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Hammer Nutrition Product Spotlight:
PREMIUM INSURANCE CAPS (PIC)

We believe Premium Insurance Caps are the finest multi vitamin/mineral supplement on the market today. But anyone can say that, can't they? We'd like to explain why so that you'll always consider this product the foundation of your nutritional supplement needs... A superbly designed "insurance policy" that will provide the nutrients you need in sufficient amounts for enhancing your performance and general health. We offer a re-supply program that we hope you'll take advantage of so you can enjoy the benefits of this powerful product month after month at the best price possible.

Product Features | Antioxidant Vitamins and Minerals | Additional Nutrients

What makes this product unique is that it was designed using a standard called the ODA (Optimal Daily Allowance). This is a standard that takes into account the needs of today (higher pollution and stress levels), whereas the RDA (Recommended Daily Allowances) were standards set a couple decades ago simply to keep sedentary people from getting diseased). This product fulfills an athlete's requirements for additional nutrients. But there are some that would like you to think that you can derive all the nutrients you need from the food you eat or that you don't need vitamin/mineral supplements.

In the July/August 2000 Issue of The Maffetone Report, Dr. Phil Maffetone's front-page article reaches out and goes for the throat with the title, "High-dose supplements pose real health danger". He begins the article by saying, "Thanks to marketing, many consumers have been misled to take high doses of vitamins and other nutrients that are hundreds, and even thousands of times higher than what is obtainable by eating real food."

My first thought is "who is being misled"? Are you? While there is no doubt that foods contain some essential vitamins and minerals, I do not believe they contain the amounts significant for average people in today's society, let alone athletes. As Dr. Bill Misner Ph.D. has stated, "athletes today ingest only 11% of the organic nutrients from their food sources that the athletes of the 1940's enjoyed". The truth is that our soils have been depleted because of today's farming techniques which utilize fertilizers containing a mixture of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium only (NPK). Prior to the 40's, farmers practiced crop rotation, mulching, manuring, and other techniques that maintained soil nutrient quality. After World War II, leftover chemicals used to make weapons were sold as fertilizers. Every successive crop grown using NPK fertilizers has further depleted the soils of essential minerals, and if they aren't in the soil, they're not in the foods. If they're not in the foods, they're not in your body. Why? Because your body cannot make minerals. It must get them from your food. In addition, according to Dr. Misner "the use of pesticides and herbicides has been observed to interfere with the complete absorption of vital organic substrates". So not only does the soil no longer contain many of the essential nutrients it used to but our ability to absorb what little there is left is compromised by the use of pesticides and herbicides.

In addition to our food supply being degraded by crops grown solely on NPK fertilizers, commercial ripening, harvesting, shipping, storing, and processing practices further degrade them. Even the government's RDA handbook reviews hundreds of studies showing that the nutrient content of our food supply is further degraded from the time they are harvested to the time they are consumed. I believe that obtaining enough nutrients from food alone will not provide enough vitamins and minerals necessary for optimal health.

Which leads to the question "how much is enough"? I honestly believe that most every human being is at least partially deficient in nutrients. Athletes are even more so. I've always considered the Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA) to be an archaic standard that never took into account the particular needs of athletes. As Dr. Michael Colgan has said, " If you use the RDAs to plan your nutrition, you will never, never reach your athletic potential." Dr. Misner has stated "science has concluded that even marginal nutritional deficiencies are responsible for 644 diseases or disorders. Researchers have established by applications of reliable research as well as through trial and error that athletes tend to deplete vitamins, minerals, enzymes, coenzymes, and other substrates more than sedentary people do". Even the RDA handbook states "RDA are recommendations for the average daily amounts of nutrients that population groups should consume over a period of time. RDA should not be confused with requirements for a specific individual". The former chairman of the RDA Committee has even been quoted stating RDA's "are not recommendations for the ideal diet". This is why Premium Insurance Caps are formulated to a higher standard called the Optimal Daily Allowance (ODA), which takes into account the needs of athletes.

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• High amounts of antioxidants
• A complete digestive enzyme profile
• An easily absorbed form of all the amino acids (which gives the body more supplies for muscle rebuilding and immune system protection)
• Complimentary nutrients/super foods which increase circulation and oxygenation to tissues while providing additional antioxidant benefits

Having the following nutrients in the following amounts (per 2 packets) offers maximum protection for cellular protection from excess free radicals which damage cells, compromise immune system function, and are believed to be responsible for degenerative diseases.

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Antioxidant Vitamins and Minerals

• BETA-CAROTENE: 25,000 IU- Most companies use only 10,000 IU
  
  
• VITAMIN C: 1000 mg + 1000 mg Bioflavinoids- This is perhaps the only product that contains high doses of these two nutrients. Bioflavinoids (enhance the absorption of Vitamin C, are good anti-inflammatories, and aid in circulation and in the treatment of bruises and athletic injuries.
  
  
• VITAMIN E: 800 IU- Most products offer anywhere from 200-400 IU while PICs are 2-4 times that amount. PICs use d-alpha tocoperhol acetate, the most absorbable form of E available.
  
  
• ZINC: 30 mg.- Most products are anywhere from 5-15 mg and some use an inferior form of zinc. Zinc Picolinate is one of the two preferred forms and at 30 mg it is an extremely good dose for protecting the immune system, especially around cold and flu season.
  
  
• SELENIUM: 200mcg. Most companies will use anywhere from 100-200 mcg.

In addition, some of the other nutrients PIC provides are:

• B COMPLEX: This is perhaps the only formula that has a 200mg B Complex dose. Anyone under stress, and that includes athletes, goes through copious amounts of all the B Vitamins. Many companies use 50 mg or less in their products.
  
  
• CALCIUM: This product is one of the few that actually contain a decent dose of calcium. Many companies want the buyer to buy a separate calcium product so they tend to put trace amounts in there and usually it's an inferior form. PICs use chelated calcium, that is elemental calcium chelated (bonded) to a particular amino acid. This allows for the highest absorption possible.
  
  
• MAGNESIUM: Since Magnesium is usually complexed with calcium, it's rare to find much of it in every day multi vitamin/mineral supplements. This one utilizes 250 mg of chelated (highly absorbable) magnesium, which is the preferred 2:1 Calcium/Magnesium ratio.
  
  
• CHROMIUM: A nutrient vital for stabilizing blood sugar and insulin levels. Having 400 mcg instead of the usual 200 mcg found in most other products is a great bonus.

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• Lecithin is used to emulsify fats so it aids in the removal of excess cholesterol and helps prevent fatty buildup on the arteries and vital organs. Every living cell's membrane is mainly composed of lecithin so adding it to the diet protects the protective sheath of every cell. It improves brain function, is very good for general liver health, and helps prevent cardiovascular disease.
• Royal Jelly is considered one of nature's most potent super foods, containing all the B vitamins, many other vitamins, enzymes, and 18 amino acids. It has antibacterial and antibiotic components and stimulates the immune system. It's also useful for treating asthma.
• Chlorophyll helps cleanse the bloodstream.
• Ginger is a powerful antioxidant. It stimulates circulation and helps relieve spasms and cramping.
• Pepsin, Papain, Bromelain, Betain HCL, Pancreatin, and Ox Bile Extract make up the digestive enzyme complex. Bromelain and Papain are also effective anti-inflammatories.
• Ginkgo Biloba is perhaps the most commonly used "brain nutrient". As well as being an antioxidant (with a particular affinity for protecting brain cells) it also increases circulation in the entire body.
• Alfalfa is an extremely important liver detoxifier and tends to alkalize the body.
• Phosphatidyl Serine is a rather expensive nutrient and is a potent brain cell protector. It also has the ability to reduce excess cortisol production in the body which is counterproductive to maintaining lean muscle tissue.
• Para Amino Benzoic Acid (aka PABA) is related to the B Vitamins and assists folic acid in the formation of red blood cells. It is also good for maintaining a healthy intestinal tract.
• Choline is needed for proper transmission of nerve impulses from the brain to the central nervous system. It is also used with Inositol as an aid in fat and cholesterol metabolism.
• Spirulina is another "super food" which helps protect the immune system, stabilizes blood sugar levels, and increases mineral absorption.

Steve Born, Technical Advisor
E-CAPS

Steve Born is a technical advisor for E-CAPS with over a decade of involvement in the health food industry. He is a three-time RAAM finisher, the 1994 Furnace Creek 508 Champion, 1999 runner-up, the only cyclist in history to complete a Double Furnace Creek 508, and is the holder of two Ultra Marathon Cycling records. In February, 2004 Steve was inducted into the Ultra Marathon Cycling Hall of Fame.

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