Dear Reader,
I read something the other day that you should get a kick out of…
An independent panel of 23 health experts finally concluded that the government’s “recommended daily allowance” of vitamins and minerals is much too low.
In a statement released on October 30th, the Independent Vitamin Safety Review Panel wrote, “Government-sponsored nutrient recommendations, such as the US RDA/DRIs, are not keeping pace with recent progress in nutrition research… Inadequate [nutritional] intake, and inadequate standards to judge intake, have resulted in widespread nutrient inadequacy, chronic disease, and an undernourished but overweight population.”1
They went on to point out that a host of scientific studies – many of which I’ve cited in my own work – prove that heart disease, cancer, and even mental illness can be prevented simply by using nutritional supplements.
And, the panel also sounded the bell on whole foods versus processed foods. They wrote: “People have been led to believe that they can get all the nutrients they need from a ‘balanced diet’ of processed foods. That is not true. For adequate vitamin and mineral intake, a diet of unprocessed, whole foods, along with the intelligent use of nutritional supplements, is more than just a good idea: it is essential.”
What’s more, they listed specific vitamins and minerals I use every day in my medical practice, including B-vitamins, vitamins C and D, and the minerals selenium, zinc, magnesium, and chromium. These nutrients have enormous healing power. They can:
• Lower blood pressure
• Boost brainpower and heart health
• Improve mood
• Strengthen your immune system
• Ward off brittle bones and muscle fatigue
• Prevent or reverse diabetes
• Eliminate arthritis, joint pain, and inflammation
• Prevent Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis
• Increase libido and performance
So in light of this new information, what should you do now?
Here’s my list of what I’ve been recommending to my patients as compared to the USRDA. Consider it “Dr. Sears’s RDA”:
Nutrient USRDA DSRDA
Vitamin C 60 mg 1,000 – 3,000 mg
Vitamin D 400 IEU 1,000 – 5,000 IEU
Chromium 35 mcg 200 mcg
Zinc 15 mg 30 mg
You can see from the chart that there’s quite a difference in the quantities. And, taking these additional amounts can make quite a difference in your health too.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD
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1. “Doctors Say, Raise the RDAs Now,” Orthomolecular Medicine News Service, October 30, 2007.