Vitamins and Nutrition

Health tip of the day: 10 benefits of watermelon

2009-08-02T22:39:00.003+02:00

Watermelon is a natural source of most powerful antioxidants provided by nature. It is a good source of the antioxidant vitamins C and A to protect us from diseases. It reduces the risk of dehydration.

Summer and watermelon are inseparable. Watermelons are found almost everywhere in the world. Although we can find watermelons in our markets throughout the year, the season for watermelon is the summer when they are sweet and of the best quality. No other fruit can we find so crunchy and thirst quenching like watermelon.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF WATERMELON

1- The health benefits of watermelon are really great. No matter how it is sliced, it is packed with some of the most important antioxidants found in nature.

2- It is an excellent source of vitamin C and a very good source of vitamin A, particularly through its concentration of beta-carotene.

3- The beautiful red watermelon is also a source of the potent carotene antioxidant which is called lycopene. These antioxidants travel throughout the body neutralizing free radicals. Free radicals are substances in the body that can cause much damage to us. They are able to oxidize cholesterol, making it stick to blood vessel walls and thicken them which can lead to hearty attack or stroke. The lycopene which gives fruits the attractive red color that we find in watermelon can help reduce the risks of prostate cancer.

4- It is a surprising fact that watermelon is the only fruit that contains higher concentrations of lycopene than any other fresh fruit or vegetable.

5- Watermelon is a fruit that is rich in electrolytes sodium and potassium that we lose through our perspiration.

6- Watermelon is rich in the B vitamins necessary for energy production. Food experts recommend watermelon as a very good source of vitamin B6 and a good source of vitamin B1 and magnesium. Because of its higher water content approximately ninety percent and calorie value it is ranked more valuable than other fruits.

7- Watermelon has a special cooling effect and is exceptionally high in citrulline, an amino acid that our bodies use to make another amino acid, arginine, which is used in the urea cycle to remove ammonia from the body.

8- The antioxidants help reducing the severity of asthma. It also reduces the risk of colon cancer, asthma, heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and prostate cancer.

9- Watermelon is a good source of thiamin, potassium and magnesium which protect our body from so many diseases.

10- Watermelon is fat free but helps energy production. It protects against macular degeneration.When the heat of summer tires us with thirst, eating watermelon is a safe alternative to taking energy drinks. Since it contains high water quantity it can hydrates us whereas other drinks are caffeine filled energy drinks which can easily dehydrate us. Nothing can be more satisfactory on a hot, dusty day than a crisp, juicy slice of watermelon!

Sunscreen Myths Put to Rest

2009-07-31T22:27:00.002+02:00

The headline:
Sunscreens won't prevent skin cancer (and may even cause it).
The reality:
Some researchers blame sunscreens for encouraging the notion that it's OK to stay in the sun for prolonged periods, provided you're slathered in SPF. They also point to steadily rising skin-cancer rates as proof of sunscreen's relatively poor performance. But dermatologists say it's people's behavior, not their sun protection, that's behind those alarming statistics. "Sunscreens can prevent skin cancer, but they need to be part of an overall protection program," says David J. Leffell, M.D., professor of dermatology and surgery at the Yale School of Medicine. "You also need to stay out of the sun from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., wear protective clothing, and seek shade whenever possible."

The headline:
Dangerous nanoparticles may be lurking in your sun protection.
The reality:
In order to turn the normally opaque natural sunscreen ingredients titanium dioxide and zinc oxide into sheer coverage for your skin, they are sometimes engineered into tiny, nano-size particles. These are so minuscule that some scientists fear they can penetrate skin, get into the bloodstream, and potentially damage your organs. As spooky as this sounds, the concerns remain theoretical. "It's never been proven that they do any actual harm to your body," says James M. Spencer, M.D., associate professor of clinical dermatology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. Still, some dermatologists advise caution. "Why risk it?" says Adnan Nasir, M.D., clinical assistant professor of dermatology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "You don't actually need them to get adequate protection." How best to avoid them: "Stick to well-known sunscreen brands, which generally don't contain them," says Zoe Draelos, M.D., a dermatologist in High Point, NC.

The headline:
You shouldn't wear sunscreen because it filters out good-for-you vitamin D.
The reality:
This suggestion makes dermatologists absolutely crazy; many believe it's a notion perpetuated primarily by the indoor-tanning industry, which stands to profit from people using tanning machines to boost their vitamin D. Here are the facts: Sunscreens can lower vitamin D production, but you can easily make up for this loss with food sources (salmon, fortified milk, etc.), vitamins, or even the most trivial amounts of sunlight, according to dermatologists. "It's still much safer to get your vitamin D from a pill than to stay in the sun without protection," says Dr. Leffell. How much D do you need to reap its benefits? Many experts think current vitamin D recommendations are set too low, so definitely check with your doctor for dosing advice.

The headline:
Antioxidants make better sun protection.
The reality:
Antioxidants such as green tea and dark-red fruits may be able to mitigate only a little of the damage that sunscreens miss. For example, green tea offers some UV protection, but studies have mostly looked at 100 percent green tea applied topically, not how well it works incorporated into a cream. The bottom line: "Antioxidants make great supplements to sunscreen," says Dr. Draelos. "But until the FDA puts them on the list of sunscreen actives, don't expect them to replace broad-spectrum UVA/UVB sunscreens."

Low vitamin A and C intake associated with increased asthma risk

2009-07-23T15:22:00.001+02:00

Low dietary intake of vitamin A and C is associated with an increased risk of asthma and wheeze, according to a report in the July Thorax.

Although epidemiological studies have shown an association between asthma and low antioxidant vitamin intake, the authors explain, controlled trials of vitamin supplementation in asthma have been inconclusive.

Dr. S. Allen and colleagues from University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to provide pooled quantitative estimates of the likely magnitude of the effect of dietary intake and blood levels of antioxidant vitamins on a range of measures of asthma and asthma severity.

Low self-reported dietary intake and serum levels of vitamin A and vitamin C were associated with increased odds of having asthma, the authors report.

Patients with severe asthma had lower dietary intakes of vitamin A (but not vitamin C) than did patients with mild asthma.

Low serum levels of vitamin A and low dietary intake of vitamin C were also associated with increased odds of wheeze, the researchers note.

There was no consistent association between vitamin A and C levels and airway reactivity.
Dietary intake and serum levels of vitamin E were not consistently associated with the diagnosis or severity of asthma, the presence of wheeze, or airway reactivity.

"The epidemiological evidence thus suggests that vitamins A and C are linked to asthma," the authors conclude. "Further investigations are necessary to account for the observed associations using well-designed randomized controlled trials of vitamin supplementation in asthma."

"Trials of vitamin C supplementation to date have been disappointing," the investigators say.

"Whether the effect of vitamin A will prove more important to clinical management or whether the observed associations with diet are due to confounding effects will only be resolved by further clinical trials."

Thorax 2009;64:610-619.

New evidence that Vitamnin D crucial to heart health

2009-07-12T16:48:00.002+02:00

Several recent studies have shown that vitamin D deficiency is a common problem with many adverse health effects, including increased risk of high blood pressure, heart failure, and ischemic heart disease.

In patients who already have heart disease, low vitamin D may increase the risk of high blood pressure or sudden death, according to Suzanne Judd, MPH, PhD, of University of Alabama at Birmingham and Dr. Vin Tangpricha of Emory University.

The new data on nutrition and heart disease were the topic of a recent symposium and are summarized in the July issue of The American Journal of the Medical Sciences (AJMS), official journal of the Southern Society for Clinical Investigation (SSCI).

"The prospect that macro- and micronutrients may play an important role in the appearance of diseases of the cardiovasculature and their progressive nature is both intriguing and provocative," according to the article’s preface by Dr. Karl T. Weber.

Vitamin D deficiency may also help to explain the apparent relationship between osteoporosis-related fractures and heart failure, according to Dr. Syed H. Raza and colleagues. Osteoporosis and heart failure are both common conditions in older adults and share several risk factors—including low vitamin D. Pending further research to clarify this relationship, patients with heart failure need attention to their risks of osteoporosis and fractures.

So far, however, there is very little information on whether taking vitamin D supplements can avoid or reduce these risks. Rebecca B. Costello, PhD, of the National Institutes of Health's Office of Dietary Supplements outlines federal research initiatives to understand the effects of vitamin D on health. She urges rigorous scientific studies to clarify the relationship between vitamin D and cardiovascular disease, as well as other chronic diseases.

Patients with heart failure—especially African Americans—are prone to an imbalance of several nutrients, according to a presentation by Dr. German Kamalov and colleagues. The imbalance is accompanied by activation of certain hormones, leading to inflammation and wasting of soft tissues and bone. The authors discuss approaches to recognizing this nutritional imbalance, and suggest that a "polynutrient supplement" including calcium, magnesium, zinc, selenium, and vitamins D, B12, and B1 might play a role in heart failure management.

Despite the tantalizing new evidence, "The role of nutrition in the causation, prevention, and treatment of cardiovascular diseases is largely unexplored," Dr. Weber concludes. "Investigator-initiated, hypothesis-driven research conducted in a mode of discovery by a multidisciplinary team of basic and clinical scientists will undoubtedly open new frontiers and pave the way by identifying simple remedies that could advance the practice of medicine."

In a first of its kind a large, $20 million government-funded study will explore whether vitamin D and fish oil lower the risk of cancer, heart disease or stroke in healthy individuals, reports the Boston Globe. The study five year long study will enroll 20,000 healthy older adults with 25% of the participants enrolled to be African-American.

Our skin manufactures vitamin D when exposed to sunlight but because of the increased risk of skin cancer and wrinkles the American Academy of Dermatology recommends sun protection by using SPF 15 and above sunscreen. Sunscreen and clothing will block vitamin D production by 99%.

Food sources of vitamin D include fatty fish like salmon and sardines as well as fortified milk and cereals. But it is hard to get enough vitamin D from diet alone. An 8 ounce glass of milk only provides 100 International Units (IU) of vitamin D.

Vitamin D is one vitamin that is as good in supplement form as from natural sources.

American Academy of Pediatrics recommends 400 IU daily for children and teens. There are no absolute recommendations of the supplement for adults as yet. The Institute of Medicine’s Food and Nutrition Board will provide the revised recommendations by 2010. The Canadian Cancer Society currently recommends 1000 IU for adults during the fall and winter months where the sunshine is low.

The main risk factors for low vitamin D levels include older age, female sex, lower latitudes, winter season, darker skin pigmentation, less sunlight exposure, dietary habits, and the absence of vitamin D fortification in common foods. Further factors include the increase in urbanization, where people tend to live and work indoors, as well as cultural practices that tend towards sun avoidance and the wearing of traditional clothing that covers the skin. Individuals with cystic fibrosis or inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn’s are part of the high risk group of population.

One should remember that excess dose of vitamin D can be toxic.

If you don't know Swiss chard, get to know it and its nutrients.

2009-07-05T13:30:00.003+02:00

What’s with this Swiss chard, anyway? Who does it think it is? Actually, it is a superb source of so many nutrients that your diet is severely lacking without them. Foods, like just about everything else in life, can have preconceptions and misunderstandings attached to them. Swiss chard is no exception. Its name is the biggest cause. It is neither Swiss, being a Mediterranean plant named that by a 19th century botanist from aforementioned alpine land, nor is it charred (note the difference in spelling). That is unless you are an adherent of a school of cooking with a pyrotechnic bent, thusly grilling your food with a flamethrower at a safe 30 paces. If this is your preferred method of preparation, then your food will be charred and inedible, sad to say.

But enough of the flamed frivolity! Our leafy little idol awaits us. While the leaves of Swiss chard are green, the stems come in a resplendent rainbow of hues. The denizens of the color spectrum well represented by the stems include white, red, orange, purple, magenta, pink and yellow. The colors do serve as a taste guide, with the white stem denoting a milder taste than the red. The white stems can even be eaten, but the red are of a nature genteelly described as tough as old boots.

Why should this plant be eaten is a direct question with plentiful answers. It is not like some Zen koan that would ask something like what is the sound of one Swiss chard leaf clapping. Swiss chard oozes vitamins and minerals. The following are all proud members of clan Swiss chard. In the excellent source category, we have vitamins K, A, C and E, manganese, magnesium, potassium, iron and dietary fiber. In hot pursuit in strata very good are copper, calcium, protein, vitamins B2, B6 and copper. Slightly behind in the good section are phosphorus, zinc, folate and vitamins B1, B3 and B5.

Are Carrots Good for Your Eyes?

2009-06-27T23:40:00.001+02:00

Carrots are orange in color because of the abundant amount of beta carotene they contain. Beta carotene is a nutrient in a class called “carotenoids” (pronounced “care-ROT-ten-oyds”). This beta carotene, which is both water and fat soluble, is a form of vitamin A.

The retina of the eye contains rods and cones, which are responsible for our seeing at night (rods) and colors during the day (cones). The molecule within the light-receiving part of the cones is an organic molecule called retinol, which is a derivative of vitamin A. Thus, the reasoning became logical that if the retina uses a form of vitamin A to be functional and beta carotene (from carrots) was a form of vitamin A, then more carrots would lead to better vision!

Well, not so fast. First, you should realize that vitamin A is in a class called “fat soluble” vitamins, which mainly means that it doesn’t readily wash out of the body (“water soluble” vitamins do wash out easily). Thus, if your regular diet contains a reasonable amount of vitamin A, then it will likely stay around for quite a while because it is stored in the liver. Deficiencies of vitamin A are relatively rare in developed countries. Also, the body knows when there is a deficiency of vitamin A (as well as most other vitamins) and will NOT convert beta carotene to vitamin A unless there is a deficiency.

Let’s go one step further: a good nutrient for the eyes is called lutein (LOO-teen). This lutein is also a carotenoid and is responsible for protecting the center of the retina from damage from too much light. If lutein is lacking, then the sensitive part of the retina can get damaged. Now both lutein and beta carotene are both carotenoids, so they compete for transport space in the bloodstream. Thus, if you have too much beta carotene in your system, you will not allow the lutein to get to where it needs to go - to the eye! So, too many carrots could potentially be BAD for your eyes. (Go figure!).

In any case, eating carrots is a good thing (they have other beneficial nutrients), but don’t expect that you are going to throw your glasses away just by eating an extra bunch. Bugs Bunny aside, eat all your vegetables -- and they’ll make sure your eyes are stay in good shape.

Major Study To Examine Benefits Of Vitamin D, Fish Oil

2009-06-24T23:42:00.003+02:00

For years, vitamin D and fish oil have been two of the most popular over-the-counter dietary supplements in U.S. Now, an extensive, government-funded study will test the benefits of both in the prevention of cancer, heart disease and strokes to determine whether they will get the official thumbs up.

What’s more, the study is one of but a small handful of health experiments to ever look into the ethnic-specific effects of nutrients on the human body.

In humans and most other mammals vitamin D is synthesized naturally when UVB rays from the sun penetrate the skin and stimulate its production in the basal levels of the epidermis. In dark-skinned people however—particularly those of African descent—large quantities of the pigment melanin in the upper layers of skin serve as a filter, blocking most of the UVB light and significantly reducing the amount of vitamin D that the body is able to produce.

A number of scientists have hypothesized that this lower production of vitamin D may be an important piece of the puzzle in understanding why African Americans, for example, suffer from such high rates of cancer, stroke and heart disease.

“If something as simple as taking a vitamin D pill could help lower these risks and eliminate these health disparities, that would be extraordinarily exciting,” said Dr. JoAnn Manson of

Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, who, along with Dr. Julie Buring, will be co-leader of the research project.

“But we should be cautious before jumping on the bandwagon to take mega-doses of these supplements,” she cautioned. “We know from history that many of these nutrients that looked promising in observational studies didn't pan out.”

For a time, a there was a tremendous buzz in the medical community over the tremendous potential of Vitamins C, E, beta carotene, folic acid and others to lower the risk of a number of chronic health problems. After rigorous testing, however, mega-doses of these supplements were shown to carry just as many health risks as benefits.

Others have simply proven ineffective. In October of 2008, federal funding for a major long-term study examining the role of vitamin E in preventing certain forms of cancer was abandoned after researchers failed to produce results that even remotely hinted at statistically significant benefits of the supplement.

Vitamin D is one of the last well-known nutrients to be put through the scientific ringer.
Scientists and nutritionists have known for some time that a large number of people have vitamin D deficiencies. In addition to blacks, health experts have also detected higher rates of cancer in people inhabiting northern regions, where longer winters and reduced exposure to sunlight means that their bodies have less opportunity to produce sufficient quantities of the “sunshine vitamin.”

Further complicating the problem for both northerners and those with dark skin is the fact that vitamin D is not as readily available in dietary sources as a number of other vitamins. Nutritionists say that it’s difficult to eat enough dairy and fish products to compensate for a lack of naturally-produced vitamin D.

While scientists are already quite certain about several of the health benefits of the vitamin D—such as its role as a regulator of calcium and phosphorous levels in the blood—they are also eager to take a more in depth look at some of the less-understood physiological effects of the fat-soluble compound.

“Vitamin D and omega-3s have powerful anti-inflammatory effects that may be key factors in preventing many diseases. They may also work through other pathways that influence cancer and cardiovascular risk,” explained an optimistic Manson.

The expansive new study will include some 20,000 subjects over the age of 60 who have no history of heart disease or stroke. Because of difficulties that the body often has utilizing vitamins from a pill, some of the participants will be randomly assigned to take vitamin D pills, while others will take natural fish oil supplements, both nutrients or placebo pills.

For a five year period, the patients will receive 2,000 international units of vitamin D-3 a day. Also known to researchers by its scientific name, cholecalciferol, this version is known to be the most active form of the nutrient.

The subjects receiving fish oil will get about one gram a day—roughly 10 times more than what the average American consumes.

“We're hoping to see a result during the trial, that we won't have to wait five years,” said Manson.

Besides the vitamin’s potential effect on heart disease, stroke and cancer, the researchers will also be looking for possible benefits in reducing memory loss, depression, diabetes, osteoporosis and other problems, explained Buring.

National Cancer Institute, in collaboration with the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and other federal agencies will be funding the $20 million project. Pharmavite LLC of Northridge, Calif., is providing the vitamin D pills, and Ocean Nutrition Canada Ltd. of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, is providing the omega-3 fish oil capsules.

Grow-it-yourself nutrition

2009-06-19T22:50:00.003+02:00

Some of the most nutritious foods are easy to grow in central Pennsylvania yards -- for pennies on the dollar of grocery-store prices.

Home-grown herbs and vegetables are particularly nutrient-packed because you can pick them at the peak of ripeness. You can't beat the taste either -- especially when you choose varieties for that reason instead of ship-ability or how attractive it looks on the shelf.

Arguably the most nutritious of all edible plants is one you've probably got in your yard but didn't plant -- dandelions.

These serrated-leafed "weeds" with the yellow spring flowers are higher in vitamin A than even carrots and are higher in iron and calcium than spinach.

With no fat and no cholesterol, dandelions also are packed with B vitamins and many other trace minerals.

They're best picked when tender and young and used as salad greens. Be sure to wash well first, and avoid eating them if the lawn was treated with an herbicide.

And, if you're planting a new "recession garden" this year, here are 10 top vegetables and herbs for nutrition, ease of growth and return on your labor.

VEGETABLES

Broccoli

Get two harvests a year out of this cold-tolerant cole crop by planting transplants in early April and again in mid-August for a fall harvest. Broccoli is loaded with anti-oxidants and vitamin C

Peppers

Seldom bothered by pests, peppers are most nutritious when left to ripen red, orange or yellow instead of picked green. Well worth growing your own if you've ever priced a red pepper. Plant mid-May to mid-June and harvest late sumÂmer into fall.

Kale

This leafy nutrient powerÂhouse is best planted from seed in late summer for harvest in fall. Frost doesn't faze it, and it may even survive winter. LoadÂed with vitamins A and C as well as numerous trace minerÂals, kale can be used much like spinach.

Carrots

One pack of seeds will give you hundreds of these "vitamin A sticks." Plant directly in the ground in April and again in late summer. Carrots keep well in the ground into winter.

Leaf lettuce

Red-leafed versions are parÂticularly nutritious. Plant seeds every two weeks throughout the season (starting in early April) to keep a steady supply coming for next to no cost

HERBS

Parsley

What a waste that this frilly-leafed green is thought of as merely a plate garnish. Parsley is highly nutritious -- more concentrated in beta carotene than carrots and more vitamin C per weight than oranges. Plant in April and snip all seaÂson. It may even survive some winters.

Chives

This onion relative comes back year after year and can be snipped throughout the growÂing season. Chives are high in iron, B vitamins and trace minÂerals.

Basil

Plant basil seeds or plants mid-May through June and snip leaves as you need them. It's a natural with fresh tomaÂtoes in late summer, and it's a great source of vitamin K.

Oregano

This low creeper with the pink flowers is versatile, tough and comes back year after year. It can be snipped as needed anytime and is a good source of a range of vitamins and minerÂals.

Dill

Plant seeds right in the ground May through June, and use both the leaves and seeds all season. Let some of the seeds drop at year's end, and you'll get free new plants every spring. Good source of many minerals.

Natural alternatives versus standard medications for vertigo, Meniere’s symptoms, and migraines

2009-06-18T22:47:00.003+02:00

Reducing your salt intake has been found to be helpful in stopping vertigo, Meniere’s disease, and migraines, along with a regimen of vitamins, minerals, and fish oils. After your doctor has determined that your vertigo, Meniere’s disease symptoms, and/or your migraines are not caused by tumors or aneurysms or any other condition that needs surgical repair, you can choose between standard treatments or supplements of vitamins and minerals.

A series of tests will tell you whether you have Meniere's Disease, or Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV). Meniere's Disease and BPPV are the two most common causes of vertigo. While one can be mistaken for the other, they are different diseases with different symptoms and different treatments. Sometimes migraines can be one cause of vertigo. View the PDF file article, "Treating Vertigo in the Office."

To learn more, read the article, "Vertigo, It's Causes and Treatment," by Huai Y. Cheng, M.D. Also see: Drachman DA. A 69-year-old man with chronic dizziness. JAMA. 1998; 280(24): 2111-2118.

According to articles from as far back as 1937, doctors were studying the effects of vitamins and minerals on vertigo, Meniere’s disease, and migraines. See (1937). Abstracts. The Journal of Laryngology & Otology, 52 , pp 783-799 doi:10.1017/S0022215100044170. Also see, in the Annals of Otology, Rhinology, and Laryngology 1975 Jul-Aug;84(4 Pt 1):513-7. “Conservative management of Méniére's disease: Furstenberg regimen revisited.”

Albert C. Furstenberg developed and promoted the Furstenberg regimen of a low-sodium diet and diuretics.

The Annals of Otology study reviews twenty years' experience at the University of Michigan with 500 consecutive patients suffering from symptoms of Méniére's disease. The Furstenberg regimen of a low-sodium diet has been satisfactory in relieving the most disturbing symptoms of

Méniére's disease in the vast majority of cases and often in patients that have failed other treatment programs.The success of the Furstenberg conservative management program has been largely dependent upon the strict adherence by the patient to that specific professionally prescribed, low-sodium diet.

Doctors usually prescribe along with the low-sodium regimen, a high complex carbohydrate diet, omega 3 fatty acids from fish oils and flaxseed oils, and doses of niacin, multiple minerals, including magnesium, along with other B-complex vitamins, and vitamins C, A, and E.

Medical professionals noticed that migraines which may be caused by spasms of blood vessels in your head might also be connected to Meniere’s syndrome symptoms and vertigo. Migraines, vertigo, and Meniere's symptoms--all three--might be brought on by spasms of blood vessels located in your inner ear.

Treatment that might control those blood vessel spasms seems to be similar for vertigo, migraines, and Meniere’s disease symptoms. Research and diet-based remedies with additional nutritional supplements continue to be studied.

Let’s say you have a migraine. The same factors also might be responsible for your repetitive bouts of vertigo. As for Meniere’s disease, the symptoms include vertigo, hearing loss that comes and goes, and tinnitus, which is ringing or buzzing in the ears. The person may complain of fullness in the affected ear. Then headaches and/or nausea develop. What’s happening, according to doctors, is that the affected ear’s inner canal is filling with a fluid called endolymph.

This fluid causes an imbalance. The inner ear is not able to function. You could have problems keeping your balance in walking. At this point you have a choice between standard treatment and nutritional treatment.

In Meniere’s, the attack begins with loud ringing or roaring and buzzing in the affected ear. Then comes the sensation of pressure inside the ear, as if the ear is stuffed up or clogged. Within a few hours, usually at night or when the person lies down, there’s a sudden onset of severe vertigo, but in Meniere’s the vertigo is accompanied by a loss of hearing in the affected ear. The dizziness may last for hours. And there may be nausea and vomiting.

Sometimes the symptoms occur frequently and last for weeks or months. Then the symptoms disappear for months or years at a time. Other times the attacks are intermittent, coming at going at unexpected times. Other times, if the person with these symptoms can sleep, the symptoms might disappear when the individual awakes.

When standard treatment fails, patients turn to natural solutions. Those natural solutions include seeing a nutrition-oriented physician specializing in ear problems. The physician should have experience treating Meniere’s successfully with vitamin B3 (niacin) and other B complex vitamins as well as vitamin C, fish oils high in Omega 3 fatty acids, magnesium, and vitamins A and E.

One daily regimen calls for supplements that include magnesium, ground flaxseeds, fish oils, multiminerals, niacin three times daily, vitamin B complex, and vitamins A, E and C. The vitamin dosages are not very high. But the vitamin B complex needs to be taken together. The vitamins are taken along with a high complex carbohydrate diet. What happens is that vitamin B3 (niacin) puts a damper on the spasms. Magnesium also helps control the blood vessel spasms.

You can’t go overboard and take higher vitamin dosages assuming that they will work correctly.
So ask your doctor how much you should take. You only need about 200 mg of magnesium three times a day. And the 50 mg vitamin B complex works well. You don’t need any high dosages of vitamins that could impair your nervous system. The usual recommendation of niacin is 200 mg, three times a day, but again, ask your doctor. Too much niacin damages your liver. You need to tailor the amounts to your individual body.

For Meniere’s disease, causes attributed to the symptoms of the disease include not only blood vessel spasms but also calcification, aspartame (known cause), MSG, HVP, Cysteine (known cause), HSV-1 virus (this is the facial herpes virus that causes cold sores and non-genital herpes. The virus may or may not be a cause. Food allergies or lack of lipase enzyme also may be probable causes.

You have to distinguish between only the symptoms of Meniere’s disease and having been diagnosed with the actual disease. If you have been diagnosed with the actual disease, then you need to find out whether it is due to nerve degeneration or other causes. See the Proposed Natural Treatment for Meniere’s Disease site for further details about causes and natural remedy information.

There are so many possible causes of Meniere's, vertigo, and migraines that have been studied to see whether there is a connection between all three, that you and your doctor need to work together to find out which cause applies to your own situation. Diet changes have been shown to work in the various medical studies you’ll find in the scientific journals under the key words, "research on natural treatment for migraines, Meniere's, and vertigo." The latest scientific news to date is that possibly all three are caused by blood vessel spasms. But the research continues.

You’ll have to decide whether to try the nutrition, mineral, vitamin, and fish/flax oil approach or go with standard drugs, which include the anti-vertigo medications, sedatives, anti-nausea drugs, specific blood-pressure medications, and surgery for severe cases. If you decide to try the nutritional approach first, at least you have the backing of the studies in medical journals that have been shown to prevent and reduce those attacks.

Interestingly, similar treatments for migraine, vertigo, and Meniere’s symptoms have been similar diet changes, minerals, and vitamins. Could migraine, vertigo, Meniere’s and other similar inner-ear problems all be connected to the same causes? And if so, could the causes of the three illnesses be blood vessel spasms, allergies, calcification, herpes virus outbreaks, fluid leaking into your inner ear, a deficiency of the B vitamins, fish oils, complex carbohydrates? Or all of the above?

Or could a combination of all the possible causes named for migraines, Meniere’s symptoms, as well as vertigo attacks lead researchers back to similar roots, viruses, or genetic issues that created malformed blood vessels creating the spasms? Continuing scientific and medical studies will connect the clues and help you to tailor your treatment to your own body’s needs.

Suffer from Migraines? B Vitamins Can Help

2009-06-17T22:45:00.001+02:00

If you’re someone who suffers from migraines, you know that they can disable you — leaving you to find a quiet, dark room to ride out the fury happening in your head. Taking your vitamins could help you dodge these episodes.

Australian researchers found that 2,000 mcg of folic acid, 25 mg of vitamin B6, and 400 mcg of vitamin B12 may reduce the frequency and severity of migraines. Specifically, the simple act of supplementing your diet daily with these vitamins may reduce the disability a migraine causes you by 50%.

How does this work? High levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that is linked to stroke and other coronary disease risk, can bring on migraines. Researchers believe that this study provides compelling evidence plasma homocysteine levels can be lowered via folic acid coupled with B6 and B12 vitamin supplementation.

The result is a better quality of life for sufferers. (Lea R et al. “The effects of vitamin supplementation and MTHFR (C677T) genotype on homocysteine-lowering and migraine disability” Pharmacogenetics and Genomics. 2009 Apr 20. [Epub ahead of print].)

The Anti-Aging Bottom Line: This isn’t the first study to link B vitamins to a decrease in migraine frequency. If these headaches are the bane of your existence, make sure your getting enough of the Bs. They may help you say, “bye-bye” to migraines.

Nutrition myths exposed

2009-06-16T08:30:00.002+02:00

Naturally Savvy - Are you feeling confused by conflicting messages from various health experts? It may be because science is still in the process of integrating a long history of human experience with research. While research advances, what's considered a nutritional certainty today may crumble under mounting evidence next year. Here's what we know about a few of the most perplexing and persistent assumptions:

MYTH: Zero trans fat means zero.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has enforced the labeling of trans fats since January 2006. Despite the unmistakable "0 trans fat" label on many food products, zero may not actually mean zero. Food manufacturers are allowed to label foods with less than 0.5 gram of trans fat as 0 (zero) on the Nutrition Facts panel.Most everyone is aware that trans fats increase total blood cholesterol and LDL (the bad cholesterol), while lowering HDL (the good cholesterol). They also cause a rise in apolipoprotein A, another risk factor for heart disease, decrease insulin sensitivity affecting blood sugar balance, and enhance the production of pro-inflammatory hormones (prostaglandin E2) - bad news for arthritics or anyone with pain or allergies.

Read labels carefully. Avoid hydrogenated margarines as well as any foods that list "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated" on the label. Look also at portion sizes. Some manufacturers limit portions to amounts providing just under 0.5 grams of trans to avoid labeling them.

MYTH: Margarine is healthier than butter.

Butter won that debate a long time ago, but a great deal of misinformation still exists. Both have the same amount of calories (about 100 calories per teaspoon); both taste great on toast. As far as health goes, butter is better.
Butter has its issues: it is a saturated fat and a source of cholesterol, but the long-term studies on butter vs. margarine have not shown what health experts of yesterday expected. In fact, while margarine (nicknamed "plastic fat") may be cholesterol-free, trans fats found in margarine and shortening are a much bigger problem. Non-hydrogenated spreads, like Earth Balance, are available at your local grocery and health food store.
Organic coconut oil is another option. It's a saturated fat (solid at room temperature) but is cholesterol-free.The healthiest fat is fish oil, but you can't spread that on toast.

MYTH: Nuts contain cholesterol.

Plant foods do not contain cholesterol (despite what your doctor may think!). Cholesterol is found only in animal foods. A number of studies have shown that regular intake of nuts, walnuts in particular, can result in a seven-fold improvement of arterial function thanks to omega-3 oils.

A handful of nuts supply about 150 calories and one tablespoon of nut butter provides approximately 100 calories, so to avoid weight gain, they should be substituted for another source of calories. Ensure that the nuts you purchase are unsalted and raw to protect those precious omega-oils.

MYTH: Whole wheat is the healthiest grain.

"Whole grain" means that all three parts of a grain - the bran, germ, and endosperm are included. While whole wheat is a whole grain, it is only one of many available whole grains and is not necessarily the best.
Wheat is the main source of dietary gluten, a stretchy protein found also in rye, and barley.Gluten should be broken down by digestive enzymes, but it remains undigested, causing inflammation in the absorptive tissues of the small intestine in people with gluten intolerance. While gluten intolerance is asymptomatic for a majority of us, those who experience symptoms may recognize that bloating, cramping, and diarrhea are associated with the intake of wheat and other grains.
Food labeled "Multigrain" includes a mix of grains and is often a better option than whole wheat. Read the label to determine if all grains included are whole grains. Look also for foods made from alternate grains such as brown rice pasta, spelt bread, and products labeled "gluten-free.

"MYTH: All yogurt is healthy.

Probiotic yogurts have become a favorite marketing tool, and with good reason. More than 1,000 different species of bacteria make their homes on and in the human body. While many of these bacteria are "friendly" and protective, combating digestive problems, yeast infections, and boosting immunity, some can have negative influences on human health.
The balance of microbial strains should favor the beneficial bacteria over the potentially harmful ones.
Many natural food sources of probiotics, such as fermented foods like yogurt, contain bacteria similar to those naturally found in the human intestine, but flavored yogurts often contain unnecessary and unhealthy ingredients including sugar, cream, corn starch, gelatin, aspartame, and sucralose (in the sugar-free varieties).
The healthiest yogurt is a plain, naturally-made yogurt. Feel free to add whatever you like to it, but start off with plain. Choose yogurts containing natural bacterial strains including Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidus.

MYTH: Iceberg lettuce is just as healthy as other greens.

Iceberg lettuce has been teased for its low nutritional value and nicknamed the "polyester of lettuce." Compared to other leafy greens, its nutrient make-up is extremely low, containing 95 percent water, a trace of fiber, and only one-twentieth the vitamins and minerals provided by other leafy greens.
If you cannot part with iceberg, mix other greens into your salad - spinach, kale or romaine; the darker the lettuce, the more nutrients it provides.

MYTH: Sodium is only found in salt.

A teaspoon of salt provides over 2,300 mg of sodium - a far cry from the recommended 1,200 mg - but salt is not the only offender. Tomato sauce, processed meat, condiments, prepared soup, cheese, and fast food will tip the sodium scales faster than a pinch of salt. Read labels carefully and watch for signs of excess sodium like swelling of fingers, ankles and feet, tingling in your legs, and excessive thirst.

MYTH: Brown sugar is healthier than white.

Brown sugar is refined white sugar (sucrose) with some molasses mixed in. While the molasses contain a small amount of minerals, differences in the nutritional make-up of brown and white sugar are negligible. Sugar cane, the plant from which sugar is derived, contains the nutrients riboflavin (vitamin B2), niacin (vitamin B3), potassium, calcium, iron, and magnesium. Sucanat ("Sugar Cane Naturally") is pure dried sugar cane juice. This is your best option for nutritional value.
Remember that all forms of sugar will raise blood sugar levels and should be used in moderation.

MYTH: Low-fat diets are ideal.

Not necessarily. Fat should not exceed 25 percent of your total calories and most (if not all) of those fats should derive from omega-3 (fish, fish oil supplements, and nuts). Recent studies show that a low-fat diet is one of the least effective methods of losing weight and body fat. They also show that since 70 percent of your brain is fat, low-fat diets can impair cognitive functions. Don't count calories and fat.
Count nutrients instead.Whenever in doubt about a product or health concept, do your own research and get the facts.

Vitamin D can protect against many diseases

2009-06-15T23:10:00.001+02:00

Vitamin D is one of the hottest "vitamins of this decade." Tremendous growth in research on vitamin D has led to increased understanding of vitamin D's importance to health. Research is finding that many health problems are linked to low levels of this nutrient which functions more like a hormone than a vitamin.

Question: What health problems are associated with poor vitamin D status?

Answer: We usually think of the consequence of low vitamin D as a loss of calcium from bones, resulting in weak bones. However, many more diseases are now known to be related to limited vitamin D supply. Poor vitamin D status is linked to increased risk of several types of cancer, including colon, pancreatic, prostate and breast cancers. Similarly, a deficiency of vitamin D appears to increase the risk of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease in general. Even the risk for diabetes rises in those with limited vitamin D.

Q: How does vitamin D function in the body?

A: Vitamin D can be produced in the skin from a form of cholesterol when ultraviolet light from the sun triggers a chemical change. Alternatively, the vitamin can be obtained from some foods or dietary supplements. Vitamin D from either source undergoes further chemical changes, primarily in the liver and kidneys, to become active vitamin D, a chemical that affects many types of cells throughout the body. The vitamin affects cells at the basic level of regulating the expression of specific genes.

Q: How common is poor vitamin D status?

A: Testing vitamin D status by measuring a storage form called 25-hydroxyvitamin D is becoming more common in medical clinics. Physicians are finding that vitamin D deficiency is more widespread than previously thought. Even a study conducted a few years ago in Hawaii found that about half of a group of well-tanned "sun lovers" had low vitamin D status. Similar results were later reported in a study conducted in Arizona. It remains unclear why this is the case in some people with abundant sun exposure. It certainly challenges "textbook" nutrition science.

The use of sunscreens greatly reduces vitamin D production in the skin. So, those following the advice of most dermatologists need to obtain vitamin D from foods and supplements.

Q: How much vitamin D is best for good health?

A: The answer to this question is currently under hot debate among vitamin D researchers. The current adult "100 percent Daily Value" used on foods and supplements is 400 international units (IUs), and some vitamin D experts recommend 10 times this amount for adults who have little sun exposure.

Q: How much vitamin D is too much?

A: The current U.S. safe-level recommendation for adults is 2,000 IU per day. However, key vitamin D researchers are suggesting that this should be raised to 10,000 IU per day. Stay tuned.

Q: What foods are good sources of vitamin D?

A: Oily fish like salmon and sardines provide about 300 to 400 IU per 4-ounce serving. Milk, some soy milks and even some juices are fortified with about 100 IU per cup. With the exception of milk, you need to check labels to see whether your product is fortified with vitamin D.

Vitamin C – A Multi-Facetted Vitamin

2009-06-14T17:02:00.003+02:00

There are essentially two types of vitamins that humans need on a daily basis: those that are water-soluble and those that are not (those fat-soluble ones from my last post). Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin which means that we need to replenish our supply of this very important vitamin on a daily basis.

Here’s a short list of some of the many health benefits of vitamin C:
Essential for growth and repair of tissues in all parts of your body.
Necessary for the formation of collagen, an important protein used to make skin, scar tissue, tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels.
Needed for the repair and maintenance of cartilage, bones, and teeth.

The importance of vitamin C was discovered when sailors on long voyages would develop scurvy. The only ‘cure’ was to eat fruits high in Vitamin C. The British Navy used limes (easily acquired from some of their colonies) and hence the nickname of ‘limey’ to refer to the British came about. If you are lucky enough to have a lime tree in your yard, or a friend or neighbor with one, then you have a ready source for this important vitamin.

But what about those juicy orange trees? Unfortunately, unless you purchase fortified orange juice at the store, oranges are not one of the better sources of vitamin C.

These are your best sources of vitamin C:
Avocados

Rose hips (often found in teas)
Blackcurrant (I love blackcurrant jelly)
Red pepper
Parsley
Guava
Kiwi fruit
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts (cooked right these really can be very tasty)
Papaya

Of course, you can also take vitamin C supplements. Unsure about which product to purchase? Check out what the Vitamin C Foundation has to say on the subject.
One really important benefit of vitamin C is in the prevention of heart disease, hardening of the arteries and as a good defense against bad cholesterol. I have a copy of “Prevention’s New

Encyclopedia of Common Diseases” which sites a February, 1981, article in the Journal of Human Nutrition about studies done in England with elderly patients suffering from coronary artery disease who benefited from a daily dose of one gram (1,000 milligrams) of vitamin C.

Personally, I take 1 gram of vitamin C every day. If I feel like I’m starting to get sick I will increase my dosage. However, one word of caution: if you take too much vitamin C in one day it can upset your stomach and or cause diarrhea. You might want to check out this article in the Nutrition Journal for more information and another point of view on this essential vitamin.

Vitamins lower miscarriage risk

2009-06-08T16:30:00.002+02:00

Taking vitamin supplements before and during the first trimester of pregnancy lowers the risk of miscarriage in expectant moms.

Miscarriage, the most common type of pregnancy loss, is the term used for a pregnancy that ends spontaneously within the first 20 weeks of gestation.

Most chromosomal abnormalities, hormonal problems, infections and maternal health problems are among the major factors contributing to the condition.

According to a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, vitamins reduce the risk of developing birth defects in babies born to mothers who take such supplements early in their pregnancy.

Prenatal use of vitamins and multi-vitamins also cuts the risk of miscarriage by 57 percent. "Because miscarriage occurs very early in pregnancy, it is important for women of reproductive age, who may become pregnant, to eat a balanced diet and use vitamins," recommended Reem Hasan, the leader of the research team. Scientists therefore urge all women of childbearing age to follow healthy lifestyle behaviors and take vitamin supplements.

Nutrition: why you should aim for nine-a-day

2009-06-08T01:10:00.002+02:00

We do our best; but how many of us actually manage to get our “five a day”, every day?

Why do we need five a day?

The figure is not plucked from thin air but is based on advice from the World Health Organisation (WHO), which told us in 1991 that people who eat “five a day” appear to have a lower incidence of heart disease, some cancers and other health problems.

Is five a day enough?
Five a day is the minimum amount suggested by the WHO. In the US the health authorities say that people should aim for nine servings each day to reap the full benefits. If we measure ourselves against this target we really need to raise our game.

What is a portion anyway?
Again, this was decided by the WHO. It said that a reasonable size for a portion is 80g so that in total, over the whole day, you get 400g of fruit and vegetables.

A normal-sized apple, orange, pear, peach or banana is 80g; or two small fruits such as satsumas and apricots; or one slice of melon, pineapple or papaya, two slices of mango or a tablespoon of dried fruit.

As for vegetables, it is three heaped tablespoons of veg such as courgettes and carrots and pulses such as peas, and four heaped tablespoons of “greens” such as cabbage, spinach and green beans. A 150ml glass of vegetable juice also counts.

Is variety important?
Yes, it is very important. First, aim for a “three vegetable-two fruits” split if you can. Then — however “super” we are told that things such as broccoli, watercress and blueberries are — try to mix and match lots of different types of vegetables and fruits rather than sticking with just a few with which you are familiar. This will help to ensure that you eat a wide variety of vitamins, minerals and supernutrients. Fresh, frozen and canned all count, although it is best when opting for the latter to go for those not canned in salted water or syrup.

Do fruit juices and smoothies count?
Yes, but a 160ml serving counts as one portion. Having bigger servings does not count as two or three. Fruit that has been liquidised and pasteurised, or ultra-heat-treated, to make into juices and smoothies, is not the same as the fresh whole version. If nothing else, the sugars in the fruit become liberated as cell walls are broken down in the processing so that it is absorbed and digested more rapidly.

Also, liquid fruit will not keep you feeling as full as whole fruits. That said, a 160ml serving can be a practical and tasty way to get one of your five in.

What doesn’t count?
Potatoes, while obviously a vegetable in the botanical sense, are classed as a starchy food by the nutritionists who set the rules, so do not count towards your five a day. Fruit-based jams, little bits of apricot on top of a Danish pastry, blueberries in a muffin and fruit squashes and cordials do not count either.

Cheats’ ways of getting your portions in Grate apples or pears and mix them into your breakfast cereal; opt for vegetable-filled soups such as minestrone at lunchtime and slip grated carrots into dishes such as Bolognese sauce or shepherd’s pie that you are making for dinner. Add extra peppers, onions and mushrooms on top of a tomato and cheese pizza you grab from the freezer, whip up vegetable-packed stir-fries (frozen packets of stir-fry vegetables are fine), and go for puddings such as poached plums or apricots with fromage frais, barbecued or grilled bananas or even a simple baked apple with a small blob of ice cream.

A decent handful of crudités served with healthy yoghurt-based dips such as tzatziki, a small bowl of olives (about 15 in total) and even a tomato juice in a Virgin Mary before dinner also all count individually as a portion. None of these feel as if you are forcing portions down for the sake of it, but are enjoyable ways to surreptitiously lift your daily fruit and vegetable quotas.

Join the Times Health Club free, and take part in the challenge of the month to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables each day, at www.timesonline.co.uk/healthclub

Improving mom's nutrition may help prevent child obesity

2009-06-04T23:45:00.005+02:00

A new study finds improving a mother's eating habits could help prevent obesity in her children.

Because nearly 40-percent of American children are overweight or obese, researchers at Nationwide Children's Hospital wanted to see what was the best way to lower these numbers.

They divided a group of 300 mothers and their babies, who were younger than twelve months, into several nutrition programs.

The study found the maternal-focused group that worked to improve a mother's eating habits, led to their children drinking less juice, watching less television and eating more fruits.

The hope is that by giving moms nutrition advice during their child's doctor's visits, their children will eat more organized meals and snacks and allow less grazing, which leads to obesity.

Vitamin C in Skin Care

2009-06-03T22:37:00.005+02:00

Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is the prince of vitamins and the first dietary substance associated with curing a disease known as scurvy, a deadly and painful illness that was prevalent before James Lind, MD, discovered the cure in 1747. He established that the absence of a compound in the diet was the cause of scurvy. Lind died in 1794 at 78, and the following year, the British Admiralty adopted the use of citrus foods as the prevention of scurvy. In 1935, vitamin C was synthesized in pure form.

Vitamin C is also an important part of a variety of bodily functions, ranging from bone formation to scar tissue repair. It is the major water-soluble antioxidant, it destroys free radicals, it plays a critical role in hydroxylation reactions that are essential for the formation of collagen, and carnitine synthesis uses vitamin C as a reducing agent. It is directly involved in the formation of norepinephrine and serotonin, two important substances needed for the proper function of the nervous system; and it is also involved in the synthesis of hormones, hormone-releasing factors and neurotransmitters.

The chemistry of vitamin C

The chemistry of vitamin Ca and its role in the body can be more easily understood if you remember that it is a reducing agent. This means that it donates hydrogen to other compounds. Vitamin C is formed from glucose in the bodies of most animals, except primates and guinea pigs. Humans lack the enzyme L-gulonolactone oxidase, which converts glucose to ascorbic acid. Although other enzymes are also required for the conversion, this one is definitely lacking. Take a look at the vitamin C molecule in Figure 1. It is a simple sugar molecule with a slight modification. The important parts of this figure are the two OH groups (hydroxyl groups) on the vitamin C molecule. It is the loss of the hydrogen atoms from these OHs that makes vitamin C a hydrogen donor and, therefore, a reducing agent.

Vitamin E, also known as tocopherol, is an oil-soluble vitamin antioxidant and a reducing agent. It has only one OH group on the end, which is the active part of the molecule that donates the hydrogen atom in an antioxidant reaction. Now, here is the bad thing about vitamin E; losing a hydrogen from the hydroxyl group converts the molecule of vitamin into a quinone. So what, you say, is the big deal? Quinones are highly reactive molecules associated with neoplastic disordersb. The OH group is converted to carbonyl—that is to a -C=O—which can very easily react with proteins and make them nonfunctional. Along comes vitamin C and donates an H+ to the -C=O, changing back to the more beneficial -OH group. This is a very necessary function of vitamin C as a critical part of the antioxidant defense system.

Collagen formation

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body; it makes up 70% of the dry weight of human skin and is a critical component of the vascular and muscular system. Vitamin C is essential to the formation of collagen. Although collagen formation is a complex process, the steps can be limited to only seven: four inside the fibroblasts and three in the cytoplasm.

Read full article here:

http://www.skininc.com/skinscience/physiology/46738787.html

Vitamins Help You Sleep Better and Cure Insomnia

2009-06-02T22:36:00.003+02:00

For better sleep, the body needs healthy foods and nutrients. Many nutrients are known to have a calming effect on the nervous system and help promote good sleep. Whole foods contain many of these natural insomnia cures, but supplements are also available to ensure that you obtain the proper dietary amounts.

Calcium
is nature's tranquilizer. Some feel that calcium is best absorbed in the evening, suggesting that the folk medicine suggestion of a glass of milk before bedtime might be a good idea. Natural forms of calcium are dairy foods as well as green vegetables and sesame. A spoon of sesame seeds has ten times the calcium as a similar amount of milk. Spinach is also high in calcium. Take 1000 milligrams of calcium daily.

Magnesium
is needed to absorb calcium. Many calcium supplements also contain magnesium. Epsom salts are made of magnesium and an Epsom salt bath is one way to absorb magnesium. Magnesium is a muscle relaxant as well as important for balancing blood sugar and blood pressure. Natural sources of magnesium are halibut, peanuts, whole grains, spinach, bananas, avocadoes, and nuts and seeds. Diabetes and those on diuretics need to insure proper intake of magnesium, as much magnesium is lost through urine. Symptoms of deficiency are muscle spasms, nausea and loss of appetite.

Vitamin D
is another nutrient needed to support calcium uptake in the body. Milk products are regularly fortified with vitamin D. Research has shown that it is difficult to obtain enough vitamin D from exposure to the sun, especially in winter months, or north of New York or San Francisco, so supplementation is advised.

L-theanine
is one of the ingredients of green tea. This amino acid is known to have calming properties. R-glutamylethylamide is the full name of the chemical. Research has shown theanine to calm the brain by producing alpha waves. Aside from its calming effects, theanine may also lower blood pressure.

5-HTP
is the abbreviation for L-5-hydroxlytryptophan. L-Tryptophan is an amino acid. This same nutrient is high in turkey protein and some say is responsible for the post-Thanksgiving sleepiness. Some have used tryptophan as a mood enhancer, as well, as it is known to help with serotonin mechanisms in the brain. A capsule of 5-HTP can be taken in the morning on an empty stomach.

GABA
is one of the brain's neurotransmitters. The full name of this nutrient used to treat depression is gamma-Aminobutyric acid. Its function is to regulate muscle tone and the excitability of nerves.

The Beauty of B: Why You May Need More of the Vitamin B Complex

2009-06-02T01:11:00.002+02:00

Vitamin B comes in many forms, and all of them are necessary for healthy living. Getting plenty of B vitamins - usually much more than the recommended daily allowance - can improve heart health and symptoms of depression, and can also work to improve energy levels and brain function.

The complex of B vitamins includes vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, vitamin B9, vitamin B12, biotin, choline and inositol. It can't be stressed enough that all of the vitamins in the B complex are equally important. These vitamins work together in a synergistic way.

If you don't have enough of one type of B vitamin, the other kinds will not be able to function effectively.
For many reasons, vitamin B deficiency is not uncommon today. Our typical modern lifestyle and diet are especially responsible for depleting the B vitamins from our system. A deficiency is usually caused by:

- Stress. Whether it's emotional (like chronic anxiety) or physical (like surgery), stress quickly saps B vitamins from our bodies. If you are under a lot of stress or if you have trouble managing your stress, then you need more B vitamins to make up for lost nutrients.

- Poor Nutrition. Thanks to commercial farming practices and modern food processing, foods today have less naturally occurring vitamins than in previous times. Processed foods disrupt the body's normal functions and drain the B vitamins right out of us. Foods like refined grains and sugar are especially damaging.

- Toxins and Chemicals. They're in our food, our air, and our water. Household cleaners are loaded with them. Even when we try our best to avoid them, we're frequently exposed to toxins and chemicals that deplete our B vitamins.

It's easy to see why so many people are deficient of the vitamin B complex. Below are some of the common symptoms of a vitamin B deficiency:

- Heart palpitations or arrhythmia

- Sleep problems or insomnia

- Nervousness, anxiety

- Indigestion- Difficulty concentrating and poor memory

- Increased irritability

- Emotional behavior like frequent crying spells and mood swings

- Skin problems (acne, wrinkles, dryness, rashes, etc.)

- Brittle nails

Clearly the B vitamins are essential to our physical health and our mental well-being. Without them, life just isn't as good as it could be. Here are some ways you can ensure you're getting enough:

- Eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. Choose organic and locally grown produce whenever possible.

- Avoid overcooking your food, which can destroy the vitamin content.

- Avoid processed foods, artificial sweeteners, caffeine and alcohol. These deplete your system of B vitamins.

- Eat more foods that are naturally filled with B vitamins, including oats, avocado, salmon, and Brazil nuts.

Many people find that a vitamin B complex supplement is helpful in addition to the above suggestions. If you take a B complex supplement, be sure the vitamins are derived from whole
food sources. This ensures you're getting a supplement of higher quality that provides a more usable form of the B vitamin complex.

Here Comes the Sun – Do’s and Don’ts for Protecting Your Child this Summer

2009-05-31T22:49:00.003+02:00

What child doesn’t love summertime? Every summer ushers in the old favorites: school vacation, pool time, warm weather and….sunburn. This summer, start a new tradition – no sunburns!

The summer sun is an excellent source of Vitamin D for kids’ growing bones and developing immune systems. In fact, the proper amount of Vitamin D from protected sun exposure plays an important role in the maintenance of organ systems. It helps the absorption of vitamins and minerals, like calcium, and promotes bone growth and strength, a crucial function for developing bodies. It also helps with immune system function to fight off diseases.

On the other hand, overexposure to the sun, specifically the dangerous UVA/UVB rays, can be toxic to vulnerable child organ function, especially the skin. Severe sunburns from UVB light can cause rash, headache, fever, dehydration, fatigue and vomiting, to name a few. UVA light has received more attention in recent years, as scientists discovered this penetrates into deeper skin tissue, causing the deadly skin cancer melanoma.

This summer, when the sun gets hot and everyone heads outside on a beach vacation or even in the back yard, parents need to arm themselves with the proper information and tools to protect their children. To ensure a fun, lobster-free summer, follow these simple do’s and don’ts.

DON’T Underestimate Overcast Weather
UV light doesn’t need clear skies to penetrate skin. In cloudy weather, it actually does a nice job of scattering off clouds and burning the skin. Kids may even be at a greater risk of burns because they don’t feel the heat, but are still getting rays.

Make sure to apply a non-irritating, 30 SPF, zinc-oxide based sunscreen no matter what the weather condition.

DO Stay Vigilant with Sunscreen Application
Some parents think that a high SPF is enough to protect their kids, but reapplication is the key to true protection from sunburns. Make sure to use a water resistant sun block, but don’t think once in the morning is enough.

Call kids back every hour or more (if they are sweating or near water) for another coat. Staying on top of this will keep the pain, redness and complaints away!

DO keep kids hydrated throughout the day
Treating the body from the inside out with plenty of fluids, namely water, will aid in cell regeneration and moisturize the skin while in the summer sun and sweltering heat. Make children come inside or take a shady break to quench their thirst or even eat a frosty ice pop, so they don’t feel like their missing all the action outside.

DON’T think there is a “cure-all” plan B for sunburn
While using antihistamines like children’s Tylenol and moisturizing the skin can provide some relief for the discomfort, burning and itching, the damage is already done. The redness of sunburn is actually the immune system generating its own "damage control" response. By taking away the redness, you are doing nothing about the DNA and elastin damage that leads to rapid aging of the skin and can start a skin cancer. In severe burns, a blister may form on top of the skin, but don’t try to treat it. This is helping to regenerate the basal layer - the layer that regrows skin. But, the bottom line remains: don’t let your child get sun burnt in the first place.

DON’T let kids have too much outdoor time from 11-3 PM
The summer sun is highest in the sky and hottest during midday, from 11- 3 PM. While this is prime time for playing outdoors, it’s also the vulnerable sunburn hours. If kids must be outside, sun block and reapplication is the key, but another great, newer method is UPF-protective hats and clothing. Wallaroo Hat Company makes numerous hat styles in UPF-50 for infants to adults.

Vitamin K helps strengthen bones

2009-05-28T18:33:00.002+02:00

High doses of Vitamin K help reduce the risk of bone fractures in post-menopausal women, according to a recent article in Nutrition Research.

Though scientists found that high doses of vitamins K1 and K2 had only “moderate increase in bone mineral density,” they stated that use of the vitamins helped “reduce the incidence of clinical fractures.”

Vitamin K1 is found in green leafy vegetables such as lettuce and spinach and provides about 90 percent of the vitamin K in a normal Western diet.

Vitamin K2 can be found in meat and makes up about 10 percent of the vitamin K in the diet.

Japanese scientists, led by Jun Iwamotoa from Keio University School of Medicine in Tokyo, reviewed seven clinical trials for the vitamins in relation to bone health in post-menopausal women.
The randomized trials involved at least 50 post-menopausal women with a study period of two years or longer. The women were given doses of vitamin K1 ranging from 200 micrograms to 5 milligrams per day and 45 milligrams of vitamin K2, according to nutraingredients.com.

“The review of the reliable literature confirmed the effect of vitamin K1 and vitamin K2 supplementation on the skeleton of post-menopausal women,” wrote researchers, “mediated by mechanisms other than bone mineral density and bone turnover.”

High vitamin D linked to better cognitive function in old people

2009-05-27T22:49:00.004+02:00

The news is bright for the sunshine vitamin. A British study out of Manchester indicates that older people who have higher levels of vitamin D in their bloodstream have greater cognitive and social abilities as they grow older, compared to those who have lower levels of the vitamin.

Vitamin D is manufactured by the body after the skin has been exposed to the sun. Physically, it helps the bones absorb calcium; hence, most calcium supplements are a combination of the mineral and vitamin D.

The results of the current study are being published by the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry. Three thousand European men were tested cognitively and socially; the lower the levels of vitamin D, the poorer the participants fared on the tests.

While this is the first definitive study linking mental acumen in old age to vitamin D, a study published in the Journal of Gerontology in 2007 showed a strong link between vitamin D levels and physical performance in older people.

Nine hundred subjects were given blood tests to check their vitamin D levels. Then each participant was checked to see how fast they could walk, how easily they could get out of a chair, and how well they could maintain balance.

Hands down, those who had higher levels of vitamin D physically outperformed those with lower levels.

Clearly, the physical and mental benefits of vitamin D bode well for seniors. More good news: while spending time in the sun is one way to enable the body to produce vitamin D, supplementation is just as effective for those who are unable to get outside much, or those who are at a greater risk for skin cancer.

Health-promoting effects of exercise diminished by vitamin C, E in people with diabetes

2009-05-22T22:31:00.002+02:00

Vitamins C and E nearly eliminated the health-promoting effects of physical exercise and oxidative stress among people with diabetes.

“We examined two groups of people who had the same level of exercise training, but one group was taking vitamins C and E, which did block the oxidative stress response or [thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances]. This blockade correlated significantly with a blockade of the ability to improve the glucose uptake into the muscle,” C. Ronald Kahn, MD, president and director of the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston, told Endocrine Today.

In the prospective, randomized, four-week, intensive training study, Kahn and colleagues randomly assigned 40 healthy men aged 25 to 35 years to receive 500 mg of vitamin C twice-daily and 400 IU of vitamin E once-daily or placebo (control group).

Twenty participants were considered to be previously untrained (performed less than two hours of exercise per week) and 20 participants were previously trained (performed more than six hours of exercise per week).

All participants completed physical training sessions for five consecutive days during a four-week period. Training sessions included biking or running for 20 minutes, circuit training for 45 minutes and 20-minute periods of warming up and cooling down.
The researchers obtained blood samples at baseline and seven days after the last training session.

Beneficial effect of exercise blocked
Fat free mass (P=.03) and VO2 maximum (P<.001) were significantly higher among participants in the pre-trained group.

Following physical exercise, participants in the control group had a more than two-fold increase in oxidative stress (P=.08). In contrast, participants in the antioxidant group did not have a significant increase in muscle mass following exercise (P=.19). This resulted in a significant reduction in the formation of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances following three days of exercise compared with the control group (P=.03).

“A lot of people look at oxidative stress as damaging tissue, but there are data in the area of metabolism and insulin action that suggest that low levels of oxidative stress actually produce a kind of improved insulin sensitivity or a mimicking of insulin action,” Kahn said during the interview.

“Our thought was that this low level of oxidative stress that occurs in exercise training would somehow be beneficial and may help the insulin sensitization process make the muscle work more effectively to take up glucose. We therefore are concerned for people taking antioxidants that it could block this small oxidative stress response and may actually block the beneficial effect of exercise — which is exactly what happened.”

In addition, the researchers observed a significant increase in glucose infusion rates among controls, regardless of training history. Neither previously untrained nor previously trained participants who received antioxidants had significant changes in glucose infusion rates following exercise.

“There may still be a beneficial effect of antioxidants and exercise for cardiovascular fitness and for general muscle mass and a physical sense of well being,” Kahn said. “However, if it is to the extent that the patient is exercising either to help improve their diabetes or to possibly help prevent diabetes, then we think that the patient taking these doses of antioxidants will block a lot, if not all, of the beneficial effect of exercise.”

Eat your vitamins: tips for terrific tomatoes

2009-05-21T22:42:00.004+02:00

There’s no doubt about it: Tomatoes are nutritious. The easy kind of nutritious. All you have to do is cut ‘em up and throw them on a salad or sandwich to get a boost of great stuff like potassium, Vitamins A and C and an antioxidant called lycopene.

Need fiber? One tomato has two grams of fiber, giving you even more incentive to enjoy this saucy fruit. Sometimes, though, grocery store tomatoes taste like a whole lot of nothing.

Read the full article here:

http://www.examiner.com/x-10873-LA-Health-and-Beauty-Examiner~y2009m5d21-Eat-your-vitamins-tips-for-terrific-tomatoes

Vitamin D reduces asthma severity

2009-05-19T22:46:00.005+02:00

Monday May 18, 2009 (foodconsumer.org) -- Although the committee charged with determining the recommended daily amount of nutrients cannot currently agree on how much vitamin D we need (New York Times), there is now plenty of research supporting its many health advantages.

Dr. Mercola, author of the mercola.com site, states that some of the newest reports are indicating that low vitamin D levels in children can increase the severity of asthma.Studies have shown that children who were hospitalized with asthma-related problems typically had low levels of vitamin D in the bloodstream.

This data seems to corroborate an Australian study from 2006 which showed that exposure to sunlight reduced the severity of asthma in mice. And, according to the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, mothers who have adequate vitamin D supplementation while pregnant can actually reduce the risk that their children will later develop asthma between the ages of 3 and 5.

Jane Brody, who refers to vitamin D as the “sunshine vitamin,” reported in a recent column that since the powers that be are still in a quandary over optimal levels of the vitamin, it’s up to the consumer to look at the some of the research and decide how much to take.These new associations between asthma severity and vitamin D are simply verification that the “sunshine vitamin” could be coming into its own.

Brody writes that vitamin D has been shown to regulate balance in older people, and has been linked to a reduction in cancers of the breast, ovary, rectum, prostate and stomach.Currently, the recommended daily allowance of vitamin D is 400 IUs, which, according to Dr. Mercola, is ten times less than the amount necessary for optimal health.

Vitamin D: The Sun Vitamin

2009-05-18T23:08:00.002+02:00

Vitamin D (calciferol) is a fat-soluble vitamin that is not only found in food (such as milk), but can also be made in your body after exposure to ultraviolet rays from the sun.

The main role of Vitamin D is to maintain normal blood levels of calcium and phosphorus. It aids in the absorption of calcium, helping to form and maintain strong bones, especially during growth periods. It also promotes bone mineralization in conjunction with a number of other vitamins, minerals, and hormones.

A Vitamin D deficiency may have many side effects. Rickets (bowing of the bones) is caused by Vitamin D deficiency in children and infants. The elderly and others who do not get much sun exposure are also at risk for Vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D deficiency may also result in the softening of the bones and abnormal bone formation.

One in every seven adults has been reported to be Vitamin D deficient. Brief and casual exposure to sunlight can provide enough Vitamin D to meet your needs.

Beans, grains: Good for you, your wallet

2009-05-18T00:55:00.003+02:00

Looking for a culinary silver lining in our depressing economy? Learning to cook creatively with cheap foods such as beans and grains can save you money, liven up your table with new recipes and improve your health.

"At pennies per serving, there's no comparison between beans and grains, and animal protein costs," says David Gabbe, who teaches vegetarian cooking classes in Washington state. "They are economical. You get a lot of food at a modest price."

"I can't say enough good about beans," says Bev Utt, wellness dietitian in Tacoma, Wash. "You eat a cup of beans, and you're full for a long time."

The federal government's dietary guidelines recommend everyone eat 3 cups of legumes, or beans, a week.

"Beans are a unique combination of fiber, protein and vitamins and minerals," Utt says. "They are a marvelous source of protein, and they may help us reduce the risk of heart disease and certain cancers. That's a pretty strong résumé."

Utt says canned beans are OK, but they usually contain a lot of sodium. She recommends you rinse them off before eating.

Utt prefers cooking dried beans. She buys heirloom varieties from a Web site called www.ranchogordo.com. While heirloom beans -- like heirloom tomatoes -- are a little pricier, she says, they more than make up for the cost with added taste.

Government nutrition guidelines say that eating at least 3 ounces of whole grains a day can reduce the risk of chronic disease. Some experts suggest eating at least half of our grains as whole grains.

Improve your eating habit

2009-05-17T11:23:00.003+02:00

To improve your eating habits, you first have to know what’s wrong with them. Write down everything you eat for three days. Then check your list according to the rest of these tips.

Do you add a lot of butter, creamy sauces or salad dressings? Rather than eliminating these foods, just cut back your portions. Are you getting enough fruits and vegetables? If not, you may be missing out on vital nutrients.

Maintain a healthy weight
The weight that's right for you depends on many factors including your sex, height, age and heredity. Excess body fat increases your chances for high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, some types of cancer and other illnesses.

But being too thin can increase your risk for osteoporosis, menstrual irregularities and other health problems.

If you're constantly losing and regaining weight, a registered dietician can help you develop sensible eating habits for successful weight management. Regular exercise is also important to maintaining a healthy weight.

Eat moderate portions
If you keep portion sizes reasonable, it's easier to eat the foods you want and stay healthy. Did you know the recommended serving of cooked meat is three ounces, similar in size to a deck of playing cards? A medium piece of fruit is one serving and a cup of pasta equals two servings. A pint of ice cream contains four servings.

Eat regular meals
Skipping meals can lead to out-of-control hunger, often resulting in overeating. When you're very hungry,it's also tempting to forget about good nutrition. Snacking between meals can help curb hunger, but don't eat so much that your snack becomes an entire meal.

Reduce, don't eliminate certain foods
Most people eat for pleasure as well as nutrition. If your favourite foods are high in fat, salt or sugar, the key is moderating how much of these foods you eat and how often you eat them. Identify major sources of these ingredients in your diet and make changes, if necessary. Adults who eat high fat meats or whole-milk dairy products at every meal are probably eating too much fat. Use the Nutrition Facts panel on the food label to help balance your choices. Choosing skim or low-fat dairy products' and lean cuts of meat such as flank steak and beef round can reduce fat intake significantly. If you love fried chicken, however, you don't have to give- it up. Just eat it less often. When dining out, share it with a friend, ask for a take-home bag or a smaller portion.

Balance your food choices over time
Not every food has to be "perfect." When eating a food high in fat, salt or sugar, select other foods that are low in these ingredients. If you miss out on any food group one day, make up for it the next. Your food choices over several days should fit together into a healthy pattern.

Make changes gradually
Just as there are no "superfoods" or easy answers to a healthy diet, don't expect to totally revamp your eating habits overnight. Changing too much, too fast can get in the way of success. Begin to remedy excesses or deficiencies with modest changes that can add up to positive, lifelong eating habits. For instance, if you don't like the taste of skim milk, try low-fat. Eventually you may find you like skim, too.

Remember, foods are not good or bad
Select foods based on your total eating patterns, not whether any individual food is "good" or "bad." Don't feel guilty if you love foods such as apple pie, potato chips, candy bars or ice cream. Eat them in moderation, and choose other foods to provide the balance and variety that are vital to good health.

3 Ways B Vitamins Can Protect Your Heart

2009-05-16T00:38:00.002+02:00

Read article here: http://www.stopagingnow.com/news/news_flashes/5729/3-Ways-B-Vitamins-Can-Protect-Your-Heart

Get (Real) Food, Not Vitamin Supplements, Says New Study

2009-05-15T16:57:00.004+02:00

A study in this week's issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and detailed in the New York Times, proposed that if you are exercising to improve metabolism and prevent diabetes, then you may want to avoid antioxidant vitamins like C and E. Why? It comes down to reactive oxygen species (ROS), of which free radicals are a subset. When you exercise, your body creates these compounds, which damage your body's tissues. But your body has a natural defense system for ROS, which vitamin supplements may interfere with. "Thus, it is possible that preventing the formation of ROS by, for example, antioxidants might actually increase, rather than decreases the risk of type 2 diabetes." Essentially "antioxidant supplementation blocks many of the beneficial effects of exercise on metabolism," the study states.

This study also recaps several other recent findings that suggest antioxidant supplements could harm you. According to the study, "[A]ntioxidant use in type 2 diabetics has been linked to increased prevalence of hypertension and use of antioxidant supplements has recently been proposed to increase overall mortality in the general population. Taken together, these previously published findings tentatively suggest that fruits and vegetables may exert health-promoting effects despite their antioxidant content and possible due to other bio-active compounds."

The study makes one last important point: Eating vitamins present in foods is still good for you. It's only vitamin pills that seem problematic.

This is one study, of course. But we have yet to hear of any study that reports any negative effects from eating healthy fruits and veggies.

Bowl of cereal beats post-workout drink, says study

2009-05-15T15:17:00.002+02:00

‘A bowl of cereal beats guzzling an expensive sports drink after a workout,’ the Daily Mail has reported. The newspaper said that ‘the breakfast snack was at least as good, if not better, at revitalising muscles’.

Read full article here:

http://www.nursingtimes.net/whats-new-in-nursing/behind-the-headlines-archive/bowl-of-cereal-beats-post-workout-drink-says-study/5001600.article

Vitamin-added junk food concerns professor

2009-05-15T13:01:00.001+02:00

NUTRITION: Health Canada may loosen regulations and let manufacturers add nutrients.

Read the article here: http://www.thewhig.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1569330

Lack of Vitamin A kills 670,000 children worldwide: UN study

2009-05-15T11:10:00.002+02:00

New Delhi, May 14 : A study by the United Nations has found that around 670,000 children under five lose their lives due to Vitamin A deficiency across the world and iron deficiency or anaemia during pregnancy results in one-fifth of total maternal deaths worldwide.

Read the report here:
http://www.samaylive.com/news/lack-of-vitamin-a-kills-670000-children-worldwide-un-study/626968.html

‘Wrong’ Sunlight Can Lower Your Vitamin D Levels

2009-05-15T10:59:00.002+02:00

Vitamin D is one of the vitamins that has been labelled a ‘Wonder Vitamin’ and it most certainly is one of the few that can actually live up to the expectation. This fat-soluble vitamin is produced by our bodies when the skin is exposed to UV radiation from sunlight. In theory a few minutes exposure to sun each day should generate sufficient vitamin D. But what would you say if you were told that the ‘wrong’ kind of sun light can actually lower your vitamin D levels?

It is well known that this fat-soluble vitamin is produced by our bodies when the skin is exposed to UV radiation from sunlight. In theory a few minutes exposure to sun each day should generate sufficient vitamin D.

But what if the ‘wrong’ kind of sun light actually can lower the vitamin D levels?

Read the article here: http://www.thehealthierlife.co.uk/natural-health-articles/environmental-health/vitamin-d-sunburn-cancer-uv-rays-98654.html

Vitamins cancel out benefits of exercise

2009-05-14T23:35:00.004+02:00

Taking vitamin supplements after exercise can cancel out the beneficial effects of workout particularly on diabetes and glucose metabolism.

Exercise has long been known as an effective way to improve the effect of insulin and reduce the risk of diabetes, as exercise-induced oxidative stress helps the body to protect itself against stress and metabolize carbodydrates more efficiently.

A new study, however, reported that taking antioxidant supplements like vitamin C and E can block the impact of exercise on insulin.

Previous studies had reported that antioxidants protect cells against the damage caused by free radicals, postponing the aging process and reducing the risk of certain diseases such as cancer.

German scientists reported that these free radicals are good for individuals as they protect the body against diabetes through increasing sensitivity to insulin.

According to the study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , eliminating the free radicals released following intense exercise may do more harm than good.

Scientists concluded that free radicals are harmful in excess or if allowed to persist for long periods but short term doses of these compounds act like a vaccine, helping the body to boost its defenses against chronic stressors.

Vitamin B-Complex

2009-05-05T20:57:00.002+02:00

The vitamin B-complex refers to all of the known essential water-soluble vitamins except for vitamin C. These include thiamine (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2), niacin (vitamin B3), pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), pyridoxine (vitamin B6), biotin, folic acid and the cobalamins (vitamin B12).

"Vitamin B" was once thought to be a single nutrient that existed in extracts of rice, liver, or yeast. Researchers later discovered these extracts contained several vitamins, which were given distinguishing numbers. Unfortunately, this has led to an erroneous belief among non-scientists that these vitamins have a special relationship to each other. Further adding to confusion has been the "unofficial" designation of other substances as members of the B-complex, such as choline, inositol, and para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA), even though they are not essential vitamins.

Each member of the B-complex has a unique structure and performs unique functions in the human body. Vitamins B1, B2, B3, and biotin participate in different aspects of energy production, vitamin B6 is essential for amino acid metabolism, and vitamin B12 and folic acid facilitate steps required for cell division. Each of these vitamins has many additional functions. However, contrary to popular belief, no functions require all B-complex vitamins simultaneously.
Human requirements for members of the B-complex vary considerably—from 3 mcg per day for vitamin B12 to 18 mg per day for vitamin B3 in adult males, for example. Therefore, taking equal amounts of each one—as provided in many B-complex supplements—makes little sense.

Furthermore, there is little evidence supporting the use of megadoses of B-complex vitamins to combat everyday stress, boost energy, or control food cravings, unless a person has a deficiency of one or more of them. Again, contrary to popular belief, there is no evidence indicating people should take all B vitamins to avoid an imbalance when one or more individual B vitamin is taken for a specific health condition.

Most multivitamin-mineral products contain the B-complex along with the rest of the essential vitamins and minerals. Since they are more complete than B-complex vitamins alone, multiple vitamin-mineral supplements are recommended to improve overall micronutrient intake and prevent deficiencies.

Vitamin B6

2009-05-05T20:54:00.002+02:00

Vitamin B6 is the master vitamin for processing amino acids—the building blocks of all proteins and some hormones. Vitamin B6 helps to make and take apart many amino acids and is also needed to make the hormones, serotonin, melatonin, and dopamine.

Where is it found?
Potatoes, bananas, raisin bran cereal, lentils, liver, turkey, and tuna are all good sources of vitamin B6.

Vitamin B5

2009-05-05T20:52:00.001+02:00

Pantothenic acid, also called vitamin B5, is a water-soluble vitamin involved in the Kreb’s cycle of energy production and is needed to make the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. It is also essential in producing, transporting, and releasing energy from fats. Synthesis of cholesterol (needed to manufacture vitamin D and steroid hormones) depends on pantothenic acid. Pantothenic acid also activates the adrenal glands. Pantethine—a byproduct of pantothenic acid—has been reported to lower blood levels of cholesterol and triglycerides.

Where is it found?
Liver, yeast, and salmon have high concentrations of pantothenic acid, but most other foods, including vegetables, dairy, eggs, grains, and meat, also provide some pantothenic acid.

Vitamin B3

2009-05-05T20:50:00.002+02:00

The body uses the water-soluble vitamin B3 in the process of releasing energy from carbohydrates. It is needed to form fat from carbohydrates and to process alcohol. The niacin form of vitamin B3 also regulates cholesterol, though niacinamide does not.

Where is it found?
The best food sources of vitamin B3 are peanuts, brewer’s yeast, fish, and meat. Some vitamin B3 is also found in whole grains.

Vitamin B2

2009-05-05T20:47:00.003+02:00

Vitamin B2 is a water-soluble vitamin needed to process amino acids and fats, activate vitamin B6 and folic acid, and help convert carbohydrates into the fuel the body runs on—adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Under some conditions, vitamin B2 can act as an antioxidant.

Where is it found?
Dairy products, eggs, and meat contain significant amounts of vitamin B2. Leafy green vegetables, whole grains, and enriched grains contain some vitamin B2.

Vitamin B12

2009-05-05T20:43:00.002+02:00

Vitamin B12 is is a water-soluble vitamin needed for normal nerve cell activity, DNA replication, and production of the mood-affecting substance SAMe (S-adenosyl-L-methionine). Vitamin B12 acts with folic acid and vitamin B6 to control homocysteine levels. An excess of homocysteine is associated with an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, and potentially other diseases such as osteoporosis and Alzheimer’s disease.

Where is it found?

Vitamin B12 is found in all foods of animal origin, including dairy, eggs, meat, poultry, and fish. According to one report, small, inconsistent amounts occur in seaweed (including nori and chlorella) and tempeh. Many researchers and healthcare professionals believe that people cannot rely on vegetarian sources to provide predictably sufficient quantities of vitamin B12. However, another study found substantial amounts of vitamin B12 in nori (at least 55 mcg per 100 grams of dry weight).

Vitamin B1

2009-05-05T20:34:00.000+02:00

Vitamin B1 is is a water-soluble vitamin needed to process carbohydrates, fat, and protein. Every cell of the body requires vitamin B1 to form the fuel the body runs on—adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Nerve cells require vitamin B1 in order to function normally.

Where is it found?

Wheat germ, whole wheat, peas, beans, enriched flour, fish, peanuts, and meat are all good sources of vitamin B1.

Vitamin A

2009-05-05T20:17:00.000+02:00

Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin with four major functions in the body:

1) It helps cells reproduce normally—a process called differentiation (cells that have not properly differentiated are more likely to undergo pre-cancerous changes).

2) It is required for vision; vitamin A maintains healthy cells in various structures of the eye and is required for the transduction of light into nerve signals in the retina.

3) It is required for normal growth and development of the embryo and fetus, influencing genes that determine the sequential development of organs in embryonic development.

4) It may be required for normal reproductive function, with influences on the function and development of sperm, ovaries and placenta.

Where is it found?
Liver, dairy products and cod liver oil are good sources of vitamin A. Vitamin A is also available in supplement form