Super Supplements

Drink 8 ounces of certified raw whole milk each day. Pasteurized milk will not do.

by Dr. Larry Wilson — 

Modern nutritional research now suggests that almost everyone needs more omega-3 fatty acids, iodine and vitamin D3. Unfortunately, sufficient amounts of these nutrients can no longer be obtained through food alone, although by eating carefully, diet can provide some of them. With this in mind, let us examine the best ways to obtain these vital nutrients today.

Omega-3 fatty acids

Omega-3 fatty acids perform a number of critical functions:

They assist in keeping cell membranes flexible and able to transfer nutrients and waste products in and out of the cells correctly.

They also help keep the skin and mucus membranes moist and assist with their functioning. Many rashes and other skin problems today may be due to fatty acid deficiencies.

Omega-3 fatty acids aid with nerve transmission and vital nervous system activities. Extra amounts are helpful for ADD, autism, delayed development and other nervous system disorders, particularly in children.

Omega-3s tend to reduce inflammation, which is a major cause of many illnesses today.

Omega-3 fatty acid deficiency

Most people are extremely deficient in omega-3 fatty acids due to:

• Widespread use of omega-6 rich vegetables oils — Omega-6 fatty acids compete with omega-3 fatty acids for absorption and utilization in the body.

• Livestock diets comprised mainly of corn — Grains are much lower in omega-3 fatty acids than the natural diet of these animals; namely grasses, leaves and small insects.

• Inane laws — Most states have laws in place that require dairy products to be pasteurized. This unnecessary process destroys most of the remaining omega-3 fatty acids in dairy products.

• Vegetarian diets — These tend to be low in omega-3 fatty acids, unless flaxseed or hempseed oil is liberally incorporated. Most omega-3s come from flesh foods, fish and dairy products.

• Overcooking — In all cases, overcooking destroys omega-3 fatty acids. Fats such as butter and cream should ideally be eaten in the raw state. Eggs, meats and most vegetables should be cooked lightly to preserve their fatty acids.

Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids

To obtain more omega-3 fatty acids, eat the following:

• Wild game, lamb, goat and other grass-fed or free-range meats — Beef is not as nutritious anymore, as it is now hybridized and thus a less balanced food. However, grass-fed and naturally raised animals are acceptable if consumed once a week or so.
• Eggs — They must come from free-range and, preferably, naturally fed chickens.
• Certified raw dairy products — These are among the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids. 
• Salmon or sardines — Eat salmon, however, only once a week, due to its high mercury content. Cold-water fish are rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Fresh is best, but canned sardines are fine. Preferably, choose the ones with bones, as they are also an excellent source of calcium. Tuna is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, but it is extremely toxic due to its high mercury content and should, therefore, be completely avoided.

Supplements

Good supplements include fish oil, flaxseed oil or hempseed oil. Flaxseed alone does not provide enough nutrients. When buying fresh oils, be sure to buy the refrigerated kind and keep them refrigerated, as they otherwise go rancid quickly.

Children need omega-3 fatty acids more than any other age group. An omega-3 supplement should be a prominent part of prenatal care and every child’s diet. The fact that this is not emphasized by medical doctors is an indicator of the ignorance on the part of obstetricians and pediatricians about this simple nutrient.

Here are simple rules in this regard:

1. Pregnant women and those planning to become pregnant should supplement their diets with omega-3 fatty acids.

2. All baby food and formulas must be fortified with extra omega-3 fatty acids. Do not trust labels stating that baby foods or formulas are sufficiently enriched. The oils could be of inferior quality, and it is not worth risking a deficiency.

3. Strictly avoid vegetarian diets for children. Children and young teens should never be vegetarians — even if this means that parents must conceal shredded meat such as dark chicken meat in soups, tomato sauces or even smoothies, if necessary. An alternative is to feed children certified raw (not pasteurized) organic butter, cream, milk, or full-fat organic raw cheese, yogurt or kefir. Lightly cooked eggs with the yolks still runny are also excellent for children who will not eat grass-fed and free-range meats and fish oil.

4. To have healthy children, keep them away from junk foods and never reward them with sweets or other poor-quality foods. Avoid most cold cereals, potato chips (though blue corn chips with sea salt are quite good), french fries, ice cream, most sauces (like ketchup), most salad dressings, cookies, cakes and other baked goods. Children also should not consume any other sources of refined vegetable oils, as most of these are overcooked and contain many harmful chemicals.

Iodine and kelp

Many medical professionals agree that everyone today needs more iodine in their diet. The main reason for this is the explosion of iodine antagonists in the environment, including bromine and bromates, chlorine compounds and fluorides. These compete with iodine for absorption in the intestines, and they are now found in our food and water supplies everywhere. They are causing an epidemic of thyroid disease, fibrocystic breast disease and immune dysfunctions like cancers, as well as many other problems.

Bromates are found in all commercial breads except perhaps Pepperidge Farm breads. Chlorine compounds are found in all tap water. In many cases, this is even true of filtered water because the filters become clogged and stop functioning properly.

In most areas, fluoride is also found in tap water and cannot be removed except by distilling or through reverse osmosis. However, drinking reverse-osmosis water is not recommended, as it does not hydrate the body as well as distilled, spring or even filtered tap water. Distilled water should only be used occasionally, though, as it is extremely mineral-deficient.

All foods and beverages made with tap water also contain iodine antagonists. Even our food crops are often contaminated with these antagonists, as they have found their way into the ground water and irrigation systems of many parts of the world. As a result, they cannot be totally avoided.

How to obtain enough iodine

Some doctors recommend preparations such as Iodoral, Lugol’s solution or supplements like Prolamine Iodine. I much prefer the use of kelp capsules or granules. The reasons are that kelp is:

• A superb natural source of 20 to 30 essential trace minerals, which is important since everyone is low in trace minerals today.
• A natural food that is well-absorbed and has low toxicity, whereas toxicity has been evident from pure iodine products.
• An excellent source of iodine.
• Toxic-metal safe. All products from the sea contain some mercury. Unlike other sea vegetables or seafood, however, kelp is rich in alginates and other chemicals that appear to bind and remove the mercury and other toxic metals found in sea products.
• Safe to consume regularly. The continuous use of products that contain only iodine can eventually deplete other minerals in the body by competing with them for absorption. This has not been observed to occur with kelp, a natural food that has been eaten as a staple in Japan and other nations for centuries. In fact, the Japanese people have the longest life spans of any civilized group in the world.
• Inexpensive.

Adults need at least three 500 to 650 mg kelp capsules daily. If you use tablets, you must take at least 12 to 15, as most tablets are quite small. Another option is eating 1 to 2 teaspoons of kelp granules daily. These do not taste very good, but they can be cooked into many dishes. Children need much less kelp, as iodine is generally more important for adults.

Taking kelp rarely causes a reaction. If it does, it is usually a healing reaction due to the elimination of the iodine antagonists. Symptoms may include nausea, aches and pains or nervousness. If this occurs, do not stop taking the kelp. Take a very small amount instead, building up the amount over time. If kelp interferes with sleep, do not take it in the evening. Cooking kelp does not interfere with its mineral content.

Iodized sea salt is fine to use, but it does not provide enough well-absorbed iodine for most people.

Vitamin D3

According to recent research, vitamin D3 protects the body against not only osteoporosis and rickets, but also against diabetes, cancer, multiple sclerosis, anxiety and many other conditions. Research also indicates that most people need far greater amounts of vitamin D3 than they can obtain from sunlight, enriched dairy products and standard vitamin pills.

The reason for the greater need for vitamin D3 today is unclear, but it may have to do with problems converting sunlight to the active form of vitamin D3. Adults need 3,000 to 5,000 IU daily or even more for a short time to replenish the body. Children need less, as they are usually outside more and may convert sunlight to vitamin D3 more efficiently than adults.

Obtaining vitamin D3

The best ways to obtain enough vitamin D3 are:

• Sunshine — If you have the time, expose the chest, in particular, to the sun for about half an hour daily at the peak of the day or up to an hour daily in the early morning or late afternoon. More sunshine is harmful. For many people, sunning the body daily is difficult, however.
• Certified raw dairy products — When eaten every day, they will provide some vitamin D3, just as they can provide excellent-quality omega-3 fatty acids if the cows are allowed to eat grass and are not fed entirely on grain.
• Use of a full-spectrum lamp on the chest — The simplest way to do this is by shining a GE Reveal 100-watt bulb a few inches from the bare chest for 15 to 30 minutes.
• Vitamin D3 supplements — These are inexpensive and easy to use. Most adults need at least 4,000 IU daily. Fancy emulsified and micellized vitamin D3 is unnecessary and may not work as well as a simple capsule. Capsules of 4,000 I.U. or 5,000 I.U. can be purchased at health food stores or supermarkets.

 Eating to obtain these nutrients

The following are the best ways to obtain enough of the above nutrients in your diet:

1. Drink 8 ounces of certified raw whole milk each day. Pasteurized milk will not do. Organic milk is a little better, but not nearly as good as certified raw milk. Eating raw cheese, yogurt or butter is not as good, though it is better than nothing.

Children need less. Avoid milk if you are allergic to it, although some people digest certified raw milk far better than they do pasteurized dairy products.

2. Eat at least one can of sardines twice a week for omega-3 fatty acids and some iodine, as well as vitamin D3. You may not like the taste of sardines, but they are a superb food, even from the can. It matters little whether the sardines are packed in oil or water. As previously mentioned, the smaller sardines with bones and skin intact are best, as the bones provide an excellent form of calcium and other minerals.

Stay away from most other fish and avoid all other seafood, even though these are good sources of iodine. They are just too high in mercury.

3. Eat high-quality, naturally raised meats and/or eggs each day. The best are wild game, lamb, eggs and naturally raised free-range chicken and turkey. Some free-range beef can be eaten once a week.

4. Eat plenty of cooked vegetables. These will provide some iodine and many other essential trace minerals. Raw food does not provide enough minerals, as our bodies cannot break down the fiber well enough to release most of the plants’ minerals. Some will disagree, but this is my experience. Cook all vegetables for about 20 minutes or until they are soft. Do not overcook them, however.

The need for supplements

When eaten daily, the foods above will provide some omega-3 fatty acids, iodine and vitamin D3. Everyone, however, should also take a supplement of vitamin D3 — about 4,000 to 6,000 IU daily for adults — because food alone rarely supplies enough of it.

A supplement of iodine in the form of several 500 to 650 mg kelp capsules daily is also excellent for adults, with less needed for children. A supplement of about 900 mg of EPA and DHA from fish oil, flax oil or hempseed oil is also helpful for most everyone. Children need less, depending upon their weight.

I do not recommend a supplement that contains omega-3, -6 and -9 fatty acids together. The omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids are not as necessary, and they may interfere with the absorption of the omega-3 fatty acids.

By eating correctly and supplementing the diet with these inexpensive nutrients, everyone can significantly reduce the risks of most modern illnesses.

Dr. Lawrence Wilson has a medical degree and has been in the health field for more than 25 years. His books include Nutritional Balancing and Hair Mineral Analysis, Legal Guidelines for Unlicensed Practitioners, Healing Ourselves and Manual of Sauna Therapy and The Real Self. He also co-authored Toxic Metals in Human Health and Disease and contributed to The Dangers of Socialized Medicine. www.drlwilson.com or 928-445-7690.

Reprinted from AzNetNews, Volume 29, Number 3, Jun/July 2010.