Important Multivitamin and Magnesium Update

Multivitamins :=====^^=^==s Only until recently, has the use of supplements been generally accepted by the mainstream healthcare community. Naturally, there remain pockets of resis­tance, and that is likely to last forever; however, we just need to recall the com­ments made in an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association last year:1 "In the absence of specific predispos­ing conditions, a usual North American diet is sufficient to prevent overt vitamin deficiency diseases.... However, insuffi­cient vitamin intake is apparently a cause of chronic diseases.... A large propor­tion of the general population is appar­ently at increased risk for this reason.... Most people do not consume an optimal amount of all vitamins by diet alone.... We recommend that all adults take a mul­tivitamin daily." Bruce Ames, a famous researcher at the University of California at Berkeley, tells us that a deficiency in even one vitamin/ mineral, including folicacid, vitamin B12, vitamin B6, niacin, vitamin C, vitamin E, iron, or zinc, is capable of mimicking the cellular damage caused by ionizing radia­tion, and that we should compare vita­min/mineral deficiencies to radiation dam­age to gain perspective on how crucial it is to ensure adequate nutrient intake.2 Ames tells us that remedying such defi­ciencies with supplementation should lead to a major improvement in health and an increase in longevity at a low cost. In August of 2003, a study on multivi­tamin supplementation was published in the Journal of Nutrition.* Researchers examined the relationship between multi-vitamin intake and myocardial infarction (MI) in adults living in Sweden, a coun­try in which fruit and vegetable consump­tion is relatively low and foods are not fortified with folic acid. The study found multivitamin supplementation is inversely associated with MI risk in men and women, and this is after healthy lifestyle habits were taken into consideration. Multivitamin supplements are extremely reasonable. All of our patients should be taking them. Who knows what nasty dis­ease we may prevent by making this simple healthy addition to our diet? As people are often very resistant to chang­ing their diets, adding a multi can act as an intermediate step, offering health pro­tection, while patients struggle to get their diets in order. Magnesium — In the January 29,2003, issue of TAC, I wrote an article about magnesium and its many benefits for our patients. Consider briefly that magnesium adequacy can help prevent the development of many dis­eases, including osteoporosis, muscle dysfunction, depression, apathy, cardiac arrythmias, hypertension, atherosclero­sis, and even stress and aging. Researchers suggest that for every 2.2 pounds of body weight, which is equiva­lent to one kilogram (kg), we should be ingesting six mg of magnesium. Accord­ingly, a 150-pound man (70 kg) would re­quire 420 mg/day, while a 200-pound man (90 kg) requires 540 mg/day. This needs to be considered in light of the 420 mg/d RDA for males; clearly it does not neces­sarily apply to men who weigh more than 150 pounds. The RDA for women is 320 mg/d; however, if you weigh 140 lbs, you will need 380 mg/d. In other words the RDA only applies to woman who weigh 117 pounds. A recent study examined magnesium intake among white, black, and Mexican males and females. The results are quite shocking, (see Table 1) It should not be a surprise to any of us that we suffer from diseases related to magnesium deficiency. The majority of our population is likely to be deficient in magnesium. Fortunately, magnesium supplements are reasonably priced and, therefore, remediation is quite easy to re­alize. I See page 59 for References Dr. Seaman is the Clinical Chiropractic Con­sultant for Anabolic Laboratories, one of Ihe first supplement manufacturers to service the chiropractic profession. He is on the faculty of Palmer College of Chiropractic Florida and on the postgraduate faculties of several other chiropractic colleges, providing nutrition semi­nars that focus on the needs of the chiropractic patient. Dr. Seaman believes thai chiroprac­tors should be thinking like chiropractors, while providing nutritional recommendations. Doc­tors and patients who follow his programs re­port improved feelings of well-being, weight loss, dramatic increases in energy, and signifi­cant pain reduction. Dr. Seaman can he reached by e-mail at