Ray D. Strand
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 But here is the catch: the enzymes needed to break down homocysteine into cysteine or back to methionine need folic acid, vitamin b12, and vitamin B6 to do their job. If we are deficient in these nutrients, the levels of homocysteine in the blood begin to rise.
So why haven't we heard of this before? We must turn back to Dr. Kilmer McCully.
Right Stuff-Wrong Era
McCully reported his homocysteine theory in several medical journals in the late sixties and early seventies and was initially welcomed with great enthusiasm. Dr. Benjamin Castle, the chief of his department, fully supported Dr. |
Dr. Jonathan Prousky, BPHE, BSc, ND, FRSH
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 Assessment of vitamin b12 status in CSF. Am J Psychiatry 1984;141:136-37.
10. Neurasthenia is an old term denoting unexplained chronic fatigue and lassitude with accompanying symptoms such as nervousness, irritability, anxiety, depression, headache, and insomnia. Most neurasthenic patients have some type of anxiety neurosis or chronic state of psychological tension.
11. van Tiggelen CJM, Peperkamp JPC, Tertoolen JFW. vitamin b12 levels of cerebrospinal fluid in patients with organic mental disorders. J Orthomolec Psych 1983;12:305-11.
12. Regland B, Abrahamsson L, Blennow K, et al. |
Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
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 In addition to the high-quality protein, the lutein and zeaxanthin, the choline and phosphatidylcholine, eggs also contain trace amounts of more than fifteen vitamins and minerals; one jumbo egg contains 18 percent of the Daily Value for riboflavin (vitamin B2), 14 percent of the Daily Value for vitamin b12, and 29 percent of the Daily Value for the important cancer-fighting trace mineral selenium. Not only that, eggs make you look good! Their high sulfur content promotes healthy hair and nails. |
| Grass-fed beef: High in the healthy, fat-burning fat CLA (conjugated linolenic acid) plus omega-3S; grass-fed beef is also antibiotic and hormone free and a great source of zinc and vitamin b12.
6. Spaghetti squash: My personal favorite substitute for pasta, especially for the gluten or carb intolerant. Delicious as spaghetti squash and meatballs!
7. Jicama: Crunchy, juicy, and low calorie, jica-ma is delightful in salads and as a veggie for dips. Naturally sweet to satisfy the most sophisticated sweet tooth!
8. |
Herbert Ross, DC with Keri Brenner, L.Ac.
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 Researchers have found that 3 hours of light therapy (2,500 to 3,000 lux) accompanied by intravenous vitamin b12 (5 to 6 mg daily) reset the circadian rhythms of melatonin secretion and was effective in resolving delayed sleep phase syndromes and other sleep-wake disturbances.53
Generally, it takes about 14 days of light therapy to see if you're getting benefits. Never stare into the light during therapy and be careful to choose light sources that screen out ultraviolet rays. |
Ray D. Strand
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| Therefore, people should always take vitamin b12 supplements in tandem with folic acid. However, there has not been reported any serious problems of taking folic acid even up to 5 grams per day. This is another reason that cellular nutrition is a safe way to supplement your diet.
Choline
Choline is generally well tolerated, although at very high doses (20 g per day), it can create a fishy odor and cause some nausea, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.18
Calcium
People tolerate doses of calcium supplements of up to 2,000 mg. |
| I recommend that all of my patients take 1,000 meg (micrograms) of folic acid, 50 to 150 meg of vitamin b12, and 25 to 50 mg (milligrams) of vitamin B6.
Remember, the lower the homocysteine level, the better. I want to see everyone's level below seven if at all possible. When my patients have an initial homocysteine level above nine, I start them on supplemental B vitamins and recheck their blood level within six to eight weeks. With this B-vitamin regime, homocysteine levels tend to fall somewhere between 15 and 75 percent. But not all patients will respond adequately to just the B vitamins. |
Tori Hudson, N.D.
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 L-Carm'tine
2-3 g per day
Folic Acid, Vitamin B6, vitamin b12. Much research over the years has shown that elevated plasma levels of homocysteine are associated with significant increases in coronary artery disease,255-257 myocardial infarction,258-259 peripheral occlusive disease, cerebral occlusive disease,260, 261 dementia, and Alzheimer's disease. |
Dr Ron Roberts
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 The Right Vitamin and Mineral Supplement
The best combination for asthmatics or respiratory condition sufferers is at least two multivitamin capsules daily, containing in total about:
BIOFLAVONOIDS (VITAMIN P)
VITAMIN Bl 10 mg VITAMIN B2 10 mg VITAMIN B6 5 mg
VITAMIN A 10 000 lit
VITAMIN D 1000 tU
BIOTIN 5 mg BETA-CAROTENE 3 mg CALCIUM 40 mg MAGNESIUM 10 mg IRON 8.25 mg vitamin b12 5 mg vitamin CiOOmg vitamin e iO mg manganese 0.65 mg copper 0. i mg zinc o.8 mg niacinamide 30 mg cal. pantothenate 40 mg inositol 15 mg potassium 0.95 mg iodine 3 mg phosphorus 6. |
Andreas Moritz
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 It is also known that large doses of vitamin C can destroy another vitamin, that is, vitamin b12. There is too little research to tell what further damage large amounts of vitamins can do to us but experimenting with these powerful substances on the human body is similar to handling an explosive device.
A friend of mine developed a dangerous swelling of his kidneys after taking 2g of Vitamin C a day for several weeks. |
Dr. Steve Blake
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 Thiamin (THF) and vitamin b12 are used to boost other compounds into the TCA cycle.
Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is the fully charged energy battery of the cell.
STEP 4, PUMPING UP ATP
The fourth step is called the electron transport chain. The electron transport chain pumps up the energy battery of the body, which is known as adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Adenosine monophosphate {mono means one) is pumped up to adenosine diphosphate (di means two), which is then pumped up to adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which has three (tri) phosphates. |
| In order to make choline, the body needs sufficient methionine, vitamin b12, and folic acid. Consequently, choline is sometimes needed in the diet. Lecithin (phosphatidylcholine) contains about 13 percent choline by weight.
Most of the choline in the body is found in phospholipids. All human cell membranes need phospholipids for structural integrity. Choline is also a precursor for acetylcholine. Acetylcholine is an important neurotransmitter involved in muscle control, and memory. Large doses of lecithin have improved memory, but have not been helpful with Alzheimer's disease. |
| With the exception of vitamin b12, these water-soluble vitamins must be eaten regularly as storage in our bodies is limited.
Water-soluble vitamins are not toxic when consumed in food. Supplements of water-soluble vitamins are also not toxic in normal amounts. One exception is supplemental vitamin Bv but only when taken in the form of niacin, which can cause skin flushing. Another exception is Vitamin C. Vitamin C can cause intestinal irritation, but only when taken in large amounts and in the acidic form (ascorbic acid). |
| In another process, folate and vitamin b12 remove homocysteine from the blood by converting homocysteine to methionine.
Y
Summary for Pyridoxine—Vitamin B6
Main function: building amino acids and fatty acids.
RDA: men, 1.7 mg; women, 1.5 mg. Tolerable upper intake level is set at 100 mg daily. No toxicity reported from food or below 200 mg per day.
Healthy food sources: Bananas, potatoes, and spinach.
Degradation: easily destroyed by heat and can be leached out into cooking water. Coenzyme form: Pyridoxal Phosphate (PLP). |
| FOLATE AND HOMOCYSTEINE
Folate, along with vitamin b12, is needed in the synthesis of methionine. Methionine is needed to synthesize S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe), as seen in Figure 1-18. SAMe is used as a methyl donor at many sites within both DNA and RNA. A methyl donor is any substance that can transfer a methyl group (CH3) to another substance. These methyl groups can protect DNA against the changes that might lead to cancer. This synthesis of methionine from homocysteine is also important to prevent a buildup of homocysteine in the blood. |
| The addition of folic acid to food is risky because some people may get enough folic acid to hide the terrible effects of vitamin b12 deficiency on nerves. The addition of folic acid to grains is also controversial because it only helps prevent neural tube defects about half of the time.
FOLATE DEFICIENCY
Folate deficiency signs include anemia and deterioration of the gastrointestinal tract. The anemia results from abnormal blood cell division resulting in fewer and larger red blood cells. This type of anemia is called megaloblastic anemia, referring to the large immature red blood cells. |
Andreas Moritz
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| The amount of vitamin b12 a healthy person will require throughout his lifetime is about the size of half a pinky nail.
In addition, the liver can store B12 for many years and knows how to recycle this vitamin. This may explain why vegans (those who don't eat any type of animal product) eating a balanced diet almost never suffer from B12 deficiencies (contrary to public opinion). I can personally attest to that. Before I started eating purely vegan 35 years ago, I suffered from a severe chronic anemia. It vanished two months after I stopped eating meat, poultry, eggs, fish, cheese and milk. |
Tori Hudson, N.D.
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| Oral contraception users have also been reported to have reduced levels of vitamin b12.9 This may be related to malabsorption, increased renal excretion, and enhanced tissue acidity. A woman may or may not acquire an anemia associated with a B12 deficiency, but long-term use of the pill may lead to this, or at least may compromise nerve function, mood, mental function, and the health of the digestive system. Carotenoids are also included in this formula to protect the cervix. |
Andreas Moritz
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| Basically, some microorganisms help us to digest our food and manufacture important substances like vitamin b12, while others help to break down waste materials, such as fecal matter. Without them we would "drown" in a pool of garbage. Obviously, to survive we need both types of microorganisms, and we breed them inside the body. Beauchamp's work demonstrated that if the acid/alkaline balance (pH) of the body tipped toward acidity, the body produced more "food" for the destructive germs to feed upon, and the risk of becoming sick increased. |
Bill Sardi
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 Typical
Survival
Survival with dietary
2-years supplements*
Small-cell
15%
33%** lung cancer
Source: Anticancer Research 12:599-606, 1992
* Nutritional supplement regimen: Vitamin A 15,000-40,000 IU; beta carotene 10,000-20,000 IU; vitamin E 300-800 IU; Vitamin Bl 150-750 mg; riboflavin 15-50 mg; vitamin B6 200-1,140 mg; vitamin b12 300-1,600 meg; Niacinamide 150-400 mg; vitamin D 400-1,000 IU; vitamin C 2,000-5,000 mg; vitamin B5 50-300 mg; biotin 50-300 meg; omega-3 oils 5,000-6,000 mg; magnesium 250-500 mg; calcium 500 mg; zinc 27 mg; copper 3 mg; selenium 856 meg; chromium 780 meg. |
Mike Adams
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 The bone marrow needs vitamin b12 to produce blood. If there is not enough B12 to do so, the bone marrow can't do its job and the resulting condition is known as pernicious anemia. Additionally, B12 deficiency can cause neurological problems, such as a shuffling walk. Furthermore, as Gary Null points out, vitamin b12 deficiency anemia is often accompanied by folic acid anemia, which may cause birth defects and neurological problems. Like iron deficiency anemia, pernicious anemia is not a problem that can be ignored. |
Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
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 They found that 67 percent of family members with confirmed Alzheimer's disease also had abnormally low blood levels of vitamin b12, compared to 8 percent who were at equal genetic risk for developing Alzheimer's but had not.
The researchers theorized that the deficiency probably caused impaired central nervous system reactions (specifically a chemical reaction called methylation, impairment of which is a characteristic feature of Alzheimer's). |
| Vitamin B12, for example, is very effective against aging complications, so it's listed under Pure Cures, as is melatonin for jet lag. This doesn't mean that anything listed as a Pure Cure wouldn't or couldn't be made better by combining it with other nutrients, herbs, or treatments. It's placement under Pure Cures is simply a convenience, reflecting that this particular item has some effect by itself.
Plant Cures are simply cures that come from the plant kingdom—herbal supplements as opposed to vitamins and mineral supplements. |
| The body, for example, knows quite well what to do with vitamin b12 or with the amino acid tryptophan, both of which it encounters every day of its life. The body does not normally encounter, for example, Prozac or Prevacid. |
| To properly absorb (and use) vitamin b12 requires a whole host of chain reactions that involve adequate pancreatic enzymes, calcium, and enough hydrochloric acid (something that many of us don't make enough of, especially as we age). Therefore, many other physiological deficiencies associated with aging can all lead to a B12 deficiency.
Because of this complex absorption process and the risk of many metabolic blocks—from nutrient deficiencies to exposure to toxins to factors in processed foods that cause reduced
• President John F. |
| Despite her normal blood level of vitamin b12, he still injected her with it. She returned to his office three days later, no longer crying, reporting that she felt stronger than she had in a long time and was even able to sleep through the night for the first time in many nights. Three days after that, she was actually happy again that she could do her housekeeping.
And that, my friends, is the dramatic effect that B12 can have on the elderly. |
| Vitamin B12 deficiency is also associated with deafness; supplements have been useful in treating tinnitus and noise-related hearing loss.
To get enough B12 you have to do more than eat it—you have to absorb it. And therein lies the rub. Anyone over 40, especially the elderly, are at risk of B12 deficiency because they lack enough of a protein that is secreted in the stomach called intrinsic factor, which you need to absorb B12.
So even if you're getting plenty of the vitamin in your diet—which, believe me, most people aren't—it won't do you much good if you lack this important protein. |
Andreas Moritz
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| It undermines the colon's important role in absorbing essential minerals and some bacteria-produced vitamins, including the all-important vitamin b12. Parts of the waste matter may enter the lymph and blood systems, which can make you feel tired, sluggish or ill.
Colon-related complaints include constipation, diarrhea, bloating, headaches, dizziness, nausea, sinusitis, eye and ear disorders, backaches, bad breath, body odor, sciatica, skin blemishes and diseases, abdominal gas, low energy, disorders of the nervous system, etc. |
Michael Friedman, ND
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 It also decreases absorption of vitamin b12 and folic acid. Patients with diabetic neuropathy may have symptoms associated with both diabetes and a vitamin b12 deficiency due to the use of Metformin. Metformin is contraindicated in kidney disease. It is important to determine whether the hyperglycemia or the pharmacological agent will present more problems to a patient with diabetic nephropathy. A rare fatal complication of Metformin is lactic acidosis.27"29
Alpha-glucosidase Inhibitors
A pharmacological agent used in the treatment of NIDDM is an alpha-glucosidase inhibitor. |
Michael Pollan
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 Unlike plants, which we can't live without, we don't need to eat meat—with the exception of vitamin b12, every nutrient found in meat can be obtained somewhere else. (And the tiny amount of B12 we need is not too hard to come by; it's found in all animal foods and is produced by bacteria, so you obtain Bn from eating dirty or decaying or fermented produce. |
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