Supplements

I keep getting very promising feedback from the MaxC users every now and then. Regretfully, very few leave feedback on the blog. Not all of my blogger friends are net savvy. Even amongst the more knowledgeable, there is a tendency to think of MaxC as a drug and not as a supplement which is what it really is. I would therefore, like to put things in their proper perspective and would love to see a sea change in that mindset.

Drugs or medicines as they are called in everyday language are supposed to deliver instant relief in today’s instant world. Some do but most don’t, and depending on their metabolic action and pathways they may cause more harm from various side effects. Drugs potentially target “what” is happening rather than “why” it happens. They do so by targeting the symptoms rather than the cause of the symptom. 

Supplements on the other hand have a fundamentally different philosophy. They are meant to cover for a shortfall of key vitamins, minerals or some other substances that may promote the synthesis and mechanisms of these vitamins & minerals. Usually such shortfall is the result of dietary imbalances, environmental toxicity or lower bioavailability of the substance. Bioavailability refers to the amount of absorption of the substance within the body. Poor bioavailability usually results in rejection and excretion, which happens all too frequently.

Supplements therefore work in a very slow manner and in extended time frames. They have to be taken over a long period of time ranging from months to years depending on the substance & deficiency both. Most of the times they are very safe if toxic or mega doses are avoided. In many cases any excess is easily excreted from the body. The presence of the supplement in the body should do no harm even if it fails to provide the targeted benefit/s.

I started off with believing that supplements are also avoidable and one must try to obtain everything naturally. My Vit D3 levels were very poor (9 ng/ml) and I decided to obtain it naturally from exposure to sunlight. Only about 5% of the UV-b rays of the sun are able to penetrate the atmosphere between 1100-1400 hours. So for 3 months I dutifully stood in the sun for 20 minutes during those hours with more than 40% of my body exposed. By doing so my Vit D3 levels rose to just 14 ng/ml. I now take a 5000 I.U pill every day in the morning and that has increased my levels to about 48 ng/ml. Still short by about 20 ng, but I hope to reach there in a couple of months or I will think about increasing my intake to 8000 I.U. A recent meta-analysis of 167 Vit D studies has indicated that the deficiency of the Vitamin is not a cause but a symptom of the problem at hand. Be that as it may, maintaining Vit D levels is crucial for bone health, improved cardiovascular function, glucose management and a host of other conditions.

Based on the health issues and the blood reports and many other factors, dosage & frequency has to be carefully worked out to specific needs of the individual. Based on my most recent blood work I now take 2 capgels of Omega 3 rich fish oil, 1 capgel of 5000 IU Vitamin D3, 1 tablet of Chromium Picolinate & at least one 30 ml dose of our very own MaxC every day. I am also toying with the idea of importing some good supplements directly from known manufacturers for the use of my blog friends. That should surely be more cost effective and much cheaper for all of us. So finally it has to be said that whether we like it or not, whether it is the right way or not, sometimes it is required to give that little push to dietary imbalance with the help of supplements.