Leo Galland
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 The specific nutrients with the most profound effects on immune function are EFAs, protein, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin b6, folic acid, and iron. Among the healthy elderly, immune-boosting benefits have been demonstrated for antioxidants like zinc, selenium, vitamin E, and beta-carotene.67
As I stated in Chapter Eight, I don't recommend beta-carotene supplements to my patients because beta-carotene is readily available from fruits and vegetables, mixed with other beneficial antioxidants like the carotenoids and bioflavonoids. |
Dr. Gary Null
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 Rogers and Chandra Mohan, "Vitamin B6 Metabolism and Diabetes," Biochemical Medicine and Metabiologic Biology 52 (1994): 10-17.
Results of a placebo-controlled study suggest that guar gum might improve glucose control in diabetics and reduce the risk of heart-related complications.
Helena Vuorinen-Markkola et al., "Guar Gum and Insulin-Dependent Diabetes: Effects on Glycemic Control and Serum Lipoproteins," The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 56 (1992): 1056-60. |
Mark Bricklin
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 Asthma
One of the most encouraging developments in natural therapy for bronchial asthma was the discovery in the 70s that vitamin b6, or pyridoxine, can help many people afflicted with this disease.
In their report published in the Annals of Allergy, a team of five physicians, headed by Platon J. Collipp, M.D., chief of the department of pediatrics at the Nassau County Medical Center in New York, described results achieved in a trial with 76 young patients, all suffering from moderate to severe asthma and ranging in age from 2 to 16. |
Dr. Julian Whitaker
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| In order for the methylation process to run smoothly and homocysteine to be kept at manageable levels, adequate amounts of folic acid and vitamin B12 must be present. vitamin b6 is also involved in a peripheral role. Making sure you get adequate amounts of these nutrients will keep your body's methylation process in tiptop condition.
STRESS IS A MIND-KILLER
Chronic stress contributes to memory loss and mental dysfunction. Regardless of whether the source is physical or emotional, real or imagined, there is a definite physiological, biochemical response to stress. |
| One small study published in The Lancet showed that CoQ10, in combination with vitamin b6 and iron, actually delayed the progression of Alzheimer's disease by one and a half to two years.
Although it is neither a vitamin nor a mineral, coenzyme Q10 is worthy of addition into a preventive nutritional supplementation program.
Suggested Dosage: A minimum dose of 60 milligrams of CoQ10 daily (although four or five times this amount is common). CoQ10 is better absorbed when taken with a little fat-containing food. |
Bradley J. Willcox, D. Craig Willcox, and Makoto Suzuki
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 It is converted in the body into an essential amino acid called methionine, or harmless cysteine, if we have enough B vitamins in our diet—folate, vitamin b6 (pyridoxine), and vitamin BI2 (cyanocobalamine). How we process this amino acid is also determined, to a certain extent, by our genes. Those who cannot effectively process this amino acid have a much higher risk of dying prematurely from coronary heart disease or stroke. They are also at higher risk for peripheral vascular disease (e.g., leg ulcers or blood clots called deep-vein thrombosis) and possibly dementia (including Alzheimer's). |
| Despite the fact that B-vitamins are water soluble and eliminated in the urine, supplementing with greater than 100 mg of vitamin b6 (pyridoxine) for extended periods can cause nerve damage (peripheral neuropathy) in susceptible individuals.98
For further information on vitamin and mineral intakes, see Appendix A (page 408).
CHAPTER FIVE
OKINAWA'S HEALING HERBS AND FOODS
A flower of hibiscus, its crimson petals, like your beautiful lips, are nourishment for my soul. Okinawan poem
"Let food be your medicine. |
Mark Bricklin
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| Abraham has turned his attention to another nutrient—magnesium—which works along with vitamin b6 to relieve PMS. In a study of 26 PMS sufferers ranging in age from 24 to 44, Dr. Abraham and his colleague, pathology professor Michael M. Lubran, M.D., Ph.D., noted that these women had "significantly lower" red blood cell levels of magnesium than did healthy controls. Not only that: Many PMS symptoms are quite similar to the classic symptoms of stress. And like stress, premenstrual tension by itself may deplete the body's stores of magnesium. |
Gale Maleskey
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 Vitamin A/beta-carotene: 5,000 international units
?Vitamin B6: 2 milligrams
?Vitamin D: 400 international units
?Folic acid: 400 micrograms
Small Stuff, Big Action
The scientific definition of a vitamin is "an organic compound, not a lipid or amino acid, required in very small amounts for essential functions in the body." Anything that's organic—from mulch and tree trunks to toenails and earlobes—contains the element carbon, the same element that's found in every vitamin. Lipids (fats) and amino acids are also organic, but they are not vitamins. |
Mark Bricklin
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| Pleasant, Texas, the researchers discovered that patients with carpal tunnel syndrome actually had a severe deficiency of vitamin b6, or pyridoxine, and that supplements of B6 led to disappearance of the symptoms. "They are improved so much that the patients do not need orthopedic surgery for their hands," says Dr. Folkers. "And what I think is almost unbelievable (but it seems to be true) is that individuals who have had symptoms for years—a decade, even 15 years—show remarkable reversal and improvement of their condition.
"It doesn't even take huge doses of B6, either," he continues. |
Dr. Vern Cherewatenko and Paul Perry
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 Experts at the third International Workshop-Conference on Gestational Diabetes Mellitus said exercise—along with a proper diet and supplements such as vitamin b6 and chromium—may help lower blood sugar. This, in turn, may reduce health risks to mothers and fetuses.
Monitoring your blood glucose levels is especially important during pregnancy, because the level can drop quickly as a result of exercise. Talk with your health care team about learning to maintain tight control during your pregnancy. |
Mark Bricklin
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| Erie, Pennsylvania, told a dermatology meeting that many teenage girls with menstrual acne find their flare-ups are reduced by taking vitamin b6 before and during their periods. Since his report, Dr. Snider says, "We have noticed that numerous other doctors are using it as well." Although most of his patients take the 50 milligrams he prescribes for 2 to 2Vi weeks in the month, "some do better with it all month," he says.
More good news for women with acne is that they no longer have to stop using all cosmetics (an approach that may not work anyway). |
| Adequate daily supplements of the two deficient nutrients—magnesium and vitamin b6 (also called pyri-doxine)—may be all that's needed for a person to rid himself of this often agonizing ailment.
Edwin L. Prien, Sr., M.D., and Stanley F. Gershoff, Ph.D., first announced their successful use of the double supplement in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, May, 1967. |
Ronald Klatz and Robert Goldman
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 However, it is important to balance high doses of magnesium with vitamin b6.
Lycopene is the natural substance that gives tomatoes their red color. It is a very powerful anticancer chemical that has been shown to prevent and slow down the growth of cancer cells. Specifically, a study indicated that lycopene intake reduced the risk of prostate cancer considerably, the benefit increasing with the number of servings consumed per week. Also, the study found that in addition to tomatoes with the skin on, strawberries also lowered prostate-cancer risk. |
| We don't know whether vitamin b6 (pyridoxine) is necessary for the thyroid or the pituitary gland, but we do know that without sufficient quantities of it TH production falls.
On the other hand, TH itself is necessary for your body to make use of vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin). A severe B12 deficiency could result in anemia (possibly fatal), mental illness, neurological disorders, neuralgia, neuritis, or bursitis—all symptoms that might be confused with the "normal" aging process. Since B12 can't be produced by the body itself, you have to ingest it in your diet or in vitamin supplements. |
| Q-10 200 mg odorless garlic 50 mg vitamin b6 135 I.U. vitamin D 6.7 mg potassium
6.7 meg chromium
1.5 mg magnesium choline tryptophan or melatonin occasionally borage oil and fish oil, saw palmetto
100 I.U. vitamin E 500 mg niacin 56.7 meg selenium 60 mg niacinamide 0.35 mg boron
Richard Cutler, Ph.D.
(Bethesda, Maryland) is a molecular biologist, president of Genox Corporation in Bethesda and formerly at the Gerontology Research Center, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health. His research focuses on the genetic and biochemical basis of human longevity. |
Sheldon Saul Hendler
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 Some very preliminary research suggests that vitamin b6 and tryptophan may help reduce the severity of hyperventilation and the anxiety and panic it can produce.
Related to Negative Claims:
1) May contribute to bladder cancer—A study done many years ago gave rise to this claim. More recent studies, however, show no relationship between tryptophan and bladder cancer.
2) May, in high doses, lead to liver abnormalities—An animal study, using doses of tryptophan equivalent to 4 to 5 grams daily in humans, found evidence of fatty deposits in the livers of these animals. |
Mark Bricklin
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| In a long-term study of 149 kidney-stone patients (so-called chronic stone formers), the doctors used magnesium and vitamin b6 to cut stone formation by an impressive 90 percent.
In a study by Swedish researchers at the University Hospital in Uppsala, magnesium therapy helped 85 percent of kidney-stone patients become free of recurrence over a four-year period. The group of 55 men and women individually had averaged about 1 stone per year (0.8 to be exact) and, as a group, had passed a whopping 460 stones during the years before the experiment. |
James Braly M.D. and Ron Hoggan M.A.
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 We are aware of at least one report of nerve injury as the result of excessive vitamin b6 supplementation in excess of 150 mg daily. We recommend exercising caution when supplementing with this B vitamin.
For those with chronically low blood pressure, a common feature of celiac disease, caution is also appropriate when supplementing with vitamin B3. Some individuals choose to begin with very small doses.
Vitamin A Supplementation
Vitamin A deficiency is commonly associated with recurring infections, especially in children. |
Richard Lucas
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 They report that vitamin b6 cuts down the amount of oxalates in the urine, and the remaining oxalate that does reach the urine is rendered more soluble by the action of magnesium.
A Word About the Bladder
The bladder is a temporary storage sac for urine which must be voided from time to time. When its elastic walls have been stretched to a certain point, a nerve impulse relays a sensation of the need to urinate. |
Mary G. Enig
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 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. |
Francisco, M.D. Contreras
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| The population in general suffers from deficiency in zinc, folic acid, vitamin C, vitamin b6, copper, calcium and iron. On the other hand, the consumption of salt is universally excessive.
In Mexico, on June 19,1994, the newspaper La Jornada published the following note, "Twenty-four million Mexicans are below the minimum levels of nutrition," we are assured by Faviano Dominguez, Coordinator of the Program for the Promotion of Health of the Mexican Social Security Institute. |
Barnet Meltzer, M.D.
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 WALNUTS
Black-eyed peas, potatoes, and whole wheat flour are also good sources of vitamin b6.
0MEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS AND HERBAL THERAPY
One final note: Omega-3 fatty acids also aid in the prevention of emotional disorders, and a deficiency can contribute to severe depression. The brain is the top source of fatty acids in the body, and it requires the omega-3s for optimal functioning. Add one or two tablespoons of flaxseed oil to green leafy vegetable salads to get the full complement of daily omega-3 fatty acids. |
| Deficiencies in vitamin b6 have been linked to asthma, autoimmune disorders, carpal tunnel syndrome, depression, heart conditions, kidney stones, PMS, and seizure disorders. The increase in the appearance of these ailments parallels the increase in B6 antagonists present in prescription drugs and processed foods. Alcohol, birth control pills, hydrazine dyes, anti-tuberculosis isoniazid, and anti-hypertensive hydralazine are among the more common B6 antagonists.
You are what you eat. Minerals, B vitamins, and amino acids can do everything from boosting serotonin to soothing nerves. |
J. Robert Hatherill
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 HEALTH BENEFITS OF VITAMIN Bl2 prevents cancer enhances immune system prevents heart disease
It is not surprising that if there is a deficiency in either vitamin b6 or Bl2, homocysteine will accumulate. When homocysteine levels rise, this causes damage to the interior of vessels (or arteriosclerosis), and it may increase the risk of heart disease. People at high risk for heart disease have elevated levels of homocysteine.
There are very few side effects for vitamin Bl2, even with high doses in excess of the RDA. |
Dr. Julian Whitaker
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| Suggested Dosage: 75 milligrams of vitamin b6 daily. Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)
Also known as cobalamin, vitamin B12 is the most important of the B vitamins for proper brain functioning. In addition to its role in the methylation process, vitamin B12 is involved in the production of red blood cells, as well as the myelin sheaths that cover and protect neurons and help speed up impulse conduction. Deficiencies of vitamin B12 are common in the elderly and may result in mental confusion that is sometimes mistaken for Alzheimer's disease. |
J. Robert Hatherill
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| For instance, vitamin b6 is needed in over half of the body's reactions involving enzymes, while folic acid is required for the activity of enzymes involved in making DNA.
When the enzyme has enough cofactor (or vitamin), additional amounts of that cofactor do nothing to increase enzyme activity. This has led researchers to widely conclude that a higher intake of vitamins is wasteful and serves no useful purpose. But as more discoveries are made concerning other features, such as the anticancer action of vitamins, this position is being reconsidered. |
Stanley W. Jacob, M.D.
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 We don't eat enough whole grains, fruits, and vegetables— excellent sources of vitamin b6 and folic acid. Instead, we eat enormous amounts of refined, denuded grains, and consume considerable quantities of sugar-laden foods and animal protein, which deplete the body of B complex vitamins, particularly B6.
Other reasons for problems with methionine include the aging process. Nutrient levels tend to decline with age as the body becomes less efficient. We know that many vitamins and minerals—including B6 and folic acid—are present in lower quantities in the elderly than in younger people. |
James Braly M.D. and Ron Hoggan M.A.
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| The good news is that these levels indicate deficiencies of folate, vitamin b6, and/or vitamin B12, which can often be remedied by supplementing a high-potency B complex. It may also be an indication of underlying celiac disease, known to cause such deficiencies. When one's homocysteine does not respond well to B vitamin supplementation, gluten sensitivity should be considered as a cause. For people with such deficiencies, a strict gluten-free diet might be just what the doctor ordered. |
Michael Janson, M.D.
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 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. The side effects have usually been completely reversible. It is wise to be aware of these risks but not overly anxious about them.
The minerals, amino acids, accessory food factors and flavonoids are not generally classified according to solubility. |
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