allow the body to rebuild the disc.
Selenium, beta-Caro Plus, and a Prosaic Plus
Any patient with a high PSA or a history of prostate cancer should take these three. Selenium (in JAMA article) has been shown to help prevent prostate cancer. There is ample body of evidence that lycopene and saw palmetto are helpful.
CoQ-10, Ribose, Taurine, and L-Carnitine
These are effective for conditions such as congestive heart failure (CHF), as they each have a specific role in increasing the strength and energy output in the cells. CoQ-10 and ribose increase energy production in the heart muscle. L-carnitine seems to transfer nutrients into the heart muscle for metabolism. Taurine is an amino acid that seems to improve heart muscle function. Magnesium works with all of those in CHF.