| It's important that vegans have some source of vitamin b12 in their diets a few times a week," he says. "It doesn't matter whether it's fortified cereal or fortified soy milk or vitamin tablets or nutritional yeast."
Some vegans get their B12 by eating lots of tempeh, a cake made of fermented soybeans and grain that's often fortified with B12. They also take a multivitamin once a week.
Becoming Vegetarian
On the surface, going vegetarian seems simple enough: You just stop eating meat. But for most people, this is neither practical nor healthy, says Dr. Johnston. |
| Because vitamin b12 deficiency can cause permanent nerve and cell damage, you should get at least 3 micrograms per day, according to Elson M. Haas, M.D., medical director of the Preventive Medical Center of Marin in San Rafael, California, and author of Staying Healthy with Nutrition. Just to make sure you're getting enough, Dr. Haas says you can take supplements every two or three days to get a total of about 100 micrograms per week.
These supplements are especially important for children who are eating macrobiotic diets, say researchers. |
Neal Barnard, M.D.
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 The best sources of vitamin b12 are discussed in chapter 12. Standard multivitamins can also correct these deficiencies. Meats and dairy products are very low in folate, and although they do contain B6 and B12, their load of fat and cholesterol causes them to do much more harm than good.
Lipoprotein (a). One newly discovered cholesterol-containing particle in the blood is named lipoprotein (a). It is very similar to LDL (the "bad cholesterol") and some research suggests that people with extra lipoprotein(a) in their blood have a higher heart disease risk. |
Bill Gottlieb
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 If you have recurrent sores, she recommends taking 400 micrograms of folic acid and 200 micrograms of vitamin b12 daily.
ZINC: To Speed Healing
A canker sore is a wound, and zinc helps wounds heal faster, says Beverly Yates, N.D., a naturopathic physician and director of the Natural Health Care Group in Seattle. Zinc is particularly good for healing epithelial tissue, the type that lines your entire digestive tract, including the inside of your mouth. As soon as you notice a sore, take 30 milligrams a day, then continue with that dosage until the sore heals completely, she says. |
Gabriel Cousens, M.D.
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 The average B12 serum level was higher in vegans who were taking some sort of food or vitamin b12 supplements. Their serum level was 421 picograms/cc (pg/ml) as compared to 253 pg/ml for the vegans not taking any supplements. No subject had a serum B12 less than the 80 pg/ml defined as indicative of deficiency by the World Health Organization in 1968. Some private laboratories now use 115 pg/ml as the indicator of deficiency. |
Larry Trivieri, Jr.
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 An excess 180- 200intake of folate can mask a vitamin b12 deft- 200 meg 800 meg ciency
B vitamins should also be taken in a B-complex form because of their close interrelationship in metabolic processes.
ADULT DAILY
WATER-SOLUBLE VITAMINS
POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS
U.S. |
Dr. Gary Null
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 Effects of vitamin b12, Folate and Vitamin B6 Supplements in Elderly People with Normal Serum Vitamin Concentrations," Lancet 346 (July 8, 1995): 85-89.
Glutathione improves immune function, stabilizes red blood cells, and provides protection against external toxins and free radicals. In a study of 33 people aged 60 and over, those with chronic conditions (e.g., heart disease, arthritis, and diabetes) had lower levels of glutathione.
R. H. Fletcher and S. W. Fletcher, "Glutathione and Aging: Ideas and Evidence," Lancet 344 (November 19, 1994): 1379-80. |
William Evans, Ph.D., and Irwin H. Rosenberg, M.D., with Jacqueline Thompson
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 The nutrients most likely to be affected are vitamin b12, folic acid, iron, and calcium.
Medication enters the picture here, too. Many therapeutic drugs have nutrient-blocking side effects. Drugs can block the body's absorption ability and nutrient metabolism, but it's rarely for more than one or two nutrients, fortunately. Or a drug might change the process of nutrient excretion. The risk of such adverse nutritional side effects from medications increases as a person takes more drugs simultaneously or takes one drug over a long period of time. |
Larry Trivieri, Jr.
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| Laibow also recommends antioxidants for MS sufferers, including L-glutathione, carotenoids including beta carotene, folic acid, vitamin E, choline, L-carnitine, dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) or methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), bioflavonoids, methionine, cysteine, and alpha-lipoic acid.
• vitamin b12 is proving highly effective for decreasing symptoms of MS, especially when associated with mercury poisoning. Dr. Kingsley sometimes prescribes doses "as high as 12,000 meg once a week by intravenous infusion, usually with other essential nutrients. |
| Wright taught the parents how to inject the boy intramuscularly with vitamin b12 shots. His parents reported that their son stopped wheezing within the first week of treatment and has slowly been able to reduce medications without ill effects. With additional supplementation of glutamic acid hydrochloride capsules as a digestive aid, a low-dose mul-timineral complex, and magnesium (50 mg twice daily), combined with b12 shots given once every two weeks, he has experienced no further wheezing episodes. When Dr. |
| NUTRIENT
ACTION
DOSE/DAY
Vitamin C Vitamin A Niacin (B3) Vitamin B3 & Statin Pyridoxine (Be) vitamin b12 Folic acid Vitamin E Omega-3s Omega-6s Arginine Lysine
Antioxidant, lowers Lp(a) Anti-prothrombin Lowers Lp(a), raises HDLs Lowers LDL3 Lowers homocysteine Lowers homocysteine Lowers homocysteine Antioxidant, raises PCI-2 Lowers triglycerides-LDL Lowers triglycerides Increases nitric oxide Lowers homocysteine
1-4g
5,000-100,000 IU 1,500-3,000 mg 1,500-3,000 mg 50-100 mg 0.5-1 .Omg 1-5 mg 0.5-2 g 2 g EPA 0.24-0.48 g 1-3 g 1-3 g
Dr. |
Dr. Joseph M. Kadans, N.D.
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 One of the ingredients of this vitamin is cobalt, and it appears from the study of scientific materials that vitamin b12 is now being referred to as cobalamin, because of the importance of cobalt in the diet. Likewise, zinc is associated with this vitamin, the studies indicating that the vitamin cannot be synthesized without the help of zinc. Vitamin Bj 2 is also needed to help form hemoglobin, as good red blood should score 100 on the hemoglobin scale. Thus this vitamin is important for the prevention of anemia. It also combines with folic acid to help produce the vital red blood cells. |
Larry Trivieri, Jr.
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| Atopic dermatitis or eczema: Occurs in people with family histories of allergy, vitamin b12 problems, asthma, and allergic respiratory problems such as hay fever. In infants 2-18 months old, this causes weeping, crusty, red spots on face, scalp, and extremities, and in older children and adults it may be more localized and chronic. May subside by three to four years and may reoccur in adolescence or adulthood. Seborrheic dermatitis or eczema: Of scalp, face, and chest.
Nummular dermatitis or eczema: Coin-shaped chronic red spots with crusting and scaling. |
Russell L. Blaylock, M.D.
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 In a recent study in which the levels of vitamin b12 were measured in the serum and the cerebrospinal fluid of persons with Alzheimer's disease, it was found that their median serum B12 levels were significantly lower than that of normal controls.285 286 Two patients were found that had high serum levels of B12 with low levels of the vitamin in the brain. This seems to indicate that these two patients had a defect in the mechanism that transports vitamin B13 across the blood-brain barrier into the brain.
There are a multitude of other causes of brain damage resulting in dementia. |
Doug Dollemore, Mark Giuliucci and the Editors of Men's Health Magazine
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 Restless legs syndrome has been linked to a low intake of the B vitamins, specifically vitamin b12 and folic acid, as well as many minerals, including iron, potassium and calcium, says Dr. Stern. So it's important to get enough of them in your diet.
Eat light and early. Do you chow down seven-course meals at 9:00 p.m.? Or make midnight raids on the fridge? If so, your overstuffed stomach may be to blame for your restless legs. "The process of digesting a heavy or spicy meal can trigger restless leg symptoms," says Dr. Stern.
Apply warmth ... or cold. Here again, you must experiment. |
G. Edward Griffin
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 It is the opinion of Laetrile clinicians, however, that the primary cause of pain reduction probably is the halting of the tumor's invasion and destruction of healthy tissue.
2. vitamin b12 is not produced in plant tissue. It is the product of animal metabolism in which the cyanide radical is combined with hydrocobalamin (Bi2a) to form cyanocobalamin (B12).
3. Maxwell and Bischoff, Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapy, 49:270. balance of nature and serve entirely beneficial purposes. |
| It comes as a great surprise for many to learn that cyanide is an essential and integral part of vitamin b12 as well as B17.2
Another unexpected, but welcome, consequence of vitamin Bi7 is that it stimulates the hemoglobin or red blood cell count. As long ago as 1933 it was shown that exposure to small amounts of cyanide gas produced this effect in mice,3 but only since the work begun by Dr. Krebs has this also been demonstrated in humans as a result of the internal chemical action of Laetrile. |
Robert S. McCaleb, Evelyn Leigh, and Krista Morien
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 The constituents currently thought to contribute to dong quai's blood-enriching properties are polysaccharides, rather than vitamin b12, as was previously believed.5
Liver-Protective Effects
Laboratory studies show that dong quai strengthens liver function by increasing the liver's ability to use oxygen, while preserving glycogen (stored energy in the liver) and glutathione, a potent antioxidant that helps protect the organ from destructive free radicals.13 Dong quai also guards the liver against a variety of toxic substances, such as carbon tetrachloride. |
Dr. Gary Null
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| Soy or shoyu sauce, miso, and tempeh are rich sources of vitamin b12.
Proteins should be eaten every day, preferably vegetarian proteins, such as from grains and legumes, like rice and beans, or oatmeal with soy milk. When animal protein is eaten, it should be from fish. Caffeine and alcohol are detrimental to healthy blood, and should be eliminated.
SUPPLEMENTS. According to Dr. Abraham, iron, B12, and folic acid should be prescribed as needed. Additionally, hydrochloric acid and intrinsic factor are often required to aid in the absorption of these nutrients. |
National Women's Health Network
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 Getting rid of it requires vitamin b12, B6, and folic acid. People deficient in any of these have higher homocysteine concentrations. Folic acid clearly lowers homocysteine in the blood.83 Although folic acid is found in fresh fruits and vegetables, few people in this country eat enough of this food group. In the Nurses Health Study, 13 to 15 percent of women twenty to forty-four years of age were deficient in folate.84
Get Your Body Moving Exercise is essential for physical, mental, and emotional vitality. |
Larry Trivieri, Jr.
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| He examined the patient with an EDS device and found evidence of heavy metal toxicity, which he was able to treat with vitamin b12 injections and homeopathic remedies. Within a year, the patient's symptoms abated and he is doing well at the present time.
Fuller Royal, M.D, of Las Vegas, Nevada, uses EDS devices exclusively in his practice. He does not treat a specific disease, but rather treats the patient as a whole, looking for the underlying mechanisms that lead to disease. One patient came to him with angina, unable to walk across a room without pain. |
Elizabeth Somer, M.A., R.D.
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 Dopamine and Norepinephrine: Mood and Energy Elevators
Dopamine and norepinephrine (also called noradrenaline) are manufactured from the amino acid tyrosine with the help of several other nutrients, including folic acid, magnesium, and vitamin b12. When your dopamine and norepinephrine levels drop, you're more likely to feel depressed, irritable, and be moody; consuming more tyrosine boosts levels of these neurotransmitters and improves mood, alertness, ability to cope with stress, and mental functioning.
Like tryptophan, tyrosine is found in protein-rich foods. |
Daniel B. Mowrey, Ph.D.
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 VITAMINS
(Daily requirements unless otherwise noted)
Vitamin B Complex Vitamin B1 25-50 mg Vitamin B2 25-50 mg
Vitamin B6 25-50 mg vitamin b12 25-50 mg Pantothenic acid 100-200 mg Vitamin C 2,000-5,000 mg Vitamin E 600-800 I.U.
MINERALS
Calcium/Magnesium Phosphorous Chromium Potassium
MISCELLANEOUS
HCI
Brewer's yeast
REFERENCES
1. Tamura, Y. "Study of effects of glycyrrhetinic acid and its derivatives on 4-5 alpha and beta -reductase by rat liver preparations." Folia Endocrinologia Japonica, 8, 164-188, 1975
2. Kumagai, A, Asanuman, U., Yano, S., Takevchik, Morimoto, Y., Vemura, T. |
Gary Null, Ph.D.
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 When combined with vitamin b12, folate has been shown to reduce cellular atypia squamous metaplasia in heavy smokers over a period of one year.
Other studies indicate supplemental folate may be helpful in the treatment of various behavioral disorders associated with aging. Folate levels in the brain are believed to decrease with time, leading researchers to suggest that folate therapy could reverse symptoms related to declining cognitive performance and mood status. |
| Additional studies highlight the ability of vitamin b12 to improve sleep, as well.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is a water-soluble vitamin and essential antioxidant found in many fruits and vegetables. An insufficient intake of antioxidants has been linked to a higher risk of cancer and many other forms of degenerative diseases. One large study has demonstrated a significant relationship between low vitamin C intake and higher risks of heart disease mortality and overall mortality over the following ten-year time period. |
| Reports also point to its usefulness in the treatment of severe myeloneuropathy and macrocytic anemia associated with a low vitamin b12 serum levels, and hepatitis.
Phenylalanine
The administration of phenylalanine in doses ranging between 75 to 250 mg per day has produced beneficial results in patients suffering from depression. Doses of 250 mg three times per day over a period of fifteen days have been shown to prevent pain in cancer patients. Phenylalanine has also exhibited anti-cancer activity and prevented stress and ulcers in rats. |
| You then need to increase the nutrients, like B complex, vitamin b12, and vitamin C. The amount of vitamin C needed will be different for each person. If you go out in the sun, you need more vitamin C because the sun causes free radical damage. When you've been in a stressful situation, you need more vitamin C, which is very important, as is alhpalipeic acid.
Evening primrose oil nourishes joints and the immune system. Garlic is a great detoxifier, especially when taken at bedtime. |
William Evans, Ph.D., and Irwin H. Rosenberg, M.D., with Jacqueline Thompson
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| In light of these findings and with more research, we may come to the conclusion that the current vitamin B6 and vitamin b12 Recommended Dietary Allowances for the elderly should be higher. No, we do not think that the maintenance of vitamin B in the elderly means that all memory loss, Alzheimer's disease, and senile dementia has a nutritional cause and can be corrected by that means. We do think it means we may one day be able to prevent a small percentage of such ailments through changes in dietary habits and nutritional status. |
Annemarie Colbin
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 In addition, both tempeh and natto (another cultured soy food) show manyfold increases in vitamin b12.19 We can safely assume that all that microbial activity in fermented food also increases the food's energy level.
SMOKING
This ancient food preserving technique has generally been used in conjunction with drying. It is most commonly applied to meats and fish. Smoking preserves foods through the action of the antioxidants and bactericides present in the wood smoke; unfortunately, these are at times accompanied by minuscule quantities of other compounds that can be toxic and even carcinogenic. |
Dr. Gary Null
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| Sometimes I also have people take vitamin b12 injections to support adrenal function as well. Again, sometimes, just with adrenal treatment, people get 30 percent, 40 percent, 50 percent better inside a few weeks."
Dr. Vesselago looks at medical treatments as short-term help for making patients more comfortable and better able to function, but adds that changes must be made on a deeper level if they are to be lasting: "When we talk about wishing for the good old days, part of that wish is for a slower pace and a more humane way of life. So part of what I do is talk to people about their lives. |
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