More on vitamins

 "Over the course of two months, a 62-year-old man developed numbness and a “pins and needles” sensation in his hands, had trouble walking, experienced severe joint pain, began turning yellow, and became progressively short of breath. The cause was lack of vitamin B12 in his bloodstream, according to a case report from Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital published in The New England Journal of Medicine. It could have been worse—a severe vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to deep depression, paranoia and delusions, memory loss, incontinence, loss of taste and smell, and more, according to another article in today’s New England Journal."

Over the last several years I have been to many doctors for my various health issues. Depression, knee pain, peripheral neuropathy and lack of energy toping the list. I've had my thyroid checked, my blood levels checked, my urine analyzed. All the tests doctors love to do. They all came back "normal". So why, then, did I have no energy? Why was my depression so hard to keep under control even though I'm on meds for it? Why couldn't I feel my toes any more?

Well, I'm pretty sure at this point is was because I just wasn't getting enough of what my body needed. B vitamins, minerals and folate. So I started taking them. Less than a week ago. I can already feel a huge difference. My neuropathy is minimized, I sleep better, I have energy when I wake up. I can think better. And all I did was add some vitamins to my daily intake.

So, now I take a general multi vitamin (I thought that was enough for a long time), folic acid, a sublingual B complex (it has to be sublingual for the body to properly absorb it), magnesium and zinc. As well as a high quality fish oil. And here's why.

A 2010 report published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed a decreased risk for depression when greater amounts of B6 and B12 were consumed (1).

Over 3500 participants were evaluated over 12 years as part of the Chicago Health and Aging Project. Higher intakes of Vitamins B6 and B12, from both food and supplements, were associated with less depressive symptoms.

B12 (also known a cobalamin) is required for energy, heart and mood health, and the integrity and function of the nervous system. B-12 is a unique B vitamin, in that it requires a strong digestive system to absorb. This results in a high percentage of deficiencies.

 B-12 deficiencies are due to many factors, including an epidemic of weak digestion, which is illustrated by a growing inability to digest wheat, dairy and fatty foods.

There are many causes for vitamin B₁₂ deficiency. Surprisingly, two of them are practices often undertaken to improve health: a vegetarian diet and weight-loss surgery.

Plants don’t make vitamin B₁₂. The only foods that deliver it are meat, eggs, poultry, dairy products, and other foods from animals. Strict vegetarians and vegans are at high risk for developing a B₁₂ deficiency if they don’t eat grains that have been fortified with the vitamin or take a vitamin supplement. People who have stomach stapling or other form of weight-loss surgery are also more likely to be low in vitamin B₁₂ because the operation interferes with the body’s ability to extract vitamin B₁₂ from food.

Conditions that interfere with food absorption, such celiac or Crohn’s disease, can cause B₁₂ trouble. So can the use of commonly prescribed heartburn drugs, which reduce acid production in the stomach (acid is needed to absorb vitamin B₁₂). The condition is more likely to occur in older people due to the cutback in stomach acid production that often occurs with aging.

Recognizing a B₁₂ deficiency

Vitamin B₁₂ deficiency can be slow to develop, causing symptoms to appear gradually and intensify over time. It can also come on relatively quickly. Given the array of symptoms it can cause, the condition can be overlooked or confused with something else. Symptoms may include:

• strange sensations, numbness, or tingling in the hands, legs, or feet
• difficulty walking (staggering, balance problems)
• anemia
• a swollen, inflamed tongue
• yellowed skin (jaundice)
• difficulty thinking and reasoning (cognitive difficulties), or memory loss
• paranoia or hallucinations
• weakness
• fatigue

B12

Effective for:

• Treatment and prevention of vitamin B12 deficiency, and diseases caused by low vitamin B12 levels.
• Treatment of pernicious anemia.

Likely Effective for:

• Reducing a condition related to heart disease called “hyperhomocysteinemia” when taken with folic acid and vitamin B6.

Possibly Effective for:

• Age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Some research shows that taking vitamin B12 with other vitamins including folic acid and vitamin B6 might help prevent getting the eye disease called age-related macular degeneration.

Possibly Ineffective for:

• Sleep disorders.
• Preventing another stroke.
• Improving thinking and memory in people aged 65 and older, when used in combination with vitamin B6 and folic acid.

Folate and vitamin B12 help produce serotonin, the brain chemical responsible for happiness. Additionally, skimping on either folate or B12 can heighten your risk of anemia, which can make you feel grumpy and fatigued—also common symptoms of depression. However, the study researchers were surprised that these vitamins appeared to affect different types of depressive symptoms differently, says lead study author Jussi Seppälä, MD, Chief of the Department of Psychiatry of the Hospital District of Southern Savo in Finland. While more research is needed to understand why, it’s clear that diet plays a role in mood management, and it can’t hurt to load up on both vitamins.

Vitamins and Supplements Lifestyle Guide

Vitamin B-12 (Cobalamin)

Vitamin B-12 (cobalamin) plays a role in making DNA. Vitamin B-12 also helps keep nerve cells and red blood cells healthy.

Why do people take vitamin B-12?

 

Vitamin B-12 has been looked at as a treatment for many diseases and conditions. These include fatigue, Alzheimer's disease, heart disease, breast cancer, high cholesterol, and sickle cell disease. However, the results have been inconclusive. Studies suggest that vitamin B-12 does not help with stroke risk or lung cancer.

Vitamin B-12 supplements do help people who have a deficiency. Low levels of vitamin B-12 are more likely in people over 50. Vitamin B-12 is also more common in those with certain conditions, like digestive problems and some types of anemia. Low vitamin B-12 can cause fatigue, weakness, memory loss, and other problems with the nervous system.

There is some conflicting evidence about using vitamin B-12 to treat elevated levels of homocysteine in the blood. It is not fully understood how or if this elevation contributes to heart disease and other problems with blood vessels, or if the elevation is a result of these conditions. A high level of homocysteine in the blood is a risk factor for coronary, cerebral, and peripheral blood vessel disease. Risks also include blood clots, heart attacks, and certain types of stroke.
Since the evidence for treating elevated levels of homocysteine in the blood remains conflicting,  the current recommendation is screening of men over 40 and women over 50. For patients with elevated homocysteine levels, the recommendation is to supplement with folic acid and vitamin B-12. You should talk to your doctor before treating yourself for these conditions.

A recent study showed that vitamin B-12, used with folic acid and vitamin B6, reduces the risk for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in women with heart disease or multiple risk factors for heart disease.

How much vitamin B-12 should you take?

 

The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) includes the vitamin B-12 you get from both food and any supplements you take.

Category	Vitamin B-12: Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) in micrograms (mcg) For children under 1, only an adequate intake (AI) is available
0-6 months	0.4 micrograms/day Adequate Intake (AI)
7-12 months	0.5 mcg/day Adequate Intake (AI)
1-3 years	0.9 mcg/day
4-8 years	1.2 mcg/day
9-13 years	1.8 mcg/day
14 years and up	2.4 mcg/day
Pregnant women	2.6 mcg/day
Breastfeeding women	2.8 mcg/day

Even at high doses, vitamin B-12 seems fairly safe. Experts have not found a specific dose of vitamin B-12 that's dangerous. No tolerable upper intake levels have been set.

 

Can you get vitamin B-12 naturally from foods?

 

Some good food sources of vitamin B-12 are:

• Fish and shellfish
• Meats
• Poultry and eggs
• Dairy products
• Fortified cereals

Generally, it's best to get vitamins from whole foods. But doctors often suggest fortified foods -- and supplements -- to people over 50. As we age, it's harder for our bodies to absorb vitamin B-12 from food.

What are the risks of taking vitamin B-12?

• Side effects and risks. Taken at normal doses, side effects are rare. High doses may cause acne. Allergies to vitamin B-12 supplements have been reported and can cause swelling, itchy skin, and shock.  
• Interactions. Drugs for acid reflux, diabetes, and other conditions may make it harder for your body to absorb vitamin B-12.

Omega-3

Omega-3 is a long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) which is found in various plant and marine sources. The Omega-3 PUFAs eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are highly biologically active and play a critical role in the development and function of the central nervous system. Dietary deficiency of Omega-3 can prevent the renewal of membranes, slowing down nerve signalling. Researchers from the University of New South Wales identified studies that showed associations between fish consumption and rates of depression and found that patients with depression had lower blood concentrations of Omega-3 fatty acids.

B Complex vitamins

The B vitamins are required to help produce energy via the use of glucose by nervous tissue. Vitamin B1 modulates cognitive performance, especially in the elderly. Vitamins B6 and B12 are directly involved in the synthesis of neurotransmitters. Folic acid preserves the brain during its development and memory during ageing. Researchers in Finland found that a low dietary intake of folate may be a risk factor for severe depression. Both low folate and low vitamin B12 (plasma and red blood cell levels) have been found in studies of patients with depression. Supplementation with B12 has also been found to improve cognitive function in the elderly.

Older men, in particular, may have an increased need for this B vitamin, which boosts brain health. "Vitamin B12 supports the normal functioning of the nervous system, including memory," says Kooi. "Depression and dementia are symptoms of a low serum B12."
What you need to know about vitamin B12:

• The recommended daily allowance for B12 is 2.4 mcg, which you can easily get from your diet. One serving of fortified breakfast cereal will provide all that you need.
• B12 may be included in your daily multivitamin. Although high doses have not been shown to be harmful, you should not need to supplement this vitamin unless your doctor recommends it.

"Great food sources for B12 include salmon, shrimp, beef, chicken, clams, eggs, milk, and cheese," 

The following is by
-----PF Louis – Naturalnews.com


With all the emphasis on the importance of vitamins D and C, an important family of vitamins known as B-complex gets overlooked.

The B vitamins are best known for their energizing abilities, their contributions to creating red blood cells, and their ability to boost nerve health and mental focus.

They are mostly water based vitamins, which means they are not stored as well as fat based vitamins such as vitamin D3, so they need to be replaced more often.

Some B power examples for boosting energy and reducing depression

A nutritional psychology study, published in the June 2013 European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, surveyed 422 Tokyo municipal workers in a short cross sectional study, then performed a longitudinal study for three years on 210 subjects without depression symptoms and whose B6 pyridoxal serum levels were high.

The researchers confirmed that high vitamin B6 serum levels have a strong association with reducing depression risks in adults.

Another study, this one by Tufts University in Boston, determined that depression among Hispanics in the area was at least partly caused by chronic inflammation due to vitamin B6 deficiencies. This deficiency inhibits the cysteine needed to create the master antioxidant glutathiane.

A UK doctor had miraculous results using vitamin B12 injections on patients suffering from depression, chronic fatigue and various neurological ailments including neuropothy and insomnia. Because those patients already had what the medical establishment considered normal serum B12 levels, that doctor was investigated.

The British medical authorities insisted he stop, despite hundreds of successes, until his therapy could be tested. So it goes with the medical mafia racket.

Benfotiamine is a lipid form of the normally water based thiamine (B1). Benfotiamine thiamine with added pyridoxal-5-phosphate (vitamin B6) has been used successfully to nullify diabetes induced peripheral neuropathy.

The B vitamins, what they do, and how to make sure you have enough

Elevated amounts of specific B vitamins are used to address specific conditions, such as niacin for mental disorders, folate for red blood cell production and pregnancy support, and those mentioned earlier in this article.

But the rest of the B complex family should be involved at maintenance doses as a supportive foundation.

• Vitamin B1 (thiamine)

• Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)

• Vitamin B3 (niacin or niacinamide)

• Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)

• Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine, pyridoxal, pyridoxamine, or pyridoxine hydrochloride)

• Vitamin B7 (biotin)

• Vitamin B9 – (folate should be used instead of synthetic folic acid)

• Vitamin B12 – (methylcobalamin is the best)

Cruciferous vegetables have high B complex contents. Other foods high in B vitamins include bee pollen, brewers yeast, bell peppers, mushrooms, summer squash, turnip greens, and other greens. Whole grain cereals, beans, and nuts are rich in thiamine and other B vitamins.

Tuna, cod, chicken and turkey are considered good food sources for B vitamins as long as they are healthy or organic sources. Organic red meats from humanely treated, grass-fed cattle are excellent sources of vitamin B12.

Many vegetarians are lacking sufficient B12 for brain and nervous system energy and red blood cell production. If you’re not eating a good deal of red meat, you may need to supplement B12. But there’s a problem with that.

Oral B12 supplements have difficulty getting through the gastrointestinal tract intact, preventing it from getting into the bloodstream. That’s why doctors give B12 injections or prescribe patients with the wherewithal to do it themselves.

But most of us can rely on transdermal B12 patches, oral sprays or sublingual tablets that dissolve under the tongue and are absorbed directly into surface capillaries of the mouth.

Just make sure methylcobalamin is the type of cobalamin B12 used. Others can be counterproductive or perhaps toxic

Vitamin D

Vitamin D has numerous functions and may have an effect on neurotransmitters, inflammatory markers, and nerve growth factor synthesis. Researchers in Dallas, Texas found that low vitamin D levels were associated with depressive symptoms, especially in persons with a history of depression.

Vitamin D becomes even more important with age, because it's needed to absorb calcium and helps prevent weak muscles and bones.

Recent research also suggests that vitamin D deficiency may increase the risk for colon cancer, and one study found that men with low levels of vitamin D were twice as likely to have a heart attack as men with normal levels.

On the other hand, too much vitamin D can cause fatigue and muscle weakness, so you should stay below 2,000 IU unless your doctor advises otherwise.

 A 2010 national study found that the likelihood of having depression is higher in people with deficiency in vitamin D compared to people who are sufficient in vitamin D. In another study, researchers from the University of Toronto noticed that people who were suffering from depression, particularly those with seasonal affective disorder, tended to improve as their levels of vitamin D in the body increased over the normal course of a year. Vitamin D receptors are found in the brain. Researchers, though, are unsure how much vitamin D is ideal.