Essentials for good health

1. Deficiencies of important nutrients are common in modern life

Summary:

Modern lifestyle and food processing has caused a considerable increase in deficiencies of essential nutrients.

This affects non-vegetarians as well as vegetarians, but it is my clinical experience that especially vegetarianism may cause serious deficiencies unless one is well aware of what important nutrients, including vitamins, essential fatty acids, minerals and trace elements may be missing in the food. Among the most important nutrients that often are deficient are vitamin B12, Iodine, Vitamin D3 (in wintertime) and Omega 3 fatty acids.

I have met several patients who have given up vegetarianism because of health problems caused by nutrient deficiencies caused by incomplete knowledge about nutrition. By conveying this knowledge, I hope to prevent such unfortunate and unnecessary decisions.

Introduction

Recent research indicates that vegetarianism is associated with more deficiency risks than formerly known. Also the required dosage for some nutrients has been found to be too low. Moreover very important effects of potentially deficient nutrients have been discovered in recent years.

There is a bewildering and huge amount of marketing regarding food supplements. I want to help you find out what you most probably need.

Section 1

Often occurring deficiencies

Iodine + Selenium

Iodine is very rare in vegetarian food, but recent research indicates that also the modern diet may contain too little for good health. The extent of deficiency varies from region to region, depending on the Iodine content of the soil. An exception is the traditional Japanese diet, where Iodine-rich seaweed is a significant part of the traditional diet. If you have used Iodized salt daily in the food you may be less deficient, but not provided enough according to recent research.

I have added selenium into the heading because it is good to supplement Selenium along with Iodine (this will be explained further below).

Daily requirement

Formerly it was generally believed that only 150 mcg Iodine was needed per day and that Iodine was toxic at about 2000 mcg or less. But this belief was based on a research error back in the 40-ies and was never checked until recently, when Abraham revealed the mistake (Abraham GE 2005). Unfortunately this erroneous result was widely disseminated and uncritically accepted by the medical profession. Its tragic consequence was that, in stead of curing thyroid disorders with Iodine, toxic and non-curative drugs have been used on millions of patients (see Abraham GE, 2006).

Through extensive litterature research and experience from over 4000 patients, using improved methods for detecting deficiency, Dr Guy Abraham, M.D., professor of endocrinology at UCLA, came to the conclusion that the daily requirement is about 12500 mcg (12,5 mg) Iodine (Abraham GE 2004a and 2004b).

He notes that the traditional Japanese diet provides 12.000-13.000 mg Iodine daily. This intake level is believed to be the reason for the exceptionally low rate of breast cancer (Stadel 1976) and Abraham suggests it may be one of the reasons for their superior longevity [1].

Iodized salt contains too little according to Abraham, and moreover the chloride in it inhibit the Iodine uptake so only about 10% is assimilated. Himalaya salt contains almost no Iodine (<1mcg/g ). Oceanic sea salt contains very small amounts (about 1 mcg per gram).

Sea foods, including seaweeds are the main natural sources of Idoine.

So you are most likely to have a Iodine deficiency if you have been a vegetarian for some time and don't eat Japanese traditional food. But even with non-vegetarian food you may have become deficient in Iodine according the findinds of Dr Abraham. If you have used a good amount iodized salt regularly, you may not have a significant deficiency according to conventional norms, but the levels will be far below that recommended by Abraham.

The findings of Abraham are new and have not yet been generally accepted, but they are based on advanced new more reliable and precis testing technology and are supported by a significant body of scientific observations.

It is possible that the requirement found by Dr. Abraham was enhanced in his subjects due to various factors in modern life, including pollution, see "How much Iodine do we really need? But unless you live in a pristine pure surrounding, eating organic and drink pure water, your need might be in the order of magnitude indicated by Dr. Abraham.

Supplementation:

Dr Abraham found that with 12,5 mg per day of Lugol's solution it may take several months or even a year to saturate the whole body with Iodine. Yet, this dosage is 80 times higher than the present RDI of 0.15 mg. There are studies reporting that high Iodine dosage cause thyroid disturbances, but Abraham has scrutinized all and found that in these studies organic Iodine was used, which is toxic in contrast to the inorganic Iodine and potassium iodide found in Lugol's solution (Abraham GE, 2008). He mentions large studies using high dosage over long time without any side effects. Abrahm found that even higher doses safe than 12,5 grams per day (Abraham GE, 2004b).

Together with Iodine supplementation, it is recommended always to take Selenium which plays an important role in the thyroid and other organs. The RDI is about 40 mcg and the maximum daily safe intake of Selenium is about 400 mcg (this is not the same as the daily supplementation - the contribution from food is included in this figure). Selenium is required for one of the body's most important antioxidants (glutathion peroxidase) to work and has documented anti-cancer effects, so there are good reasons to ensure that you are not deficient in it anyway. Magnesium, copper and zinc are involved in, or related to, other important antioxidants in the thyroid. For more see "Safety" below.

Selenium is deficient in the soil in certain parts of the world, including Scandinavia, parts of Central Europe including Germany, parts of America, parts of China, parts of Africa and New Zealand (this is not a complete list). In the same country there may be selenium-rich regions as well. It is good to find out what is the case in your region.

Copper may be sufficient if you have copper tubing for water. Otherwise it may be deficient in vegetarian foods. But it is toxic in higher doses so don´t take more than recommended. The RDI is More about this later.

Magnesium is deficient in a significant part of the population. [More to come]

Zinc may be deficient among vegetarians and is an important mineral, involved in about 200 enzymes. Impaired taste and smell and decreased appetite; tinnitus; disturbed sleep; dry skin and slow wound healing; hair loss; grooves, deformation and white spots of nails; weak immunity may occur at deficiency [more to come]. Zinc is found in dairy products such as milk and cheese. Pumpkin and Sesame seeds are rich in Zinc. Almonds, cashews, yeast, spinach, squash, broccoli are good vegetable sources. Legumes (especially soy), wholegrain cereals, brown rice, whole wheat bread are mentioned as sources, but their shells contains phytic acid that prevents absorbtion of Zinc and other minerals. Therefore I recommend you to avoid bran, which is a very rich source of phytic acid. Fermentation, including baking, and soaking reduce phytic acid. Baked fermented bread is prefearable. Miso, fermented soy is a good source. Zinc is water-soluble, so use the water you soaked it in. The same goes for cooking. Taking too much (over 40 mg = the official tolerable upper limit) may affects copper and iron metabolism negatively. The RDI is about 10 mg a day. [More to come]

The different minerals and trace elements work together and interact with each other in the body and therefore isolated supplementation with only a few may not give intended results. I always recommend to take a natural multi mineral preparation unless you eat organic food from a soil that is well supplied with all trace elements.

[More about minerals will be added]

It may be good to consult an experienced professional for optimal results. However quite few of them know about the recent findings of Dr Abraham regarding the Iodine requirement and his conclusion that Iodine is perfectly safe.

I will offer the possibility of telephone consultation regarding supplementation with Iodine and the other nutrients mentioned in this website.

Iodine deficiency:

Disturbances in the thyroid gland

Recent research indicates that Iodine deficiency is present in virtually all thyroid disorders and its supplementation may play a major role in curing them. This includes non-toxic and toxic goiter,  hyperthyroidism, Hashimoto's thyroiditis and other forms of hypothyroidism.

Symptoms of hypothyroidism

At early stages, the symptoms are not so specific and pronounced. Often they develop gradually. It is good to know the typical signs so that you can detect a disturbance.

NOTE [preliminary formulation]: There has been a belief that Iodine supplementation may worsen Hashimoto's autoimmune thyroiditis. However, Abrahams points out that this research is not well underpinned and a major study from China indicating this has been withdrawn (Abraham GE 2008). The same authors (Yang et al 2007) now saying "Chronic Iodine excess does not apparently increase the risk of autoimmune thyroiditis."

In any case, there is a connection between autoimmune thyroiditis and free radical production. Therefore, I recommend, especially in this condition, the use of Selenium as it is required for a key antioxidant in the thyroid.

Other effects

The role of Iodine in the body goes far beyond its role in the production of thyroid hormones. Formerly it was believed that iodide concentrating cells existed only in the thyroid. Now the list has increased to include: white blood cells, salivary and tear glands, ciliary body of the eye (accomodates and nutrifies the lens), kidney cortex cells, the pancreas, the liver, the gastrointestinal channel mucosa from the ventricle throughout the colon, nose and throat, choroid plexus (produces the cerebrospinal fluid), skin, adrenal cortex (where stress hormones are produced), mammary gland, placenta, uterus, and ovary. The knowledge is still incomplete about the role of Iodine in these organs.

Below I will list effects confirmed by scientific studies or based on clinical observations. I will try go provide a rough idea about the level of evidence.

Abbreviations:

• SCICOMF, range 1-3 = scientifically confirmed
• SCICAS, range 1-3 = reported in scientific case studies
• CLINOBS = Clinical observations
• UNCLASS =unclassified

• Brain dysfunction (found in cases with moderate Iodine deficiency - of the degree possible in vegetarians) SCICOMF 3
• Regulating moods - antidepressive effect (observed especially in hypothyroid disorder). SCICOMF 3
• Dwarfism, psychomotor disturbance and mental retardation occurs in children of severely Iodine deficient mothers and severe Iodine deficiency in the food. SCICOMF 3
• Antioxidant. SCICOMF 3
• Fibrocystic breast disorder in women. SCICOMF 2
• Preventing breast cancer. SCICOMF 1.
• Color vision disturbances in patients with eye diseases, SCICOMF 1
• Reducing high blood pressure. SCICOMF 1.
• In fibromyalgia, a dramatic improvement was observed in some cases after 50 mg per day of Iodine. The addition of vitamin B3 contributed to further improvement(Abraham GE, Flechas JD 2007; Abraham GE, Flechas JD 2008). SCICAS 2
• Improved senile macula degeneration of the eye. CLINOBS
• Regulating blood sugar. CLINOBS
• preventing and treating diabetes. CLINOBS
• preventing and treating abnormal cardiac rhythms. CLINOBS
• Improved mammary cancer. CLINOBS
• enhanced immune function. CLINOBS
• Eliminating systemic Candida Albicans. CLINOBS (Iodine is antifungal).
• Eliminating chronic infections CLINOBS (iodine has powerful antibacterial, antiviral and antiparasitic effects)
• Curing chronic gastritis through elimination of chronic Helicobacter Pylorii infection CLINOBS (may take several months to eradicate if the bacteria have penetrated inside the mucous membrane).
• Improved restless legs. CLINOBS
• Improved tremor. CLINOBS
• preventing cancer in ovaries, uterus, prostate and thyroid gland. UNCLASS

The fact that some effects are not yet strongly confirmed or based only on clinical observations does not exclude that they are real. This field is new and it will take time before the more evidence has accumulated.

Fibrocystic breast disorder is prevalent in about 60% of American women and Abraham as well as Ghent (Ghent WR 1993) have reported that it can be cured with Iodine. This seems to support the opinion of Abraham that Iodine deficiency is far more prevalent than so far realized.

Iodine is a very important antioxidant

Inorganic Iodine (as in Lugol, and Iodine tincture/nascent Iodine) functions as a very important antioxidant protecting against the hydroxyl radical, which is the strongest and most dangerous free radical in the body. .

Iodine neutralizes the free radical hydrogen peroxide, preventing it from becoming a hydroxyl radical. In addition, Iodine is a specific scavenger of the hydroxyl radical.

The hydroxyl radical is a powerful neurotoxin that can damage:

• DNA, in a way that triggers autoimmune reactions and mutations.
• Proteins, including enzymes vital for metabolim
• Lipids (main component of cellular walls)
• Carbohydrates

The body has few protective mechanisms against these very harmful hydroxyl radicals. For this reason alone it is important to ensure that one is not Iodine-deficient.

Iodine protects brain cells from free radical damage (lipid peroxidation) which is a significant health issue, because of the high level of oxygen metabolism and associated free radical generation in the brain (when we are well nutrified, antioxidative enzymes and antioxidants from the diet including Iodine take care of it, so don't worry). In brain damage due to concussion and cerebral infarction there is a greatly increased production of free radicals in the brain and it seems likely that Iodine might be valuable here, though I have not seen any studies about it. In addition, several studies have found an increase of free radicals in psychiatric disorders including shizophrenia (Hui-chun Li, et al, 2006), where they may play an important causative role. Likewise they are increased in post-traumatic stress disorder.

Interestingly, Iodine protects against free radicals by attaching itself to the double bonds of Omega fatty acids in the cellular membranes. It is these chemically reactive double bounds that make the fatty acids vulnerable to free radicals. The brain is one of the organs with the highest density of omega fatty acids, so Iodine protection is especially essential here. (It has been maintained that Omega fatty acids in high doses may be problematic, because of their great vulnerability to free radicals. Iodine evidently provides a good solution to this problem, provided one is well supplied.)

It has been well established that free radicals are a major factor in negative "aging". It seems reasonable to assume that the high "Iodine antioxidant" intake may be an important factor causing the longevity and vitality of people eating the traditional Japanese diet. Actually, an experimental study found that that hydroxyl radical levels decided the lifespan of banana flies (Fleming JE, 1987), and there are several studies as well confirming the role of hydroxyl radicals in shortening the life of animals (e.g. Schriner SE, et al, 2005).

Detoxification of heavy metals

Dr Abraham and colleagues have found that Iodine can help remove toxic minerals including aluminium, mercury, lead,  cadmium, fluoride and bromide from the tissues. This was indicated by considerably increased excretion of these minerals in the urine during Iodine treatment (Brownstein D, 2005) (Abraham GE, 2003). When the toxins were mobilized, fatigue and irritability sometimes temporarily appeared, which decreased at lowering the dose of Iodine.

In the case of detoxification, using high doses of Iodine, a physician, knowledgeable about Iodine detoxification should monitor the procedure.

Safety

As a last remark about Iodine I want to mention that Dr. Abraham, after extensive study of the research literature and after observing the effects of long-term treatment of high doses of Iodine on over 4000 patients, has concluded that Iodine is the safest of all minerals, and can be taken in doses thousandfold the RDI without any ill effects (Abraham GE, 2004). This, he remarks, is not a new finding, but confirms the experience of thousands of physicians using similar doses of Iodine (as Lugol's solution) for about two decades since 1920.

There are however reports that, in Selenium-deficient cases, Iodine supplementation may cause thyroid problems. Selenium is a necessary component in a powerful endogenous antioxidant (glutathione peroxidase) that plays an important role in the thyroid gland where free radicals (incl H202) are generated in the production of thyroid hormones. When Iodine is added, the production of thyroid hormones increases and then the antioxidant gluthatione peroxidase is required for effective protection although Iodine itself also has an important antioxidant effect. It is possible that Dr. Abraham's cases live in a part of the world where there is no Selenium deficiency and so there was no problem.

The bottom line is that if you are taking Iodine, it is important to supplement with Selenium.

Where to find Lugol'solution?

Lugol is available all over the world, but in many countries the preparation is only sold at pharmacies upon physician's prescription. It is sold over the internet, but I would not recommend that unless you find a well renowned provider.

NOTE: On the internet, diluted Lugol's solution is sold by several providers, calling it Lugol. Lugol's solution contains, by definition, 5 gram elemental Iodine and 10 gram potassium Iodide on 85 ml water. Nothing else is Lugol.

Physicians will generally prescribe it for external use only. But there is no difference in the preparation whether for internal or external use.

NOTE

If you take the Lugol's solution, use it only diluted, because the potassium iodide may irritate the stomach. Thas is, take it in a glass of water or juice or with food or milk.

There is a preparation, where Lugol's solution has been absorbed on unto silica in a tablet. It is called Iodoral, and does not irritate sensitive stomachs. However, this is only available presently in the US and can only be obtained on physician's prescription.

More information about Iodine

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Vitamin B12

Vegetarian food contains virtually no vitamin B12.

Milk products contain a little B12, but it is not a reliable source for sufficient intake, as research studies have found a considerably increased risk for B12 deficiency in lactovegetarians. For example in India, a study on students found that 80% of the lactovegetarians had serum values indicating deficiency while the non-vegetarians had much higher values, considered to be normal.

But the risk of deficiency is significant also among non-vegetarians. One study found that almost 50% have too low vitamin B-12 levels.

Deficiency of B12 causes serious disorders:

Alzheimer's dementia: A considerable majority of Alzheimer's disease cases have B12 deficiency. The lower limit for acceptable blood concentration of B12 has been found to be too low. Therefore, the proportion having B12 deficiency has been underestimated in studies on Alzheimer. In reality, if the new values were applied, almost all might be deficient. A major factor causing the brain damage is the neurotoxic amino acid homeocysteine which increases in B12 deficiency.

Although B12 deficiency seems to be a major factor here, although some other deficiencies, toxic influences (heavy metals) and certain disorders (especially diabetes 1) have been reported to aggravate the condition.

Arteriosclerosis: A major factor is believed to be that B12 deficiency causes an increase in homeocysteine, a brain-damaging toxic amino-acid, which also damages blood vessels, causing arteriosclerosis.

Peripheral nerve damage: The first symptoms are tingling, needle-prick or burning sensations in the toes and later in the fingertips. Later numbness in the hands and feet, like “walking on clouds’ and balance disturbances. The muscles get weak and shaky. The bladder and bowel control gets increasingly impaired.

Other disorders associated with deficiency or improved by B12 are: Megaloblastic Anemia, Aphtous stomatitis (whitish painful spots in the mouth) cured, erythema nodosum (a nodular skin disorder) cured, bursitis cured, sulfite sensitivity including asthma caused by it cured, chronic contact dermatitis cured,  chronic urticaria, Bells palsy (facialis nerve paresis), breast cancer improved or cured, herpes zooster, vitiligo, Macula degeneration of the eyes improved.

Supplementation

Should be taken as methylcobalamin, sublingually, not cyanocobalamin which is the commonly sold variety at drug stores. Methylcobalamin is easily found at on-line stores.

Dosage:

If you have not supplemented before start with 5000 mcg for a month or until symptoms are gone. Thereafter 1000 mcg per day if you have had deficiency symptoms, because this may indicate that your uptake into the nervous system is not so good. Otherwise you can take 3-500 mcg depending on what size is available (for more details, see my article on B12).  Unnecessary to take injections. B12 is absorbed effectively under the tongue.

Cyanocobalamin is a synthetic, unnatural variety and the toxic substance cyanide is produced when it is metabolized in the body. Though the amounts are very small I think it is desirable to avoid unnecessary intake of poisons. So avoid cyanocobalamin if possible, but if no other option is available it is much more important to get the B12 if you have a deficiency than avoiding the micro-amounts of poison produced by it. However, some studies indicate that the brain cannot use cyanocobalamin well, so do your best to get methylcobalamin.

For more on B12, see my article at http://drjaan.net/veg/b12.htm

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D3-vitamin

Produced at exposure to sun at noon

Your skin manufactures D3 in sunshine (UVB radiation) but it must be supplemented in the 4-6 darker/colder months of the year. A major part of the world's population lives above latitude 35° N where ozone in the upper atmosphere completely blocks UVB radiation in autumn-spring. This is the case in, for example, Paris, France (48° N). Ankara, Turkey (39° N), Tokyo, Japan (35°N) and Washington DC, US (38° N). UVB is blocked also in the morning and afternoon, depending on time of the year. So take the UVB sunbath around noon (about 11-13).

So don't avoid the sun, but avoid sunburn. Use only sunscreens that also protect against UVA. By the way, recent research shows that Melanoma, the most malignant skin tumor, is not caused by sun exposure.

Daily requirement

The recommended dose has formerly been too low - maximum 800 IU per day. Recent research indicates that if you totally avoid the sun, or live above 35°N you need about 5,000 IU vitamin D a day in the winter period.

Formerly it was believed that the vitamin was toxic in that range, but this is wrong. One has to take 50.000 IU for one month or more before signs of toxicity appears. 5000 IU per day has been found to prevent calcification of arteries and for other positive health effects.

5000 IU vitamin D3 per day   in Oct-April in latitudes above 35°N is needed for optimal blood levels (50–99 ng/ml). This may sound much considering the old RDI values, but it is actually what you get in less than an hour in the sun at noontime at the beach.

In the summer, if you are using sunscreens and avoid the sun, you may also need to supplement with vitamin D3. UVB at noontime in the summer makes at least about 1000 IU/10 min, but the synthesis is inhibited above a certain dose (I am checking for the latest data).

Don't take D2 (ergocalciferol) which is the common version sold at drugstores and it may not have the same effects.

D-vitamin deficiency is associated with:

• Osteoporosis (along with vitamin K2, see below). Great improvements can be achieved with D3, but must be taken along with K2 and Magnesium to be effective.
• Depressions. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) has been treated successully with D3.
• Obesity. Lack of calcium, from D or calcium deficiency, increases fatty acid synthase. This enzyme converts calories into fat. Diet low in D3 and calcium increases fatty acid synthase by as much as five-fold. D3 has been found to stimulate a shift from calorie storage to calorie burning (thermogenesis).
• Increased risk for cancer. D-vitamin protects against cancers in a/o colon, breast, lung, pancreatic, ovarian, prostate.
• Buildup of calcium in blood vessels – together with vitamin K2.
• Hypertension. Deficiency increases renin, that causes hypertension (see footnote)
• Metabolic syndrome / Syndrome X. One factor might be that deficiency increased the insulin resistance associated with this syndrome. Deficiency also increases the risk of arertial calfication associated with this disorder. Administration of dietary vitamin D or UV-B treatment has been shown to lower blood pressure, restore insulin sensitivity and lower cholesterol, the hallmarks of Metabolic syndrome. Some researchers therefore think it may basically be a D3-deficiency disorder. Perhaps it could be so, along with some genetic mechanisms that have been found to enhance the insulin intolerance tendency.
• Congestive heart failure, D-vitamin reducing associated inflammation.
• Inflammatory – autoimmune disorders, especially Multiple Sclerosis.
• Muscular pain and weakness.
• Infertility
• Premenstrual Syndrome (along with deficiency in Magnesium)
• Polycystic Ovary Syndrome - corrected fully with treatment
• Glucose intolerance, increasing the risk for Diabetes II
• Parkinson and Alzheimer cases have low vitamin D3. Not believed to be the cause but one factor might be that D3 is a powerful antioxidant and it seems that free radicals play an important role in these disorders.

Modern diet increases deficiency

Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids decrease the binding of vitamin D to proteins that carry the vitamin in the blood (D-binders). Saturated fats - fat milk, cream, butter, lard, coconut oil, do not have this negative effect. In addition they have naturally contained D-vitamin.

D3-deficiency may be an important reason why the use of polyunsaturated fats has been found to shorten life, increase cancers and decrease immunity compared to the use of saturated fats.

D-vitamin effects

• Powerful antioxidant. More effective than vitamin E.
• Powerful immunity enhancer. D-vitamin stimulates numerous natural antimicrobial and antiviral mechanisms. It expressed genes instruct macrophages, front-line immune system cells, to destroy influenza virus.
• Protects against coronary and other arteriosclerotic disease, including reduction of vessel calcification (plaques)

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Omega 3 fatty acids

Supplementation

Fish oil and Algae oils (Ameu Algae in Germany, several brands in the US available on the internet) are good supplements.

Hemp seed oil is a fairly good vegetarian source of omega but expensive. In Europe, only Rapunzel in Germany produces it in the proper way to my knowledge – no light, no air, no heat. Shelled hemp seeds are preferable, but expensive.

Rape–seed oil contains omega 3 but the industrially produced forms, commonly available at food stores are harmful because they have been processed in a way that damages the oil. Linseed oil is also a good source but in most cases it has not been processed properly and should then not be used.

Omega 3 is of vital importance for the normal functioning of the brain and other organs including the skin.

Deficiency causes  memory disturbances, emotional instability, irritability, concentration difficulties, depressions, anxiety, dry skin and dandruff, cracking skin on heels and fingers, soft, cracking nails, ear wax accumulation.

The risk for Omega 6 fatty acid deficiency seems to be small.

More about Omega fatty acid will be added.

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Trace elements

Because of modern agriculture the food has become very deficient in rare trace elements. Scientific knowledge in this field is very incomplete. I believe we need perhaps all trace elements that exist. Organic food, is more rich in trace elements than conventional food. But you may need additional supplementation< to restore the required amounts.

Trace elements are very important for good health. They are required for the proper functioning of many enzymes and proteins in every cell of the body. I have a feeling they may play vital role for preventing negative aging, for healing processes and for ensuring optimal functioning of the nervous system.

They include mono–atomic (Ormus) elements that are of great value for promoting healing, perfect health and higher states of consciousness.

More about this is to come.

NOTE: The shells of grains and legumes contain phytic acid which effectively binds minerals and trace elements and makes them inaccessible to the body. This is the reason for the old wisdom of fermenting grains and of soaking legumes because these procedures reduce or eliminate phytic acid content.

Conclusion about nutrient deficiencies

It is my experience important nutrient deficiencies are surprisingly common today, and I have even seen cases of serious disorders because of it, especially among vegetarians, including severe neurological damage and memory disturbances due to B12 deficiency.

Everybody need to be well educated about the deficiency risks and have to be well supplemented so as to ensure good health. Switching to vegetarian diet requires good knowledge of nutrition especially in cultures where vegetarianism is not traditional.

I don't claim this list to be complete. It lists the deficiencies I have found to be among the most common and important in vegetarians. More will be added.

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Section 2

Important potentially deficient nutrients

B–vitamins

They are very important and exist in many vegetables so it is commonly believed that vegetarians have no problem with it.

But B–vitamins are heat sensitive and get spoiled if they are cooked long. Studies indicate that much of them get destroyed in micro–ovens. They are water soluble, so with cooking they are leached out into the broth. Recent research indicates that B–deficiency is becoming increasingly common among people who eat at lunch restaurants or eat micro–heated prepared food at home.

With broccoli, a good B–source, for example, the Italians traditionally know it should not be cooked until it turns soft – it should be "al dente" and all the juice/broth should be taken as most of the B–vitamins go out of the Broccoli into the water.

So it is good to add B–vitamins unless you cook yourself – a good but not very rich natural source is Brewers yeast (Bierhefe). Everybody eating food from large kitchens should take it.

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Vitamin K2

The risk of deficiency not insignificant today. I want to mention it because of its great importance and can be insufficient in as vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian diet mostly contains much K1 but may be sparse in K2.

The best source of K2 is the Japanese Natto, from which now supplements are made. The "sauerkraut" is also a source, but I have found no info about contents yet. Also a good gastrointestinal flora may provide K2, but it is not known to what extent. K–vitamin withstands cooking but does not tolerate light well.

K2 has different varieties, MK7 which is produced through fermentation being the best (natto, sauerkraut and other fermented foods including cheese). It may prevent:

• Osteoporosis
• calcification of arteries
• weakness of veins
• Certain forms of Cancer
• Alzheimer's dementia has been associated with K2 deficiency. Perhaps it might be the variety caused by brain ischemia due to narrow calcified brain arteries. I will find out more about it.
• Insulin release and blood sugar regulation is dependent on vitamin K.

Vitamin K1 is found in green leafy vegetables (broccoli and all other cabbage varieties, spinach, Swiss chard), kiwi fruit, avocado, parsley. But K1 seems to have more limited health benefits and is 6 times less potent than K2. So you need to go for fermented foods to ensure sufficient uptake of K2. The K1 versus K2 issue is not yet quite clear. I will update .

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Protein deficiency is a significant risk

It is my clinical experience that people who have grown up in a culture using mainly animal diet for proteins run the risk of becoming protein deficient when switching to vegetarianism. This I think is because there is no cultural tradition of handling full vegetarian diet. But protein deficiency become more common today among non-vegetarians as well because of poverty. Elderly are under increased risk because their uptake is commonly reduced.

One common reason for protein malnutrition in vegetarians is that quite few vegetables contain all the amino acids required for building protein in the body. There are a number of so called "essential amino acids" that the body cannot manufacture itself. These must be present in the food every day (see footnote "Proteins").

Especially vegans run the risk of becoming protein deficient for this reason. A safer strategy is lacto-vegetarianim, that uses a combination of plant and milk products or lacto-ovo-vegetarianism that also allows for eggs because eggs and milk contain all the essential amino acids.

Another simple reason for deficiency is that the proteins are not as compactly "packaged" as in meat, so you need to take a good deal larger portion of for example beans to get the corresponding amount of protein.

To avoid protein deficiency it is necessary to know what plant food items are rich in protein and which ones contain most or all the essential amino acids. I will compile some advice on this but for a beginner a simple rule is to always include some milk or egg product in order to ensure that you are provided with all the essential amino acids every day.

Requirement

Several studies indicate concurrently that the protein need is

• for women at least 0,65 g/day and
• for men about 0,8 g/day.
• for young people and elderly, about 1g/day.

An example of required amounts of food items

• In 100 gram mungbeans for example, there is 23 g protein (mungbeans contain all essential amino acids).
• In 100g cottage cheese there is about 10 g protein.

So, if you are a woman, to cover the daily need you need 200g of the beans = 46 g protein, plus 200 g of cottage cheese = 20 g protein. This is quite a large heap, because of the greater water content, compared to 3 hg meat that likewise contains about 20-25 grams of protein.

My experience is that vegetarians from western cultures tend to take significantly less.

I believe that protein deficiency is a reason why quite some initially devoted vegetarians give up.

Signs of protein deficiency

• Physical weakness and low muscle tone,
• fatigue,
• dry and flaky skin,
• brittle nails with ridges or deep lines,
• hair loss,
• bad wound healing,
• decreased immunity
• generalized loss of body fat even in the buttocks and face,

New research indicates that more protein is required for optimal health

Recent reseach indicates that high quality protein intake is more important than formerly believed. It has been found that the RDA for proteins is not sufficient for ensuring optimal health. Therefore, moderate levels of protein deficiency is becoming recognized as a probably much more common condition than formerly believed.

For effective build up of muscles and bones the amino acid leucine found abundantly in among others in legumes. In the food of adults, and especially elderly persons, high quality protein contianing all essential amino acids including leucine should be present in every meal to ensure preservation of muscles and bones.

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More nutrients will be added under this section including

• Selenium, Copper and some other minerals
• And more

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Planned additional articles at the website or in the Newsletter:

• The harmful effects of chemistry–based agriculture
• Safe detoxification - strong chelators not necessary
• A simple and effective approach to curing Candida
• Why saturated fat is good for health and the "lean food" (low fat, veg. oils) habits shorten life and increase illness rate
• The story about Omega 3, 6 and 9 oils.
• Beware of transfats (found in hydrogenated fats)
• Curing cardiovascular disease including arteriosclerosis and hypertension without drugs
• Important measures for Cancer prevention – vegetarian food a superior alternative
• Why raw food vegetarianism will inevitably create major deficiencies
• The most important nutrients for promoting optimal functioning of the nervous system
• The new understanding about vitamin E - alfa-tocopherol alone may be harmful
• C-vitamin - too low RDI. Greatly increased need in stress and infections. Antiviral effects documented.
• Magnesium very important. More often deficient than formerly believed
• Showering with common chlorinated tap water not healthy. Why you should use a chlorine filter
• Ayurvedic principles of nutrition
• The miracle supplement/medicine hoaxes. Be suspicious about uncorroborated stories by people claiming fabulous improvements.
• Stress - what can you do about it?
• And more

References

• Abraham, G.E., Iodine Supplementation Markedly Increases Urinary Excretion of Fluoride and Bromide. Townsend Letter, 238:108-109, 2003.
• Abraham GE,2004a. "The Safe and Effective Implementation of Orthoiodosupplementation In Medical Practice" The Original Internist, March 2004
• Abraham GE, 2004b. "The concept of orthoiodosupplementation and its clinical implications." The Original Internist, 11(2):29-38, 2004
• Abraham GE, 2005. "The Wolff-Chaikoff Effect". The Original Internist, 12(3):112-118,2005
• Abraham GE, 2006 "The History of Iodine in Medicine Part III: Thyroid Fixation and Medical Iodophobia." The Original Internist, 13: 71-78, June 2006
• Abraham GE, Flechas, JD. 2007. "Evidence of Defective Cellular Oxidation and Organification of Iodide in a Female with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue". The Original Internist, Vol. 14, 77-82, 2007
• Abraham GE, Flechas, JD. 2008. "The Effect of Daily Ingestion of 100 mg Iodine Combined with High Doses of Vitamins B2 and B3 (ATP Cofactors) in Five Subjects with Fibromyalgia The Original Internist, Vol. 15, No. 1, pg. 8-15, March 2008
• Abraham GE, 2008. "Facts about Iodine and Autoimmune Thyroiditis." The Original Internist, Vol. 15, No. 2, pg. 75-76, June 2008
• Brownstein D, 2005, "Clinical experience with inorganic, non-radioactive Iodine/iodide." The Original Internist, 2005; 12(3):105-108.
• Fleming JE, Shibuya1 RB, Benschand KG (1987) "Lifespan, oxygen consumption and hydroxyl radical scavenging capacity of two strains of Drosophila melanogaster". AGE 10, 86-89, 1987
• Ghent WR, et al. (1993). "Iodine replacement in fibrocystic disease of the breast."Can J Surg, 1993; 36:453-460.
• Stadel B., Dietary Iodine and Risk of Breast, Endometrial, and Ovarian Cancer, The Lancet, 1:890-891, 1976.
• Hui-chun Li, et al (2006). "Imbalanced free radicals and antioxidant defense systems in schizophrenia: A comparative study". J Zhejiang Univ Sci B. 2006 December; 7(12): 981–986. 2006.
  
  The authors concluded: "This study showed that there are dysregulation of free radical metabolism and poor activities of the antioxidant defense systems in schizophrenic patients. Excess free radicals formation may play a critical role in the etiology of schizophrenia. Using antioxidants might be an effective therapeutic approach to partially alleviate or prevent the symptoms of schizophrenia."
• Miller, D. "Extrathyroidal Benefits of Iodine" Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons Volume 11 Number 4 Winter 2006.
• Schriner SE,1,5 Linford j,Martin GM et al ( 2005). "Extension of Murine Life Span by Overexpression of Catalase Targeted to Mitochondria".Science 24:308, pp. 1909 - 1911, 2005
• Yang F, et al. 2007. "Chronic Iodine does not increase the incidence of hyperthyroidism: A prospective community-based epidemiological survey in China." Eur J Endocrinol, 2007; 156(4):403-8.

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Footnotes

1. For example, the Okinawans have the highest percentage of centenarians in the world and the lowest death rates from cancer, heart diseases and stroke. They are notably vital at high age and have a much shorter period of decrepitude before death than commonly. See The Okinawa centenarian study

2. D-vitamin deficiency has been found to increase the harmful bloodpressure-increasing substance renin, which also increases insulin resistanse leading to metabolic syndrome.

3. Proteins are mainly present in beans, legumes, grains, seeds and nuts and to a lesser degree in grains including rice. Only mungbeans contain all the nine necessary essential amino acids that the body needs in fairly sufficient amounts, while other legumes are very low or have none of the essential amino acid tryptophan. Grains are generally too low in the essential amino acid lysine (maize is also deficient in tryptophan). By combining for example rice and legumes you can get all the amino acids, provided you take enough large amounts of grains, because their protein content is low, about 10-15 percent of the found in legumes. So you need to have nutrition tables and weigh up the food or follow guidelines from a nutritionist to ensure enough protein. Or you should eat a varied diet containing beans, grains, nuts, and seeds every day.

Here is an example: "Protein in vegan diet." (this link does not mean that I support veganim, but some of their websites do have good knowledge how to ensure enough protein intake because this is a major issue in veganism.) However it recommends tofu, which is a soy product that is not unproblematic. Soy contains antinutritionally and hormonally active substances. Only the soy product Miso has been fermented enough to eliminate these harmful components, while tofu is not sufficiently fermented.

The reason why you need all the essential amino acids is that without them the body cannot make use of the proteins you eat. Proteins generally contain all the essential amino acids. If anyone is lacking, proteins cannot be synthesized in the liver and the amino acids are tranformed to fat or carbohydrtaes in stead.

Because of this, if you eat only for example lentils and brown beans as a protein source, you may develop a protein defiecincy over time.

More about essential amino acids is found in "Wiki doc". I don't agree with the statement in this Wiki article that protein deficiency occurs seldom in vegetarians - I think this is because the criteria for identifying deficiency have been too rough so that only pronounced deficiency is identified. Here is a more balanced view:

"The developing controversy about Dietary Guidelines for protein stems from current perceptions that protein intakes above minimum requirements have no benefit and may pose long-term health risks. These beliefs are largely based on assumptions and extrapolations with little foundation in nutrition science. Diets with increased protein have now been shown to improve adult health with benefits for treatment or prevention of obesity, osteoporosis, type 2 diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome, heart disease, and sarcopenia [1-4]. " Source: Dietary Guidelines should reflect new understandings about adult protein needs

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Mission

Contents

1. Important common nutrient deficiencies

Iodine

• Deficiency
• Thyroid disorders
• Other effects
• Important antioxidant
• Detox of heavy metals
• Safety

• Vitamin B12

• Vitamin D3

• Omega 3 fatty acids

• Trace elements

2. Important potential nutrient deficiencies

• B-vitamins

• Vitamin K2

• Protein deficiency

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