The recommended daily dosage at this time is 105 mc. Patients taking anticoagulant medications, such as Coumadin, should first consult with their doctors before taking in Vitamin K supplements. They are contraindicated (Zucker).
Prevents Risks of Congestive Heart Failure
According to another experiment, Vitamin D supplementation could reduce the risk of congestive heart failure or CHF (Schleithoff, Zittermann & Tenderich, 2006). Congestive heart failure is a chronic condition, which is characterized by dyspnea and fatigue. Irregular heart function reduces its ability to supply enough blood flow and oxygen to the tissues and organs. Approximately 5 million Americans and 10 million Europeans have been living with CHF. No improvement in the management of the disease has been noted in the last 15 years (Schleithoff, et al.).
Its cause is not clearly understood (Schleithoff, et al., 2006). The assumption recently changed from a hemodynamic cause to one, which involves neurohormonal overactivation and increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Vitamin D3 seems to reduce inflammation in CHF patients. As such, it may form part of a new anti-inflammatory approach to CHF in the future (Schleithoff, et al.).
Drawbacks
Antioxidants Do Not Prevent GI Cancer
Other studies showed that the regular intake of antioxidant supplements did not provide evidence that they prevented gastro-intestinal cancer (Evans, 2004). The results even suggested their intake could increase mortality. This was the finding of a trial conducted by the Copenhagen trial unit of the Cochrane Hepato-Biliary Group. It performed 14 trials over 170,525 respondents to determine the effect of the supplements. No evidence was provided to show the effect. Selenium reduced the risk of GI cancers in four trials, but three of these were considered low quality (Evans).
The group's seven high-quality trials found that those who received antioxidants had greater mortality than those in the placebo group (Evans, 2004). It attributed to the intake of combined beta-carotene, Vitamin a and Vitamin E (Evans).
Vitamin D and Calcium Supplements Useless on Osteoporosis in Elderly
Two recent studies undertaken on 8,000 elderly persons with osteoporosis suggested that Vitamin supplements could not help their condition (Laurance, 2005). The subjects took Vitamin D and calcium supplements daily up to five years. The studies sought to determine if these would strengthen bones or prevent injury from falls. Findings showed they had no such effect. Around 3 million people in the UK suffer from osteoporosis and 200,000 suffer from fractures every year as a result. It is estimated that one in three women and one in 12 men above 50 would develop osteoporosis in their lifetimes (Laurance).
In the UK, hip fractures from falls cost 1.7 billion pounds a year (Laurance, 2005). Statistics reflect that one out of three persons over 65 experiences at least one fall per year. The figure rises to one in two persons for those above 80. The National Osteoporosis Society believed the existence of "good research evidence" on the benefits of daily intakes of Vitamin D and calcium by those over 75. This drove the researchers and more than 5,000 elderly participants from 21 hospitals in the UK who suffered at least fracture within the past 10 years. Neither study found evidence that the supplements played a role. The second study involved 3,000 women living in the community. The supplements had no effect on them over the two years' research duration. Bones tend to become less dense after menopause in women and declining testosterone levels in men (Laurance).
Does no Good, May Even Harm series o 67 randomized trials found that vitamin supplements would not only do good but may even harm (Laurance, 2008). Their findings said they did not prolong life but actually short it. They found no convincing evidence that antioxidant supplements reduced the chances of premature death. Instead, these increased the risk of early death. One in three women and one in four men in the UK take vitamin pills to avoid disease. Despite warnings from the medical community, the supplement industry sales continue to shoot up (Laurance).
The trials involved 232,000 participants who received and took beta-carotene, Vitamin a, Vitamin C, Vitamin E and selenium (Laurance, 2008). In addition to the lack of convincing evidence of their usefulness, beta-carotene, Vitamins a and E. even increased morality rates. Vitamin C and selenium had neutral effects. Vitamin a had a 16% increased mortality, beta-carotene 7%, and Vitamin E, 4%. The researchers commented that extreme dosages of antioxidants could damage important physiological processes (Laurance).
Clarifications and Advice About Vitamin Supplements
Vitamin E Supplements
These are believed to prevent heart disease (Downey, 2003). But Lancet Researchers published the results of their study that Vitamin E capsules had on effect in reducing the risk of death in cardiovascular or other cases. Previous studies said the supplement would not shield persons already stricken with...
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Moreover, the study did not take into consideration the fact that certain persons are more at risk for later bone loss due to osteoporosis, because of frame size and genetic history (Caucasian and Asian women are at particular risk), or because they cannot take in enough calcium through normal food sources, due to lactose intolerance. Rather than attempting to prevent fractures later in life, after bone mass is already on
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Furthermore, the overall high quality nutrition intake is efficiently supported with the implementation of sustainable control policies that can help monitor the employee's regularities or irregularities in gaining nutritional knowledge and/or its application. The health programs and their impact can also be effectively measured through these control policies. Some of the American-based companies like the L.L. Bean, the mail-order outfitters shop in Freeport, NutriWork which is a consulting agency part of
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