| Two vitamins are only found in animal foods: vitamins D and B12. vitamin b12 is also called cobalamin because it contains the metal atom cobalt. Pure vegetarians are highly susceptible to B12 deficiencies if they do not take supplements, and they need to take great care to ensure they get all the necessary vitamins one way or another.
We can also see that many animal foods supply a good variety of vitamins in one single source. Out of the thirteen vitamins, six are supplied in reasonable quantities in eggs alone. |
Mary G. Enig
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 They are necessary as sources for true vitamin A, vitamin D, and assure intake of vitamin b12.
W Don't fear cholesterol. Cholesterol is the body's repair substance. It is needed for proper brain function and proper hormone balance.
W Don't fear saturated fats. Saturated fatty acids are the body's natural fats, which are used for appropriately functioning cell membranes and for critical energy in important organs such as the heart and other muscles.
* Don't use only one fat or oil exclusively. |
| Various vitamin deficiencies such as those of vitamin E, vitamin C, folic acid, vitamin B6 and vitamin b12 as well as deficiencies of magnesium and selenium have also been causally linked to CHD.
Professor Fred Kummerow, who did the earliest research on the trans fatty acids in the United States, and his colleagues have just reported on new research (Kummeiow et al 1999) that has identified a mechanism for an adverse effect of trans fatty acid intake in the presence of magnesium deficiency on a known cardiovascular risk factor. |
Elaine Feuer
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 Wright used to treat patients with allergies—the German form of vitamin b12 is the only injectable vitamin that does not contain preservatives or additives. |
Michael Janson, M.D.
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 Unfortunately, folic acid has a reputation for causing vitamin b12 deficiency. This is not true. High doses may mask the early signs of B12-deficiency anemia (seen in a microscopic evaluation of the blood), making it somewhat more difficult to detect, but they do not cause it.
With currently available tests for adequacy of B12, the detection of B12-deficiency anemia is not dependent on the blood smear. However, the FDA limitation on the sale of high-dose folic acid remains in effect, ostensibly to protect the consumer. |
James Braly M.D. and Ron Hoggan M.A.
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 Some essential vitamins are abundantly available in animal products, such as vitamin b12, yet they are not found in other food sources, including gluten cereals. We humans are members of a very select animal group. Guinea pigs and humans are the only mammals that cannot synthesize their own vitamin C. Hence we are also the only animals at risk of developing scurvy. Cereal grains contain very little of this health-promoting vitamin. By displacing fruits and vegetables, the consumption of cereals reduces our vitamin C intake. |
Michael Janson, M.D.
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| Water-soluble nutrients have a reputation of being quite safe in almost any doses because they are not stored in the body (except for vitamin b12, which is stored in the liver but is still not toxic). For the most part, any excess intake is readily excreted in the urine. This reputation for safety is almost entirely deserved, but not quite. There are a few problems from excessive doses of vitamin B3 (niacin), especially in the timed-release form, and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine). The doses required for such side effects are usually enormous compared with typical therapeutic levels. |
James Braly M.D. and Ron Hoggan M.A.
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| Be aware also that vitamin b12 deficiency coexists in about 15 percent of children with iron deficiency and that cow's milk allergy is another extremely common cause of blood-loss iron deficiency in children. All these factors have to be monitored and effectively treated. |
| Reduced mean corpuscular volume (MCV) c. Low vitamin b12 d. Low folic acid e. Chronic diarrhea, flatulence ?Weight loss with wasting g. Chronic fatigue
121. Malabsorption syndrome (chronic diarrhea, flatulence, weight loss, and fatigue)
122. Malignancies (see both entries: Cancers and Lymphomas)
123. Malnutrition (deficiencies in iron, zinc, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and vitamins B6, B12, folic acid, A, D, E and/or K)
124. Mast cell degranulation
125. Menarche, delayed (delayed by over 1 year)
126. Menopause, early (occurs 2-4 years earlier in CD patients)
127. |
| Vitamin Bg deficiency c. vitamin b12 deficiency d. Folic acid deficiency e. Vitamin D deficiency f. Vitamin E deficiency g. Vitamin K deficiency (associated with nosebleeds, easy bruisability, internal hemorrhaging, and bone loss)
185. Vitiligo
186. Weight loss/failure to gain weight
187. Zinc deficiency
Heroic Thinkers and Dietary Biases
Several heroic thinkers and researchers have blazed the trail past our cultural biases and preconceived notions. |
Michael Janson, M.D.
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| Having regular injections of vitamin b12 is the proper treatment of pernicious anemia (anemia due to poor absorption of B12), but such doses given weekly or monthly can also help many patients with fatigue and depression, even when a deficiency cannot be demonstrated. As people age, they have great difficulty absorbing B12, and if they have poor digestion, this compounds the problem. |
| Cobalt is known primarily for its functions related to its presence in vitamin b12, although there is a relationship of non-B12 cobalt to certain enzyme functions.
Manganese is essential for bone and cartilage formation and for the function of one form of the antioxidant enzyme SOD (superoxide dismutase), which protects the mitochondrial membranes (those little intracellular engines again) from oxidation. It is also a cofactor for a number of other enzymes, and it is yet another nutrient helpful with macular degeneration. |
Gale Maleskey
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 Vitamin C has no reported adverse effects at doses of 1,000 milligrams, and except for causing occasional bouts of diarrhea, seems to be safe at any amount. vitamin b12 does not appear to have any toxic effects, says Dr. Hathcock. "For most vitamins and minerals, the amounts that are safe and beneficial are far below the amounts that are toxic," he concludes.
Pushing the Limits
Given the careful guidelines that scientists have established, it may seem odd that some doctors prescribe doses that are much higher than what is usually considered safe. |
Barnet Meltzer, M.D.
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 Along with vitamin b12 and S-adenosylmethionine (or SAM, a derivative of the amino acid methionine), folic acid regulates neurotransmitters. It raises SAM levels, which, in turn, raise levels of serotonin and dopamine.
Some studies state that as many as 33 percent of depressed patients lack the nutrient. This is especially true for the elderly: 85 percent of the geriatric depressed population consumes insufficient amounts of folic acid. But folic acid deficiency is an unacceptable cause of depression, because so many high-performance foods contain copious amounts of it. |
Thomas Bartram
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 Supplementation. vitamin b12.
HYDRAGOGUE. A herbal cathartic that causes watery evacuation and drastic purgation. White Bryony, American Mandrake. (Practitioner use only)
HYDRANGEA. Seven Barks. Hydrangea arborescens L. Dried root. Keynotes: gravel, prostatitis.
Constituents: gum, resin, flavonoids, ferrous salts, phosphoric acids. Contains no tannins. Action: antilithic, diuretic, sialagogue. Uses. Used by the Cherokee Indians for gravel in the urine. Survived to be an important medicine in the modern herbalist's dispensary. |
Michael Lerner
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 We should note again the research cited in chapter 12 that vitamin b12, which Livingston recommends, may promote tumor growth.
Livingston's Shortcomings
One of Livingston's striking defects as a cancer researcher was the poor job she did in documenting the effects of her treatment on cancer patients, as opposed to her apparently rigorous work in the laboratory.
In The Conquest of Cancer, Livingston presented some data on 100 cases that, she said, were selected at random from the clinic files. |
Nicola Reavley
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 They were randomly given either 6400 meg folate or 6400 meg folate plus 20 meg vitamin b12 or lactose placebo each for two months. The results showed that right and left hand grip values were higher and the number of tender hand joints was less in the supplements group. There were no side effects in the vitamin group.5
Other nutrients
Epidemiological studies suggest that there may be a link between boron deficiency and osteoarthritis. In countries such as Mauritius and Jamaica, where boron intake is low, the incidence of osteoarthritis is around 50 to 70 per cent. |
| Cautions
Large amounts of folic acid can mask anemia caused by vitamin b12 deficiency. Although this is rare, in some cases it may lead to permanent nerve damage. Amounts greater than 400 meg per day should not be taken by anyone with anemia unless a diagnosis of pernicious anemia is ruled out.
Folic acid can interfere with the effectiveness of anticonvulsant drugs such as phenytoin and can result in an increase in seizure activity if large doses are taken. |
| Interactions with other nutrients
Folic acid requires vitamin b12, niacin and vitamin C to be converted to its biologically active form. Vitamin C helps to reduce folic acid excretion. High folic acid intakes may reduce zinc absorption, although the effect is likely to be a subtle one.
Interactions with drugs
NSAIDs such as aspirin, ibuprofen and acetaminophen can increase folate requirements if taken for long periods. Anticonvulsant drugs such as phenytoin and phenobarbital also raise folate requirements which may be of particular concern as these drugs are often taken for long periods. |
Berkeley Holistic Health Center and Shepherd Bliss
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| New ideas and substances can be identified and even incorporated, but they can never expand or transform the fundamental matrix. So, vitamin b12 is very Yang and penicillin is very Yin, but there is nothing beyond Yin and Yang.
At first glance, Western medicine seems equally impervious to alternate modes of perception. |
David Heber, M.D., Ph.D.
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 It's easy for your physician to test for vitamin b12 deficiency and pernicious anemia during a routine visit, and the problem is just as easily remedied with regular B12 injections or with a sublingual (dissolved under the tongue) or intranasal (dropped into the nose) version of the vitamin. Taken in these ways, B12 passes directly into the bloodstream without having to be absorbed in the stomach. |
| The conversion of homocysteine into methionine and cystathione is orchestrated by three of the B vitamins: folate, vitamin b12, and vitamin B6.
Plant proteins, by comparison with meat proteins, contain much less methionine. Since the ancient human diet was plant-based, there was much less methionine than in today's diet, and genes were selected that optimized the ability of the body to make methionine from homocysteine.
The enzymes that performed this function were helped by B vitamins and folic acid, which were also present in large amounts in plant foods. |
James A. Duke, Ph.D.
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 While we're on the subject of supplements, be sure that you're getting enough folic acid (also known as folate) and vitamin b12. Deficiencies in either of these nutrients can cause other types of anemia. The experts generally recommend taking 400 to 800 micrograms of folic acid a day, more if you have folate-deficiency anemia. The standard recit's the product of family history or just plain bad luck. Not true. Here's what I suggest to safeguard your joints against the disease.
Stick with a plant-based Paleolithic diet. |
| Interestingly, deficiencies of certain nutrients—specifically thiamin, niacin, vitamin b12, and zinc—can also contribute to appetite loss. One recent clinical study found that people experiencing appetite loss ate more and gained significant weight when they took zinc supplements. A variety of illnesses can trigger appetite loss, including cancer, digestive tract disorders, and many infectious diseases—even colds. At first, this may seem counterintuitive. |
Ralph Moss, PhD
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 Another widely publicized health scare was that high-dose vitamin C could lead to vitamin b12 deficiency. This was the position of Victor Herbert, M.D. of the Veterans' Administration hospital, Bronx, New York. Dr. Herbert put forward this view in a 1974 article in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). (160) However, this claim also turned out to be unsupported by subsequent research. |
| The prestigious Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academy of Sciences in 1998 called for supplementation with folic acid and vitamin b12. The Berkeley Wellness Letter has increased its recommendation for both vitamin C and E to daily amounts that are only practical to achieve through supplementation. The Journal of the American Medical Association and other medical journals are now talking openly about higher doses.
So perhaps we shall see the day when studies showing that antioxidants prevent cancer are followed by the recommendation, "Try adding these to your diet!"
2. |
| Despite such factual refutations, one still hears the same erroneous charges about vitamin C depleting vitamin b12 at scientific meetings and in public forums. Old rumors die hard.
Pro-Oxidant?
Another health scare came from England in 1998 and was widely publicized in the New York Times. This study claimed that while vitamin C was an effective antioxidant at lower doses, at high doses (which were defined as 500 milligrams per day), it could cause cellular damage. Scientists tracked two indicators of oxidation damage in the genetic material of 30 healthy volunteers. |
H.J. Roberts, M.D.
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 Her studies included a CT scan of the brain, an EEG, a drug screen, and measurement of vitamin b12 and folate blood levels. The diagnosis of "idiopathic epilepsy" was made, and phenytoin (Dilantin®) prescribed.
Surprised and puzzled by the episode, this nurse began researching a possible connection between aspartame and seizures in the hospital's medical library. She located two comparable case reports and several references. She also found that "diet" orange beverages tend to contain higher concentrations of aspartame—that is, up to 930 mg per liter (335 mg in 12 fluid ounces. |
Joe Graedon and Teresa Graedon
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 Ask your doctor to evaluate your situation, as injections are usually the most effective means of supplementing vitamin b12.
Beta Carotene, Vitamin E, and Alcohol
Little red capsules of beta carotene are probably among the hottest items on the vitamin shelf these days. Some researchers hypothesize that this precursor to vitamin A may help protect the body against a number of different cancers, and that it may help reduce the risk of heart attack. As a result, there may be millions of people taking it in the hope of warding off heart disease or cancer.
This probably makes good sense. |
Ralph W. Moss, Ph.D.
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 When leukemic mice were given a combination of vitamin C (sodium ascorbate) and vitamin b12 for ten days, there was a 70 percent increase in their survival (12).
Chinese scientists, seeking the cause of high rates of esophageal cancer in Linxian County isolated a carcinogenic chemical in pickled vegetables called RRME. This caused 63 percent tumors in experimental animals. But massive doses of vitamin C and a form of vitamin A "showed an obviously inhibitory effect on promoting action" of this carcinogen (13).
In 1980, vitamin C was shown to kill cancer cells preferentially in the test tube. |
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