Supplements are now an increasing trend because the food we eat contains less and less nutrition due to depletion of soil in agriculture as well as loss of essential vitamins and minerals during heat treatment in food production and artificial ripening methods. The Department of Agriculture in the United States announced in 2008 a survey on the nutritional content in food in 2008 compared to 1975 and the results were frightening. Many of the vegetables and fruits contained approximately 50% less vitamins during this period, and for minerals, the results were even worse.
The Magnesium content of Broccoli, for example, was reduced by 88% during this period. To get the same amounts of magnesium by eating broccoli today we would have to eat about 10 times as much! Obviously this is impossible; o ur dige st ive syste m s wo uldn‟t be able t o handle i t.
If we do not get what we need of vital nutrients it goes without saying that we can become ill. We therefore need supplements of these vital nutrients to keep us healthy. This is not medicine that is designed to cure disease, but food that is designed to restore health. When you have recovered your health, your body can handle almost anything. The timing for these products is perfect.
Nowadays heart disease, primarily coronary heart disease, remains unchallenged as the leading cause of death throughout the world. It is not difficult to understand this problem when looked at from a perspective of nutrients deficiency. Recent studies revealed that lack of specific vitamins and minerals in our body can play a key role in development of such poor health conditions.
Vitamin C
Some researchers simply state that atherosclerosis is a disease that appears to be initiated by a deficiency of vitamin C in the innermost lining of the arteries. It was observed that blood vessels’ cells are surrounded by an intercellular glue known as ground substance which are composed of glycoproteins. Vitamin C is essential for maintaining the integrity of the glycoprotein-containing ground substance. The first step of atherosclerosis takes place when the intercellular glue becomes watery state because of lack of vitamin C.
Another important point is be to highlighted is that all layers of arterial walls require formation and maintenance of collagen. Vitamin C is absolutely essential for the normal formation of collagen throughout our body. Studies shown that higher blood level of vitamin C are clearly related to lower blood pressure in humans.
Vitamin C remains the most powerful reducing agent (antioxidant) which neutralises an increase free radical presence known as oxidative stress. Although other antioxidants can also combat oxidative stress, they would never be completely effective if there is vitamin C deficiency. For example, when researchers looked at the combined effects of vitamins C and E, they concluded that vitamin E can be effective against atherosclerosis only in combination with vitamin C.
Vitamin C is also powerful vasodilator – it helps activating and releasing the nitric oxide in artery walls. In addition, Vitamin C prevents plaque rapture by spurring and repair of collagen that keeps plague from fragmenting and creating hazardous blood clots.
Group of Vitamin B
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