B-complex vitamins

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The Memory Solution Dr. Julian Whitaker See book keywords and concepts

As explained in the discussion of the b-complex vitamins in Step 2, choline is critical for the developing brain of the fetus. Studies have demonstrated an intellectual boost in animals that received adequate amounts of choline in utero from their mothers' diets and after birth from breast milk. Choline is also a building block of acetylcholine—one of the brain's most important neurotransmitters. By taking a B-complex or multivitamin that contains choline, you will be providing your brain with the raw materials to manufacture both acetylcholine and PC.

PowerFoods: Good Food, Good Health with Phytochemicals, Nature's Own Energy Boosters Stephanie Beling See book keywords and concepts

In fact, they contain prodigious amounts of all the b-complex vitamins.Their fiber and fatty acids lower cholesterol; walnuts, for example, have recently been shown to lower serum cholesterol and to favorably modify blood pressure in men. The calcium and potassium in nuts and seeds keep blood pressure steady; tiny sesame seeds contain almost ten times the calcium of an equal weight of milk. Nuts and seeds have lecithin—good for reproductive and endocrine health and an important player in the health of the nerves. They are rich in iron, magnesium, and zinc—warriors against fatigue and stress.

Miracle Medicine Foods Rex Adams See book keywords and concepts

Magnesium works with b-complex vitamins to soothe the nerves. Double Breast Tumors Vanished With Miracle Medicine Foods! In his book, Health Secrets from Europe (Parker Publishing Co., Inc., 1970), Paavo Airola reports the case of Mrs. Elsa E., who was stricken with tumors in both breasts 17 years ago, at age 40. An examination at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm showed that the lymphatic glands were also affected. Doctors insisted on an immediate operation the following week. "I had no desire to be cut," says Mrs. E.

Optimum Health - A Cardiologist's Prescription for Optimum Health Stephen T., M.D. Sinatra See book keywords and concepts

Other B Vitamins Other b-complex vitamins include biotin, choline, inositol, and para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA). These vitamins are found in many of the foods mentioned as good sources of vitamin B-12, with the exception of PABA, which is found in molasses, liver, and kidneys as well as whole grains. PABA is an antioxidant that may protect against sunburn and various skin cancers. Generally, there are no known toxicities if the B vitamins are taken in small amounts. In mega amounts, however, one has to utilize caution.

Nature's Medicines : From Asthma to Weight Gain, from Colds to High Cholesterol -- The Most Powerful All-Natural Cures Gale Maleskey See book keywords and concepts

Pump Up Some Essential Vitamins The most common deficiencies in people who are depressed are the b-complex vitamins and vitamin C, says Dr. Shealy. The B vitamins help energize brain cells and manufacture important chemicals to keep your moods high. Vitamin B6, for example, plays a starring role in the making of serotonin, a brain chemical that has a direct impact on your moods, emotions, appetite, and sleep patterns. Too little serotonin, and you'll walk around feeling down in the dumps.

What's more, b-complex vitamins enhance communication between brain cells so that other important brain chemicals can work in concert to keep things running smoothly, says Ray Sahelian, M.D., a physician in Marina del Rey, California, and author of The New Memory Boosters: Natural Supplements That Enhance Your Mind, Memory, and Mood. Another B vitamin that has been linked to depression is folate, the naturally occurring form of folic acid. In fact, depression is considered the most common symptom of a folate deficiency.

But don't take extra b-complex vitamins if you are already taking them to boost immunity, he cautions. Have Some Magnesium An essential mineral, magnesium, is also necessary for energy metabolism. Doctors have found that many people with CFS have low levels of magnesium in their red blood cells, and several studies have shown some improvement in energy levels with magnesium supplementation. Typically, magnesium comes as magnesium oxide or carbonate, but other forms may be better absorbed orally and utilized in the body. These include magnesium lactate, orotate, glycinate, and gluconate.

Look for these amounts in the supplement you choose: 30 milligrams of zinc, 25,000 international units (IU) of vitamin A (part can be from beta-carotene), 50 milligrams of b-complex vitamins such as pantothenic acid and riboflavin, 200 micrograms of selenium, 2 milligrams each of copper and manganese, and 400 IU of vitamin E. Dr. Lombard also recommends 4,000 milligrams of vitamin C a day in divided doses. For such a high amount, you'll need a separate vitamin C supplement. Herbs can stimulate your immune system, notes Dr. Lombard.

Bring in the Bs Because binge eaters tend to consume large quantities of high-fat foods that have little or no nutritional value, many are deficient in important b-complex vitamins and the minerals chromium, magnesium, and zinc, says Susan Kowalsky, N.D., a naturopathic doctor in Norwich, Vermont. The B vitamins are needed to manufacture important brain chemicals, such as serotonin, that are responsible for regulating your moods, emotions, sleep patterns, and appetite. Vitamin B6, in particular, helps convert tryptophan (an amino acid found in many foods) to serotonin in your brain, says Dr.

Welcome the B Family The b-complex vitamins are a treasure trove of stress relief. They can give you more energy, strip away fatigue, make adrenal gland hormones, and manufacture brain chemicals responsible for keeping you alert and lifting your mood, says Dr. Sahelian. "The B vitamins work in concert with each other, and they play hundreds of biochemical roles in the body," he says. The members of this close-knit family include thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, and vitamins B6 and B12.

Food Swings: Make the Life-Changing Connection Between the Foods You Eat and Your Emotional Health and Well-Being Barnet Meltzer, M.D. See book keywords and concepts

Nutrient Value: In addition to being packed with powerful chlorophyll, romaine lettuce contains an incredible arrangement of b-complex vitamins and essential trace minerals. Selection and Care: Prime romaine lettuce is crisp, leafy, and firm. It stands up straight. Examine the head for wilted leaves or rotting, discolored edges, both of which are signs of spoilage. The average-sized head of lettuce yields four large salad servings. Wash lettuce well by removing and rinsing one leaf at a time with cool water, and store unused portions in the refrigerator.

The Miracle of MSM: The Natural Solution for Pain Stanley W. Jacob, M.D. See book keywords and concepts

Minerals such as magnesium and zinc, as well as the b-complex vitamins B6 and folic acid are all commonly deficient in the average diet. In the case of a B6 and folic acid shortage, the results can be catastrophic: The liver is unable to properly process methionine. In a complex biochemical sequence, this shortage causes a rise in the level of homocysteine, a toxic amino acid. Elevated homocysteine has been found to trigger vascular disease that takes the lives of nearly a million Americans a year and affects more than 57 million individuals.

The Memory Solution Dr. Julian Whitaker See book keywords and concepts

This plan contains copious amounts of vegetables and fruits, along with legumes and whole grains, which are rich in antioxidants and b-complex vitamins.

Certain plants—whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, leafy greens, root vegetables, and cruciferous vegetables—are good sources of b-complex vitamins. (An exception is vitamin B12, which is found only in meat and other animal-derived foods.) Plant foods are also nature's richest sources of antioxidant vitamins and minerals, which counteract oxidation, the number one contributor to aging and illness. Leafy green vegetables contain lots of vitamin A. Sweet potatoes, squash, and other yellow- I've monitored thousands of patients on various diets.

Choline Classified by the National Academy of Sciences as an essential nutrient in 1998, choline falls into the general category of b-complex vitamins. It is a constituent of cell membranes and a precursor of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which is important in memory and learning. Choline is especially important for the developing brain, and studies have demonstrated that the offspring of laboratory animals that were denied adequate choline during pregnancy scored poorly on tests of attention span and memory.

PowerFoods: Good Food, Good Health with Phytochemicals, Nature's Own Energy Boosters Stephanie Beling See book keywords and concepts

These foods are rich in B-complex vitamins; in such minerals as iron, calcium, and phosphorous; in both soluble and insoluble fiber; and in phytochemicals. One serving of complex carbohydrates is equivalent to some 70 calories. All the complex carbohydrates contain some protein. This is particularly the case with the legumes. In counting, therefore, you may consider half a cup of legumes as a serving of either complex carbohydrates or of protein. In general, on days when you are eating animal protein, count legumes as complex carbohydrate.

Prescription for Herbal Healing: An Easy-to-Use A-Z Reference to Hundreds of Common Disorders and Their Herbal Remedies Phyllis A. Balch, CNC See book keywords and concepts

This herb is also rich in calcium, phosphorus, and the b-complex vitamins, as well as other vitamins, minerals, and micro-nutrients. Benefits of avena for specific health conditions include the following: • Attention deficit disorder (ADD). Herbalists report that oat top extract reduces symptoms of withdrawal from methylphenidate (Ritalin), and relieves sadness and mild depression in adults with ADD. Avena has pharmacological actions surprisingly similar to those of opium, which accounts for its calming effects. • Eczema. Avena or oatmeal baths soothe inflamed skin.

The Complete Guide to Health and Nutrition Gary Null See book keywords and concepts

VITAMIN B FOR VISION People with visual problems are another group who may be helped by increased amounts of the b-complex vitamins. There is a definite link between improved eyesight and increased amounts of the B complex, according to M. Damodaran and his colleagues of the National Institute of Nutrition of the Indian Council of Medical Research. Their studies concluded that "supplementation with vitamin B complex was found to have a beneficial effect in improving the visual-acuity status of defective children and in preventing visual defects from developing.

You may have noticed by now that all these foods are great sources of nearly all the b-complex vitamins!) Inositol: The Big Little Vitamin Why do you so rarely hear about inositol when the B complex is discussed? Some scientists feel that inositol should not be considered a vitamin since the need for it in human nutrition has not been established. It is naturally stored in your body—especially in the brain, kidney, liver, heart, thyroid, and even the hair. Your body manufactures considerable amounts of inositol through the bacteria in the intestine.

Tetracycline and possibly other antibiotics cause a drop in the vitamin C level in your blood. b-complex vitamins are also depleted when you are being treated with tetracycline. Knowing this, some hospitals routinely administer vitamins C and B complex to their patients. But if you face a hospital stay, you may want to take your own vitamins along, just to make sure. Geoffrey Taylor, M.D., recommends that during hospitalization or illness "all [patients should] have the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C and the B group of vitamins."120 At least!

Cancer Therapy: The Independent Consumer's Guide To Non-Toxic Treatment & Prevention Ralph W. Moss, Ph.D. See book keywords and concepts

Beta-carotene: Green leafy vegetables, such as beet greens, spinach, broccoli and carrots. The b-complex vitamins include thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, cyanocobalamin, biotin, choline, folic acid, inositol, PABA and probably carnitine as well. Good natural sources of B vitamins include brewer's yeast, liver and whole-grain cereals. B vitamins are also manufactured by intestinal bacteria, which grow well in the presence of milk sugar and small amounts of fat.

Bartram's Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine: The Definitive Guide Thomas Bartram See book keywords and concepts

Supplements. b-complex vitamins. Magnesium, Potassium, Selenium. THYROID, UNDERACTIVE. Treatment: as for MYXOEDEMA. THYROTOXICOSIS. Overactivity of the Thyroid gland. Excessive production of thyroid hormones (thyroxine, etc) which increase the metabolic rate. Also known as Grave's Disease or hyperthyroidism. More common in women. Causes include anxiety and emotional shock. Symptoms.

Volatile oil, flavonoids, tannin, mucilage, b-complex vitamins. Uses. Cystitis, especially when caused by organism E. Coli. Pyelitis, urethritis, prostatitis, pus in the urine. Catarrh of the bladder. Fluid retention. To aid flow of urine. Popular kidney herbs. Tea. Couchgrass 25 per cent; Buchu 15 per cent; Bearberry 15 per cent; Alfalfa 45 per cent. 1-2 teaspoons to cup boiling water. Combinations. Teas. (1) equal parts: Buchu, Uva Ursi, Broom and Clivers; for chronic dropsy. (2) equal parts: Buchu and Juniper berries, for acute dropsy.

A Consumer's Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients Ruth Winter, M.S. See book keywords and concepts

ALLANTOIN BIOTIN • Allantoin (see) with b-complex vitamins. ALLANTOIN CALCIUM PANTOTHENATE • Allantoin (see) with calcium and a B-complex vitamin. A combination of the salt of the B-complex vitamin and the healing ingredient allantoin (see). Used to soothe the skin in emollients. Nontoxic. ALLANTOIN GALACTURONIC ACID • Allantoin (see) and galacturonic acid, which is derived from pectin (see). ALLANTOIN GLYCYRRHETINIC ACID • See Allantoin and the derivative of licorice root, Glycyrrhetinic Acid. ALLANTOIN POLYGALACTURONIC ACID • See Allantoin and Galacturonic Acid.

The Miracle of MSM: The Natural Solution for Pain Stanley W. Jacob, M.D., Ronald M. Lawrence, M.D., Ph.D. See book keywords and concepts

Minerals such as magnesium and zinc, as well as the b-complex vitamins B6 and folic acid are all commonly deficient in the average diet. In the case of a B6 and folic acid shortage, the results can be catastrophic: The liver is unable to properly process methionine. In a complex biochemical sequence, this shortage causes a rise in the level of homocysteine, a toxic amino acid. Elevated homocysteine has been found to trigger vascular disease that takes the lives of nearly a million Americans a year and affects more than 57 million individuals.

Get Healthy Now with Gary Null: A Complete Guide to Prevention, Treatment and Healthy living Gary Null See book keywords and concepts

Goldwag believes that the b-complex vitamins are especially important. "One of the major groups of vitamins to incorporate are from the B complex family. Years and years ago, when people suffered from severe vitamin deficiencies, some of the resultant diseases like pellagra and so forth were characterized by accompanying psychotic reactions. That is, the thinking process was the most obvious one to be affected by the vitamin deficiency. Simply providing the proper vitamin, in this case vitamin B3 or niacin, was the treatment. It cleared up the psychosis.

It is important to get all the b-complex vitamins, since they work together. Thiamine, Bb is important, as is riboflavin to a lesser extent. Another important one is B6, pyridoxine. B]2 is still another one that can affect the mental processes. "Niacin is often used in much higher doses than the others in order to accomplish some of these changes. Niacin is a ubiquitous vitamin. It is being used gready to help reduce cholesterol levels, to improve the good cholesterol and reduce the bad. The dosages being used are much greater than those used to simply overcome a deficiency.

Slagle explains the basis of the program: "It consists of taking an amino acid called tyrosine, which in the presence of certain b-complex vitamins, minerals, and vitamin C will convert into norepinephrine in the brain. This neurotransmitter not only sustains positive moods but also helps our concentration, learning, memory, drive, ambition, motivation, and other equally important qualities. Additionally, it helps to regulate food and sexual appetite functions. Thus it is a very important chemical.

Vitamin E and b-complex vitamins are important for bone growth. Among the minerals, adequate supply and absorption of calcium, phosphorous, and magnesium are essential for the formation of healthy bones, while zinc and selenium are important immune-system nutrients. Exercise is also an important adjunct to HBT and is recommended to restore joint and muscle mobility and function as well as muscle mass lost during periods of inactivity. However, patients are generally told not to exercise until they are free of pain, swelling, and stiffness and feel confident enough to engage in it.

The Woman's Encyclopedia of Natural Healing Dr. Gary Null See book keywords and concepts

B complex. b-complex vitamins are important throughout life, but there is an extra need for these during menopause. They can be obtained from whole grains, and green vegetables. B5 and B6 are especially helpful during menopause (300—400 mg B5, 150 mg B6 per day). Folic acid, in prescription doses, is a valuable replacement for female hormones, according to Dr. Carlton Fredericks. Essential fatty acids. EFAs, which are precursors to the natural hormones in the body, are very important for both men and women. People on low-fat diets should pay special attention to this.

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