Resources

Resources · Online reference book

From A to Zinc

The Arukah supplement guide: vitamins, minerals, amino acids, herbs and more, with what each does, where it comes from, the amounts that matter and who should be careful.

By Mayim Vega

From A to Zinc is a free online guide by Mayim Vega, founder of Arukah, to 145 of the vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, amino acids, herbs and other supplements people take most. Each entry explains what the supplement is and does, where it comes from in food, the signs you may be low or why people take it, the amounts reported in the orthomolecular literature, and who should be careful.

How the amounts work. Doses come from Orthomolecular.org (mainly the Orthomolecular Medicine News Service, OMNS) and DoctorYourself.com, and each entry names the page it came from. Maintenance is a daily amount for staying well; therapeutic is the range these sources report for a specific condition; safe limit is the point at which these sources report side effects or toxicity. Three nutrients have a named course authority whose figures come first: Dr. David Brownstein for iodine, Dr. Joseph Mercola for vitamin D and Dr. Carolyn Dean for magnesium; for vitamin C the standard is Linus Pauling as published on these two sites. The RDA is shown only for comparison. Where neither site gives a figure, the entry gives a common amount used in research or on labels instead. The last line of each entry shows where the Orthomolecular Nutrition course teaches it. Where the sources disagree (calcium, copper, sodium), both views are shown. Anyone on medication, pregnant or breastfeeding, or with kidney, liver, heart, thyroid or bleeding problems: read the cautions in each entry first.

Contents

Chapter 1 · 18 entries

Vitamins

The thirteen vitamins and their cousins: what each does, where it comes from, the signs you may be low, and the amounts in the orthomolecular literature.

  1. Vitamin A
  2. Vitamin B1 (thiamine)
  3. Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
  4. Vitamin B3
  5. Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)
  6. Vitamin B6
  7. Biotin (B7)
  8. Folate (B9)
  9. Vitamin B12
  10. Choline
  11. Inositol
  12. Vitamin C
  13. Vitamin D3
  14. Vitamin E
  15. Vitamin K1
  16. Vitamin K2
  17. Multivitamin-mineral
  18. PABA

Chapter 2 · 20 entries

Minerals

Magnesium, iodine, zinc, selenium, calcium, iron and the rest: the spark plugs of the body's enzymes, with their partners and cautions.

  1. Boron
  2. Calcium
  3. Chromium
  4. Copper
  5. Iodine
  6. Iron
  7. Lithium
  8. Magnesium
  9. Manganese
  10. Molybdenum
  11. Phosphorus
  12. Potassium
  13. Selenium
  14. Silica
  15. Sodium
  16. Strontium
  17. Sulfur
  18. Trace mineral complexes
  19. Vanadium
  20. Zinc

Chapter 3 · 8 entries

Fatty acids

Omega-3s and other fats sold as supplements, from fish oil and flax to MCT oil and lecithin.

  1. CLA (conjugated linoleic acid)
  2. Flaxseed oil
  3. GLA (gamma-linolenic acid)
  4. Lecithin and phosphatidylcholine
  5. MCT oil
  6. Omega-3
  7. Omega-7
  8. Phosphatidylserine

Chapter 5 · 11 entries

Antioxidants and cofactors

CoQ10, glutathione, alpha-lipoic acid, melatonin and other compounds that protect cells and power energy production.

  1. Alpha-GPC and citicoline
  2. Alpha-lipoic acid
  3. Astaxanthin
  4. Coenzyme Q10
  5. D-ribose
  6. Glutathione
  7. Melatonin
  8. NAD+ precursors
  9. OPCs
  10. PQQ
  11. Spermidine

Chapter 6 · 8 entries

Phytonutrients

Plant compounds such as curcumin, quercetin and berberine, and what the evidence does and doesn't show.

  1. Berberine
  2. Bioflavonoids
  3. Curcumin
  4. EGCG
  5. Lutein and zeaxanthin
  6. Lycopene
  7. Quercetin
  8. Resveratrol

Chapter 8 · 3 entries

Enzymes

Bromelain, nattokinase and serrapeptase: enzymes taken for digestion, inflammation and circulation.

  1. Bromelain
  2. Nattokinase
  3. Serrapeptase

Chapter 9 · 8 entries

Whole-food and specialty supplements

Electrolytes, spirulina, sea moss, bee products and other whole-food and specialty products.

  1. Bee products
  2. Beta-glucans
  3. Electrolytes
  4. Hyaluronic acid
  5. Moringa
  6. Sea moss
  7. Shilajit
  8. Spirulina and chlorella

Chapter 10 · 2 entries

Hormones and hormone precursors

DHEA and pregnenolone: hormones sold as supplements, and why they need blood testing.

  1. DHEA
  2. Pregnenolone

Topics

How to read an entry

  • The opening: what the supplement is and what it does, with the forms you'll see on labels.
  • Main benefits and Food sources.
  • Signs you may be low (for essential nutrients) or Why people take it (for everything else).
  • Amounts: what Orthomolecular.org and DoctorYourself.com report, with the source page named.
  • Cautions and interactions: read these first, and check them against your medications, conditions, pregnancy and age.

Looking for a diet rather than a supplement? See Arukah's free book Around the World in 80 Diets.

Start with Chapter 1: Vitamins

Learn to use these nutrients as a coach

The Arukah Holistic Orthomolecular Nutrition certification teaches the amounts, forms, cautions and coaching skills behind this book.

See the Certification Join the Waitlist