• Hot Coffee, Tea and Spices: Habitual drinking of liquids that are too hot, or consuming an excess of irritants such as coffee, tea or spices can cause inflammation of the digestive linings, resulting in a drop in secretion of digestive fluids and poorer extraction of vitamins and minerals from food.



• Alcohol: Alcohol affects availability, absorption and metabolism of nutrients.



• Smoking: Smoking too much tobacco increases the metabolic requirement of Vitamin C. Vitamin C is important for the immune system to function properly.



• Laxatives: Overuse of laxatives can result in poor absorption of vitamins and minerals from food, by hastening the intestinal transit time.



• Overcooking - Lengthy cooking or reheating of meats or vegetables can oxidize and destroy heat susceptible vitamins such as the B-group, C and E.



• Convenience Foods: A diet overly dependent on highly refined carbohydrates, such as sugar, white flour and white rice, places greater demand on additional sources of B-group vitamins to process these carbohydrates.



• Antibiotics: Some antibiotics - although valuable in fighting infection - also kill off friendly bacteria in the intestines, which would normally be producing B-group vitamins to be absorbed through the intestinal walls.



• Food Allergies: The omission of whole food groups from the diet, as in the case of individuals allergic to gluten or lactose, can mean the loss of significant dietary sources of nutrients, such as thiamine, riboflavin or calcium.



• Crop Nutrient Losses: Some agricultural soils are deficient in trace elements. Decades of intensive agriculture can overwork and deplete our soils nutrients.



• Accidents & Illness: Surgery increases the body's need for zinc, vitamin E and other nutrients involved in the cellular repair mechanism.



• Stress: Chemical, physical and emotional stresses can increase the body's requirements for vitamins B2, B5, B6 and C.



• PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome): Research has demonstrated that up to 60% of women suffering from PMS can benefit from supplementation with vitamin B6.



• Pregnancy: Pregnancy creates higher than average demands for nutrients, to ensure health growth of the baby. Nutrients which typically require an increase during pregnancy are the B group, A, D, E, Folic Acid and calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc and phosphorous.



• Oral Contraceptives: Oral contraceptives can decrease absorption of folic acid and increase the need for vitamin B6 and possibly vitamin C, zinc and riboflavin.

"Research for the foregoing facts include the following: Review of Medical Physiology, Ganon , textbook of Medicine, Harrison (Hodder & Stoughton 1977), Handbook of Vitamins, Minerals and Hormones, (Kutsky 1981) "