From: ((Steven B. Harris))
Subject: Re: iron, copper, manganese bad?
Date: 22 Jun 1995

In <3s9f93$f3a@strauss.udel.edu> danw@strauss.udel.edu (Dan Williams)
writes:


>(RGonza7539) writes:
>> Could any body guide me to the best possible every day supplement?
>
>John de Rivaz  <John@longevb.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>>I vote for Life Extension Mix.
>______________________________________
>
>
>Speaking of daily supplements, the April 22 "Science News" had an article
>called "Power Foods" about antioxidant ingredients in food vs cancer.
>
>In a box in the corner, the author (Tina Adler) mentions one particular
>conference audience of 2000 scientists who were asked if they took
>vitamin supplements.  Evidently, ALL of their hands went up to signify
>"Yes."
>
>One particular scientist (and I don't know why he is singled out) is
>quoted as warning people away from certain multivitamins.  He says that
>iron, copper, and manganese produce great amounts of free radicals when
>vitamin C interacts with them.  And most multivitamins have tons of
>iron, copper, and manganese.
>
>Is this a mainstream idea or an oddball theory?  Are there any multi's
>that have lots of minerals but exclude these three metals?


All these metal are sequestered fairly well by the body so they don't
simply sit around generating free radicals.  Some, like copper and
manganese, even opperate as metal ligands for antioxidant proteins
(ceruloplasmin and mitochondrial SOD).  I wouldn't take more than RDA of
these things (or for zinc, which also causes problems at more than 20 mg
a day), but I don't think I'd want a diet lacking in them, either.  The
American diet only has about 60% of copper RDA in a lot of places, and
it's easy to get slightly trace metal deficient if you don't eat much
meat.

                                            Steve Harris, M.D.