| The Pharmax Vitamin &
Mineral formulations have been specifically designed to furnish
the comprehensive range of essential vitamins and minerals
required as a basis of complete nutrition for both health
maintenance and disease prevention.
Click
here for an explanation of the Vitamin and Mineral values......
Multivitamin
& Mineral
This range
has been developed to provide
the most comprehensive and balanced range of vitamins and
minerals, which then form the cornerstone of all nutritional
improvement programs.
 |
All adult formulas (solid
preparations) provide the complete requirement of Category
1 nutrients, i.e. those where no further dietary intake
is necessary |
|
All formulas provide minerals in their
most absorbable forms. Often ascorbates are used to provide
both absorption efficiency of the mineral and pH neutral
vitamin C |
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All capsules produced are vegetarian |
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All adult formulas (solid preparations)
provide choline, inositol and P.A.B.A., nutrients often
undersupplied in the diet |
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All fat-soluble nutrients, e.g. vitamin
E and b-carotene, are prepared by Pharmax’s unique
freeze-drying technology for better absorption |
Vitamin C
The numerous functions of ascorbic acid
in human metabolism are primarily based on its action as a
reversible biological reductant. It is involved in numerous
biochemical pathways where reducing equivalents are required.
A summary of biological actions of vitamin C is shown below
(both antioxidant and non-antioxidant related):
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Synthesis of collagen and
connective tissue |
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Neurotransmitter synthesis and function |
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Involvement in numerous detoxification
functions in the liver |
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Depression of histamine concentration
and improvement of carnitine metabolism of fatty acids |
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Ascorbic acid plays a key role in iron
metabolism |
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Stimulates proliferation of lymphocytes
and natural killer cells |
Antioxidant Function
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Vitamin C is the most important
water-soluble dietary antioxidant |
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Vitamin C has potent, direct free radical
quenching activity |
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Vitamin C has important indirect antioxidant
activity by regenerating reduced glutathione and vitamin
E |
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Vitamin C acts synergistically with
flavonoids by protecting them from oxidation and allowing
their antioxidant potential to function |
Physiological
Benefits
The metabolic activity of vitamin C
above results in numerous aspects of improved health and decreased
risk of disease development. The most important of these are
outlined below
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Improved immune function
- Direct antioxidant action - Proliferation of immune
cells - Decreased histamine production |
|
Anti-inflammatory action - Reduced
histamine production - Antioxidant neutralization of phagocyte
free radicals |
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Anti-artherosclerotic function - Reduced
‘oxidized’ LDL by regeneration of vitamin
E - Improvement of endothelial tone |
|
Improvement in wound healing, dermatological
disease and skin ageing - Collagen synthesis - Antioxidant
activity - Lowered histamine |
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Decreased risk of cataracts/improvement
of macular healing - Most important water-soluble antioxidant
in eye tissue |
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Improved resistance to stress - Optimal
function of pituitary/adrenal glands |
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Improved immune function - Direct antioxidant
action - Indirect antioxidant action - Strengthened immune
system |
 |
Vitamin E
The function of vitamin E in the human
body comes predominantly from its role as a lipophilic antioxidant.
In this role, it is the most important component in prevention
of peroxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids throughout
all tissues.
If vitamin E is deficient, then peroxidation of lipophilic
components can occur in the cell cytoplasm and cell membrane
in virtually all tissues. If the peroxidation is sufficiently
prevalent, it can lead to a breakdown of functionality in
the cell. This is why deficiency in vitamin E leads to symptoms
characterized by gradual degeneration of certain tissues including
spirocerebellar ataxia, skeletal myopathy and pigmented retinopathy.
The interaction of vitamin E with vitamin C and the endogenous
antioxidant system is illustrated opposite.
Vitamin
E in Health and Disease
As a potent lipophilic antioxidant,
the adequate intake of vitamin E may have benefits in a number
of disease scenarios.
Heart Disease and Artherosclerosis Vitamin E is the chain-breaking
antioxidant in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and other lipoprotein
forms. Thus, there is now overwhelming evidence that the antioxidant
activity of vitamin E can help prevent the conversion of LDL
to the ‘oxidized’ LDL form which is very strongly
implicated in artherosclerosis and heart disease.
Similarly, the free
radicals released during the lipid peroxidation process are
implicated in increased risk of tumorogenesis, cataract formation,
ageing and depression of the immune system.
Gale
CR et al., 2001 Am J Clin Nutr 74(3): 402
Swain
RA & Kaplan-Machlis B 1999 Altern Med Rev 4(6):
414
The cold-water
soluble (CWS)
This range of vitamins has been developed
as a means of supplying vitamin supplements to individuals
who are unable or prefer not to take tablets or capsules.
These people include highly sensitive or allergic individuals,
children and the elderly.
The CWS range can be administered under the tongue or in water
or fruit juice.
The CWS range is free of additives.
Calcium
Calcium is one of the most important minerals in the body
and has the following major physiological functions.
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Most important signal transduction
element in the cell |
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Major structural component of bones
and teeth |
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Especially important in fetal growth
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It is now known that calcium intake
is deficient through virtually our entire lives. This is illustrated
opposite where mean actual calcium intake in US subjects is
compared to the 1989 RDA levels and the more recent 1997 dietary
reference intake (DRI).
This graph illustrates that males, and more especially females,
require life-long supplementation of calcium from their mid-teens
onward.
Calcium
defiency
Because of the function of calcium in
cell signaling, it is likely that deficiency is a contributory
factor to many diseases but may not be immediately obvious.
Despite this, there is now good supporting evidence of adequate
calcium intake being protective ind
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Osteoporosis |
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Hypertension |
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Colon cancer |
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Kidney stones |
Calcium and osteoporosis
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Osteoporosis is a progressive
reduction in bone density and mass, leading to fragility,
weakness and susceptibility to breakages |
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Osteoporosis affects 25% of American
women over 40 years of age |
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Although multifactorial,
calcium supplementation significantly slows the progression
of osteoporosis |
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Calcium supplementation throughout
adult life is significantly more protective than supplementation
once menopause is reached |
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