Nutrition, Supplements & Respiratory Health

[Matman]

I'm not a qualified Nutritionist but spend quite a lot of time pouring over serious reports from respectable, independent sources.

I'm aware most people in the UK are 'already' obtaining the advised Government Daily Allowance of Vitamins, Minerals etc purely through stuff they eat and drink. And 'yes' I 'did' see the recent BBC Horizon Program on Supplements - Oct 2018 - which suggested that 'most' people don't need Supplements (and should avoid them due to risks that excessive anti-oxidants and other nutrients may give rise to). That said, the Program did not disagree with the idea that those with certain conditions / disorders / diets etc, could benefit form improve Nutrition or 'Specific Supplement' Use (the latter, ideally under medical supervision).

Obviously, 'Dietary Sources' trump Supplements. Also, it goes without saying that - if you're taking any Supplements - you make sure you're dealing with a Supplier committed to providing the 'best quality' constituents is the safest, most effective bio-available forms. This normally means paying 'more' than discount 'High Street' Suppliers charge.

An issue many don't consider is the 'fillers' that go into Supplements. It's important to compare product content labels carefully as - particularity over an 'extended' period of use - some of those 'fillers' could end up doing more harm than missing out on the Supplement. (Recently read a scary article identifying that 'lead' (toxic) has frequently been found to have been added to Turmeric Supplements, to keep the cost down and to help, I gather, improve the colour! If you're a Turmeric User suggest Googling Turmeric + Lead, as I don't have the link at hand to share). Remember, unlike Medicines - which have to be licensed - there are few constraints / safeguards in place to protect Consumers where Supplements are concerned.

If you're Pro-Supplements, don't automatically assume it's appropriate to take the Supplement 'every' day, just because it says so on the label. The Supplier has a vested interest in you taking Supplements as often as possible. A 'middle-ground' for many, may be taking a particular Supplement just once or twice a week, to off-set a diet lacking in one way or another.

Below is a summary of stuff I personally believe those suffering from Respiratory Issues might like to 'consider' - with the approval of their Health Adviser - but only having first taking into account any pre-existing; Allergies, Sensitivities, Conditions etc that might be of concern.

1. Vitamin D

Although contradictory reports regarding 'benefits' for Asthma keep cropping up, some interesting info emerged a month or two back in relation to improved health for Interstitial Lung Disease. I detected an implied 'read-across' there for other Respiratory Conditions / Lung Health, so am currently 'a believer'. (Search Medical News Today for the Interstitial Lung Disease Article).

What I do: Get out in the Sun as often as possible. Consume Dairy for Vit 'D' - half pint of milk most days on my breakfast cereal. (I don't share the view Milk causes Mucus Issues).

On 'alternate' days (or, say, just 2 / 3 times a week) I take a 'low-dose' Vit D3 Supplement ('high dose' is rarely better than 'low dose' and D Toxicity can become a serious issue). The 'Supplement Form' becomes more important if I become temporarily House-Bound due to an Asthma Exacerbation, especially in the darker Winter Months.

I take D3 with what I believe are useful 'co-factors', to improve absorption: i.e. (i) Vit K Capsule and (ii) Vit 'A'. I get the 'A' co-factor via a Cod Liver Oil Capsule as, it seems, the presence of an Edible Oil also facilitates D Absorption. Pointless taking Vitamin E if it's not being effectively absorbed.

2. Lycopean

Have read good things about Lycopean and Lung Health. (Think Medical News Today carries one or two articles so, if interested, might be worth searching that Site). Lycopean is a highly concentrated derivative of Tomatoes. (Tomatoes are, I believe, part of the Nightshade Family, which might be a red light for some allergy-prone individuals, though I don't seem to have any issues with it). BTW, if you're a bloke, it's suggested there's also a prostate protective benefit too.

3. Vit E

There's some interesting Science that E is good for Lung Health (Google Vit E + Lung Health for more info). Regarding E in Supplement Form the ground is a little shaky. Some research says only the Tocopherol Form of E is useful (possibly only the 'Gamma' Tocopherol Form), whereas other investigators suggest it's the Tocotrienol Form that offers the benefit. Unfortunately, it's not as straightforward as simply taking 'both' Forms 'combined' to try to resolve this stand-off, as there are also claims by each 'Camp' that the 'other' Form of 'E' is actually harmful. If you do choose the Supplement Route for E, it's apparently better to take an Edible Oil-based Form than a hard-tablet form (for improved bio-availability) plus ensure that the 'type' of Vit E Used is 'Natural' (assume 'synthetic' if the word Natural does not appear - but you can always check with someone). As often applies, 'low strength' dosage is safer than 'high-strength', as levels of E Derived from Supplements are often 'way above' what you'd get from food intake. Several observers consider typical 'strengths' found in Supplements to be present at potentially 'toxic' levels - especially when consumed over sustained periods of use. (Google for Safe-Levels of Vit E). Interesting, I recently learnt Vit C (apparently) reactivates / re-circulates Vit E already present in the body. Lets talk Nuts: My chosen source of E is a rather 'pricey' packet of Waitrose Own Brand Muesli, but which, admittedly, does last me two to three weeks. (Waitrose sell several Own-Brand Versions of Muesli, but the one I favour is very high in 'Nut' Content). There's been a fair bit of Press Coverage concerning the 'benefits' (for Respiratory Suffers) of eating Nuts daily. Many types of Nuts contain decent amounts of Vit E so, if Muesli 'ain't your bag', you could just stock up on Mixed Unsalted Nuts. I go mad and add a small bag of Walnuts to my Bag of Muesli, in order to boost the Nut Content even further.

4. Vit C

Other than (possibly) over short periods of 'poor' health - with GP approval - there's not really a decent argument for taking High Strength Vit C in 'Supplement' Form. Daily Doses above 500mg have led to heath issues. Even 500mg a Day may have potential risks associated with it. I don't buy into the often quoted 'You can't overdose on Vitamin C because your body just eliminates it' argument. That may be true for Food-Source Vitamin C but doesn't necessarily apply to mega-dose Supplement Forms. High Strength Vitamin C is often administered intravenously for some illnesses, including some Cancers. In those cases it acts like a powerful drug. (Draw your own conclusions). If I were to go down the Supplement route, I'd a take Sustained Release Version, and try to find one that was no more that 200mg Strength (preferably 100mg - which might mean a Child Strength C Supplement). Vit C is, I feel, important (particularity as I now gather it helps to reactivate Vit E, considered good for Lung Health). I currently take it twice daily in the form of a particular Fruit Juice. I feel it's important to take it in 'time divided' fashion, to make sure it's present in my body throughout most of the day (and to take account of the way the body uses and rapidly disposes of it). My preferred source is a bottled 'highly concentrated' Blackcurrant Cordial called Pixley Berries (expensive, but you don't need much 'per glass' and can dilute to preference).

5. Selenium

I hesitate a bit with this one, as it's the one I'm least knowledgeable about and have some hesitation over. To attempt to compensate for those factors, I take it only once / twice a week. If you are interested in Selenium, please set aside some time to research it, before deciding if it 'might' be for you.

Winding up. I'm sure you're aware that numerous 'self proclaimed' Health Sites and Blogs with very impressive 'official sounding' Titles peddle rubbish to their visitors . Likewise, you already no doubt appreciate that those Sites - and much of the Mainstream Press - carry 'cleverly disguised' advertorial's / fake news for Supplements & Health Aids supported by highly spurious / inaccurate claims for stuff they are directly - or indirectly - rewarded to promote. Only trust Health Info you've 'cross-checked' on numerous 'respectable' Sites, and beware of the many 'crackpot' books and videos out there by folk who haven't a 'relevant' qualification to their name.

If you've encountered any recent, decent studies from 'reputable' medical sites / sources for 'other' Nutritional Stuff thought to help Respiratory Suffers, then please share.

Hope this stuff helps someone (Be careful what you swallow).

PS Keep eating them Greens

PPS Schedule's all over the place for next week or two, so may not have time to respond to any replies for a while.

[Blizzard1]

Thanks for posting this, I also take cod liver oil

[Superzob]

Thanks, very useful. I'm a great believer in the importance of Vit D as opposed to Vit C, which is a bit over-hyped. Nobody suffers from scurvy these days (lack of Vit C), but apparently 40% of the U.K. population has Vit D deficiency. This is important because, whereas Vit C is simply an antioxidant, Vit D is actually used by the body to make white blood cells, which are a vital part of the immune system. This summer, I doubt if anyone had Vit D deficiency with wall-to-wall sunshine, but it's evidently a good idea to take it as a supplement in winter (but bearing in mind your comment about excessive intake).