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Recently many states and public institutions have taken a stance and even passed laws outlawing and forbidding trans fats in foods. The fats contained in Omax 3 are good fats and considered an essential nutrient. Traditionally one of the best ways for getting a steady amount of Omega 3 in the body was through eating seafood. With concerns about pollution and over fishing many people in western societies don’t eat as much seafood as they should which can lead to a deficiency and health problem down the road. By taking Omax three you can rest assured you will be getting the correct amount. Getting the right amount of this essential nutrient has been shown to lead to a healthier heart, better mood and cognitive ability, and support for your joints and immune system.

Previously many commercially produced Omega 3 supplements were very expensive, Omax 3 is very affordable at about $35 for 60 tablets (one month supply). In addition to being affordable it’s a high quality product produced to meet strict pharmaceutical standards and is free of any harm toxins like mercury, pesticides and heavy metals. To learn more about this product visit Omax3.com .

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The federal regulators who would normal regulate poor-quality supplements were restricted by the 1994 legislation passed by President Clinton. This Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) was intended to make supplements including vitamins, minerals and herbs more widely available by classifying them not as drugs but as foods. This allows supplements not only to not do what they promise but to also not even be safe. In 2004 alone, more than 24,000 toxic exposures to supplements were reported. Other studies show that some supplements contain potentially dangerous contaminants such as lead, mercury, pesticides, mold and bacteria.

Consumer advocates say this regulation helped created a marketplace that fails to protect consumers. People have always assumed since they are vitamins, minerals or herbs they are naturally occurring and safe which is not always the case. Concerns about quality and safety have always been an issue around dietary supplements. But from the beginning the rules for supplements have been far less stringent than those for conventional drugs. Unlike pharmaceutical companies, dietary supplement manufactures do not need FDA approval to sell their products and do not need to conduct extensive expensive clinical trials. Makers are not even required to report any adverse effects. Since supplements are not studied it is difficult for the FDA to compile enough evidence to ban a bad product. Even when evidence is gathered, sometimes the information is too weak to effect a change.

For example, kava an herb found in the South Pacific has roots that have sedative properties. When it became popular for stress reduction, some manufacturers started using stems and other parts of the plant in the production. This was done to save money. Unfortunately these parts contain a toxic compound that can cause liver damage. The FDA issued a safety warning in 2002 but did not remove it from the market or restrict its sale. They could not since there was no proof anyone in the US had died from liver damage directly caused by kava stems.

But even when there is death- the FDA is restricted. When ephedra, an amphetamine-like stimulant was linked to as many as 155 deaths and more than 16,000 adverse events the FDA banned it in 2004. Ephedra can raise heart rate and blood pressure and trigger seizures, heart attacks and strokes. It was packed into weight-loss and energy-boosting products. Yet last year, a federal judge in Utah ruled that despite the evidence the FDA did not prove the herb was dangerous in small quantities. The ban is now in limbo as the FDA figures out its next move.

Although headlines often focus on herbal supplement concerns, everyday vitamins and minerals are not free of problems. The most common issue is that they will not deliver all the ingredients they promise and that vital ingredients may be missing. Some medical experts say vitamins and supplements should be regulated more like drugs with mandatory pre-market testing and FDA approval for safety and effectiveness before sales. But many consumers do not want their access to them restricted.

FDA regulated drugs are not exactly risk free either. In fact with so many adverse effects of medication, supplements are often chosen by patients as the safer option. Products like Ephedra are the exception. About 150 million Americans are using safe supplements. If supplements had to undergo extensive clinical testing the prices would rise so the manufacturer could recoup their research costs. Some manufacturers would have to stop productions.

There are many good, reliable supplements on the market that have been produced by reputable manufactures. The FDA should be given more power to take products off the market. Two bills pending now in Congress could provide resolutions. The first would require manufacturers to forward all serious safety reports to the Secretary of Health and Human Services so that unsafe products could be banned more quickly. The other would require the FDA to budget more money to regulate supplements.

To protect yourself, if you take a lot of supplements, subscribe to an independent testing service. The Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database or Consumer Lab.com keeps taps on brands. Or if you prefer, look for supplements that carry the USP (United State Pharmacopeia seal. This non profit public-health organization charges a fee to conduct independent product testing. This seal ensures the product you are buying contains what the label says it does, that it is free of contaminants, it will be properly absorbed by the body and it was made using safe manufacturing processes.

You should also get educated and learn about the supplements you are taking. The Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition has a lot of information on products of most concern. The more complex a product is the more likely for it to have problems. Ingredients to avoid include: aristolochic acid (a potent carcinogen that may cause kidney failure); bitter orange (may raise blood pressure and may increase risk of heart trouble especially when mixed with caffeine); chaparral, germander, skullcap and kava (all may cause liver damage); and lobelia (may cause rapid heartbeat, low blood pressure and dizziness).

If you experience any side effects you believe may have been caused by the supplement, file an adverse event report with the FDA.

Vitamin K is a group name for a number of related compounds. They are a group of 2-methilo-naphthoquinone derivatives that are human vitamins. They are lipophilic (i.e. soluble in lipids) and therefore hydrophobic (i.e. poorly soluble in water). They are needed for the posttranslational modification of certain proteins, mostly required for blood coagulation.

Vitamin K is involved in the carboxylation of certain glutamate residues in proteins to form gamma-carboxyglutamate residues (abbreviated Gla-residues) Gla-residues are usually involved in the process of binding calcium. The Gla-residues are essential for the biological activity of all known Gla-proteins. Currently there are 14 human Gla-proteins that have been discovered and they play key roles in the regulation of three processes:
Blood coagulation, bone metabolism and vascular biology.

For a 25 year old male, the recommended intake according to the U. S. Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) for Vitamin K is 12- micrograms per day. There is no tolerable upper level intake set.

History

Danish scientist Henrik Dam investigated the role of cholesterol in a late 1920 study. He feed chickens a cholesterol-depleted diet. After a few weeks, the chickens developed hemorrhages and started to bleed. Purified cholesterol was added to their diet, but still the defects could not be restored. This indicates together with the cholesterol- a second compound had to be extracted from the food. This compound was called the coagulation vitamin. This new vitamin them received the letter K because the initial discoveries were reported in the German journal, in which it was designated as Koagulations Vitamin. Much of the research done that led to the discovery of the structure and chemical nature of Vitamin K was done by Edward Adelberty Doisy of Saint Louis University. Dam and Doisy received the 1943 Nobel Price for medicine for their works on Vitamin K.

For several decades, the vitamin K-deficient chick model was the only method of quantitating of vitamin K in various foods. The chicks were made vitamin K deficient and then later fed with known amounts of vitamin-k containing food. The extent to which blood coagulation was restored by the diet was taken as a measure for its vitamin K content.

The function of vitamin K was discovered in 1974. The vitamin K-dependent coagulation factor prothrombin (Factor II) was isolated from cows that had received high doses of vitamin K antagonist warfarin. It was shown that normal prothombin contained 10 unusual amino acid residues which were identified as gamma-carboxglutamate. Prothrombin isolated from warfarin-treated cows had normal glutamate at the Gla-positions and was designated as descarboxyprothrombin. The extra carboxyl group in Gla made clear that vitamin K plays a role in a carboxylation reaction during which Glu is converted into Gla.
Gla-proteins

Gla-proteins are known to occur in a wide variety of vertebrates: mammals, birds, reptiles and fish.

Presently, the following human Gla-proteins have been characterized to the level of primary structure: the blood coagulation factors II (prothrombin), VII, IX, and X, the anticoagulant proteins C and S, and the thrombin-targeting protein Z, the bone Gla protein osteocalcin, the calcification inhibiting matrix gla protein (MGP), the cell growth regulating growth arrest specific gene 6 protein (Gas 6), and the four transmembrane Gla proteins (TMGPs) the function which is currently unknown. Gas 6 can function as a growth factor that activates the Axl receptor tyrosine kinase and stimulates cell proliferation or prevents apoptosis in some cells. In many cases in which their function was known, the presence of the Gla-residues in proteins turned out to be essential for functional activity.

Deficiencies

Vitamin K deficiency may occur by disturbed intestinal uptake, by therapeutic or accidental intake of vitamin K-antagonists or very rarely by nutritional vitamin K deficiency. As a result of a deficiency, Gla-residues are not or incompletely formed and therefore, the Gla-proteins are inactive. Lack of regulation of blood coagulation, bone metabolism and vascular biology can lead to the following: risk of massive, uncontrolled internal bleeding, cartilage calcification and severe malformation of developing bone or deposition of insoluble calcium salts in the arterial vessel walls.

The most active form of vitamin E in humans is Alpha-tocopherol, which is a powerful biological antioxidant. The Recommended Daly Allowance of vitamin E is based on the alpha-tocopherol form. The Institute of Medicine indicates most North American adults get enough vitamin E from their normal diets to meet the current recommendations. However, they do caution those who consume low fat diets because vegetable oils are such a good dietary source of vitamin E.

Antioxidants such as vitamin E protect cells against the effects of free radicals, which are potentially damaging by-products of the body’s metabolism. Cardiovascular disease and cancer can develop when these free radicals damage the cells. Vitamin C and other anti-oxidants recycle vitamin E end products back into effective suppressors of free radicals. There are studies being conducted to determine if vitamin E can help prevent or delay the development of those chronic diseases.

Sources of Vitamin E

The main sources of vitamin E include vegetable oils, nuts, wheat germ and green leafy vegetables. In the United States, fortified breakfast cereals are also an important source of vitamin E. Most natural vitamin E supplements are derived from vegetable oils usually soybean oil.

Deficiencies

Vitamin E deficiency is seen in people who can not absorb dietary fat and people with rare disorders of fat metabolism. Those who can not absorb fats must take a vitamin E supplement since dietary fat is needed to absorb vitamin E from the gastrointestinal tract. Individuals, who have had part or all of their stomach removed, have been diagnosed with cystic fibrosis or Crohn’s disease may not absorb fat and should discuss the need for a supplement with their physician. Those who can not absorb fat often have greasy stools or have chronic diarrhea.

Very low weight birth infants may be deficient in vitamin E. These infants are under the care of a neonatologist who evaluates and treats the exact nutritional needs of premature infants.

Abetalipoproteinemia is a rare inherited disorder of fat metabolism that results in poor absorption of dietary fat and vitamin E. The deficiency associated with this disease causes problems which include poor transmission of nerve impulses, muscle weakness, and degeneration of the retina that can cause blindness. Individuals diagnosed with this condition are given special supplements by a physician.

Current Issues and Controversies

Some research has indicated vitamin e can prevent or delay heart disease. Researchers have indicated that oxidative modification of LDL-cholesterol promotes blockages in coronary arteries which can lead to atherosclerosis and heart attacks. Vitamin E may help prevent or delay coronary heart disease by limiting the oxidation of the LDL cholesterol. It can also help prevent the formation of blood clots, which can cause heart attacks. Studies have shown lower rates of heart disease with higher vitamin E intake.

A study done of 90,000 nurses suggest heart disease was 30%-40% lower among nurses with the highest intake of vitamin E from diet and supplements. The range of intakes in this group were 21.6 to 1,000 IU (32-1500 mg) with the medium intake being 208 IU (139 mg) However, The Heart Outcomes Prevention Evaluation (HOPE) Study followed 10,000 patients for 4.5 years who were at higher risk for heart attack and stroke. In this intervention study the subjects received 400 IU (265 mg) of vitamin E daily. They did not experience significantly lower cardiovascular events when compared to those who received a sugar pill. The researchers concluded that vitamin E supplement did not provide any protection against cardiovascular disease. The study is continuing however to determine if a longer duration has any affect.

It is indicated that antioxidants such as vitamin E help protect against the developments of chronic diseases such as cancer. Vitamin E may also block the formation of nitrosamines, which are carcinogens formed in the stomach from nitrates consumed in the diet. It may also enhance immune function which may prevent against the development of cancers. There is however no conclusive studies done which prove this.

Some evidence does suggest higher vitamin E intakes decrease incidence of prostate cancer and breast cancer. A study done of women in Iowa provided evidence that increased vitamin E may decrease the risk of colon cancer, especially in women under age 65. However, vitamin E intake was not statistically associated with risk of colon cancer in almost 2,000 adults with cancer compared to controls without cancer. At this time there is limited evidence suggested vitamin E supplements should be used to prevent cancer.

Antioxidants are being studied to see if they can help prevent or delay cataract growth in the eye. Observational studies indicate lens clarity was better in regular vitamin E users. A study of middle age male smokers did not demonstrate any effect from vitamin E supplements. The effects of smoking may have overridden any benefit from the vitamin E.

An observational study done by the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health found that when large doses of vitamin E is taken (400-1000IU) in combination with vitamin C (500-1000mg) the onset of Alzheimer’s was reduced between 64 -78%.

A study was done in 2005, published in The Lancet Neurology, suggesting vitamin E may help prevent Parkinson’s disease. Those with moderate to high intakes of dietary vitamin E were found to have a lower risk of this disease.

Excess Consumption Risks

The health risks of too much vitamin E are disputed. In the elderly, a recent study indicated taking doses of 530 mg or 800 IU (35 times the current RDA) for up to four months had no significant effect on general health. The long term effects of such dosage however, have not been tested. The Institute of Medicine has set an upper intake level of vitamin E of 1,000 mg (1,500 IU) per day since the nutrient can also act as an anticoagulant and increase the risk of bleeding problems.

The natural human form of vitamin D is Vitamin D3 which is also known as cholecalciferol. It is made in the skin when cholesterol via 7-dehydrocholesterol reacts with ultraviolet light in the skin. Ultraviolet light (UVB) is found in sunlight when the sun is high enough above the horizon for UVB to penetrate the atmosphere. Cholecalciferol is transported to the liver where it is hydroxylated to calcidiol or 25-hydroxy-vitamin D, the storage form of the vitamin.

Some parts of the world have widespread vitamin D deficiency, due to higher latitudes and winter conditions. Foods may be fortified with vitamin D2 or vitamin D3, but milk only contains 100 IU per glass. Severe deficiency can lead to a disease known as rickets in children, where the bones are softened due to faulty mineralization. Similar conditions can develop in adults known as osteomalacia. Other recent studies have linked vitamin D deficiencies to forms of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, depression, hypertension, periodontal disease, autoimmune disease and obesity. A deficiency can be determined by a blood calcidiol level. Healthy levels should be between 40 and 60 ng/ml.

Calcitriol is the most active form of the vitamin. It is synthesized from calcidiol in the kidneys to perform its endocrine function of maintaining the calcium levels. Calcitriol binds to a transportation factor which then regulates gene expression. As a result, the calcium and phosphorus levels in the bone and blood are maintained with the assistance of parathyroid hormone and calcitonin.

Some tissues throughout the human body can make and regulate their own calcitriol, which is the autocrine, and perhaps paracrine, functions of the vitamin D steroid hormone system. It is these autocrine and paracrine functions of vitamin D which may explain vitamin D’s association with many chronic diseases

Production of Vitamin D

Human skin exposed to sunlight can when conditions are right, produce large quantities of vitamin D. In just a few minutes, up to 20,000 IU could be produced. This is easily enough to avoid deficiency. Exposure to sunlight can also destroy vitamin D; so long term exposure can cause toxicity.

Just being exposed to sunlight does not automatically trigger production of vitamin D. Only the UVB in the sunlight triggers the production. UVB reaches ground level when the sun is high in the sky which is usually a few hours around midday. At higher latitudes, the sun is only high in the summer. In the US, those living north of San Francisco to Atlanta will not be able to produce it at all for 3 to 6 months of the year.
From the end of summertime to the next spring, most humans run on stored amounts of vitamin D which gradually deplete. Suntan lotions also block production.

Vitamin D Deficiency

People over the age of fifty have a higher risk for a vitamin D deficiency. The ability of the skin to convert 7-dehydrocholesterol to pre-vitamin D3 is decreased in older people. In addition in older people, the kidneys do not function as well, so calcidiol is not converted as well to its active form. Many older people need a vitamin D supplement.

In addition newborn infants who are breastfeeding may require a supplement, since breast milk does not contain significant levels of the vitamin and newborns are not exposed to direct sun. Infant formula is fortified with vitamin D.

Some evidence also suggests that obese people have lower levels of vitamin D due to it being deposited in body fat compartments. Those not exposed to summer midday sunshine may also require a supplement. Patients with chronic liver disease and intestinal malabsorption may require larger doses of vitamin D (up to 40,000 IU or 1 mg a day)

Deficiency can lead to several bone diseases due to insufficient calcium or phosphate in bones. Rickets is a childhood disease caused by a failure of growth and deformity of long bones. In adults osteoporosis is a condition characterized by fragile bones. Osteomalacia is a bone-thinning disorder in adults where there is proximal muscle weakness and bone fragility.

Deficiency has also been linked to chronic diseases such as cancer (breast, prostate, ovarian, colon, lung and skin) chronic pain, weakness, fatigue, autoimmune diseases (multiple sclerosis and Type I diabetes), high blood pressure, mental illness, heart disease, psoriasis, tuberculosis, periodontal disease, rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease.

Overdose of Vitamin D

There is no recommended dietary allowance for vitamin D in North America. 200 IU/day is the adequate intake officially recommended up to age 50. The safety of vitamin D intake can not be assured beyond 50 micrograms/day (2000 IU/day). Current official advice about vitamin D is out of date and Vitamin D dietary guidelines are among the next in line for review by the FDA.

Overdose is rare, deficiency is more common. The body has a large storage capacity for vitamin D and most foods and supplements contain too small of an amount of vitamin D for an overdose to occur. Oral overdoses have however been reported due to manufacturing and industrial accidents and leads to hypercalcaemia and atherosclerosis and ultimately death.

The exact long term safe dose is not known. It appears there are chemical processes that destroy excess vitamin D even when taken orally, although the processes have not been identified. Normal food and supplements have concentration levels too low to be toxic.

Sources of Vitamin D

Only a few foods naturally contain significant amounts of vitamin D including: Fish liver oils such as cod liver, fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines, and eel), one whole egg, beef liver and one vitamin pill.

Fortified foods are the major dietary sources of this vitamin. In the US milk is fortified with 10 micrograms (400 IU) of vitamin D per quart. One cup of vitamin D fortified milk supplies about one forth the estimated adequate intake of vitamin D for adults over 50. Dairy products like cheese, yogurt and ice cream are not fortified with vitamin D.

Vitamin D Research

Recent studies indicate cancer patients who have surgery or treatment in the summer where they can get more vitamin D from the sun, have a higher chance of survival than those who get treatment in the winter.

A study was done in the US and releases in 2005 published in the American Journal of Public Health. It indicated there was a connection between Vitamin D intake and the prevention of cancer. The scientists claimed that taking 1,000 IU or 25 micrograms of the vitamin daily could lower an individual’s risk of cancer by 50% in colon cancer and by 30% in breast and ovarian cancer. Cancer experts however indicate much further research is needed to provide proof of this claim.