| Stress, whether emotional or physical or due to injury or illness, depletes the body of nutrients, especially vitamin C, the B complex and zinc. vitamin b6 and pantothenic acid are also particularly important in times of stress. Vitamins C and E and zinc promote the healing process. A comprehensive approach to good health includes practices that aid in stress management, regular exercise and proper diet. Diet and nutritional supplements provide the building blocks to form a healthier, more vital organism. |
| Specifically individuals with a history of allergy, high cholesterol, diabetes, high alcohol intake, trans fat intake, chemical exposures, or specific nutrient deficiencies (particularly of magnesium and vitamin b6) may have difficulty with conversion. In these cases the metabolic block can be bypassed by taking supplements of GLA {gamma-linolenic acid), which helps the problems listed above.
The other EFA is called alpha-linolenic acid, which is an omega-3 oil. This oil is even more unsaturated (has more double bonds), with the first double bond at the third position in the carbon chain. |
Dr. Vern Cherewatenko and Paul Perry
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 Pregnant or breast-feeding women may need extra calcium, iron, and vitamin b6, plus folate to compensate for increased demands on their bodies.
• Adolescents and older men and women need extra calcium to build bone and prevent osteoporosis, especially if they have diabetes.
• Older adults, who are less active and less inclined to eat a balanced diet and whose bodies may not absorb nutrition efficiently, may need a multivitamin. |
Gale Maleskey
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 It changes vitamin b6 into a form that the body can use, and it helps change the amino acid tryptophan into niacin, another essential B vitamin. "Even though we often focus on riboflavin's role in energy metabolism, it plays several other important roles throughout the body," says Donald Mc-Cormick, Ph.D., chairman of the department of biochemistry at Emory University in Atlanta.
Energy Relay
Like many of the other B vitamins, riboflavin helps us generate energy. Inside the mitochondria, a cell's tiny powerhouse, riboflavin acts as a kind of shuttle bus. |
J. Robert Hatherill
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 A regular intake of alcohol alters the activity of vitamin D and is associated with low blood levels of beta carotene, folic acid, thiamin, and vitamin b6. Steady use of alcohol will often cause extremely low liver stores of vitamin A. Alcohol has also been shown to hinder absorption of vitamin C.
In adolescence, which is a period of rapid growth, vitamin demands are often not met because of poor eating habits. Nutritional studies reveal folic acid to be deficient in about half of otherwise healthy teenage girls. |
James A. Duke, Ph.D.
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 Some studies show that vitamin b6 helps keep kidney stones from recurring. I'd suggest taking 25 milligrams of the vitamin a day, as a preventive.
Try the anti-stone herbs. In my Garden of Youth, I grow the following herbs, all of which help prevent and treat stones: corn silk, dandelion, quackgrass, and stoneroot.
Stone-Stopping Sipper
If you don't have any of the herbs mentioned below, you can substitute horsetail, stinging nettle, and parsley. These also have a reputation for preventing kidney stone formation. |
Nicola Reavley
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 Experts suggest that at least a two-hour period should elapse between the administration of iron salts and oral penicillamine doses. vitamin b6 needs may also be increased with long-term use of D penicillamine. Supplements in doses of 25 mg per day may be useful.
Aspirin
Aspirin is used as a painkilling and temperature-reducing drug. Frequent use of aspirin may cause bleeding in the stomach and intestines. This may lead to iron deficiency if aspirin is taken for long periods. Patients with vitamin K deficiency should use aspirin cautiously as increased bleeding may result. |
Thomas Bartram
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 Combination of coenzyme Q10, vitamin b6 and iron. Showed improved mental function.
Abram Hoffer MD, PhD. Niacin 500mg tid, Vitamin C 500mg tid, Folic acid 5mg daily, Aspirin 300mg daily, Ginkgo herb 40mg daily. (International Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, Feb 1994 pli) Alzheimer's Disease Society. 2nd Floor, Gordon House, 10 Greencoat Piace, London SW1P 1PH, UK. Offers support to families and carers through membership. Practical help and information. Send SAE.
AMARANTH. Love-lies-bleeding. Amaranthus hypochondriacus L.
Part used: the flowering herb. |
| Vitamin and mineral supplements daily: folic acid, vitamin b6, B-group vitamins together with magnesium, zinc, manganese, chromium, dolomite. (Dr Pfeiffer)
Iron supplements are of mixed value as they interfere with the uptake of zinc. In pregnancy, there is a high need for zinc, required for the rapid multiplication of cells. Zinc deficiency is linked with low birth weight and painful labour and is suspected of a relation to spinal bifida. (Dr Nigel Meadows. Bart's Hospital, London)
Spina bifida may arise from a deficiency of folic acid in the diet. Folic acid foods should prove preventative. |
Ralph Moss, PhD
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 In three tests, Co Q10 increased when patients also took a supplement of vitamin b6, or pyridoxine, together with the coenzyme. Folkers and his colleagues concluded that such increases were "clinically important." (452)
Selenium
In addition, it has been shown that a selenium deficiency lowers the level of Co Q10 by about 50 percent in the liver and 15 percent in the hearts of experimental animals. Since a daily intake of 200 micrograms of selenium is optimal for most people, it would be wise to make sure you get this much to maintain Co Q10 levels. |
Earl Mindell and Hester Mundis
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 Though still 65 percent sucrose, blackstrap molasses contains minor but useful amounts of iron, calcium, potassium, and B vitamins, particularly vitamin b6. Lighter molasses is less endowed with nutrients.
CAUTION If you are under levodopa treatment for Parkinson's disease, blackstrap molasses is not recommended.
Sorghum Molasses This is a lighter molasses, made from sweet sorghum (a cereal grass in the millet family). The juice is extracted from sorghum stalks through crushing and is then boiled down into syrup. Unless the syrup is heated properly it may quickly ferment in the jar. |
Thomas Bartram
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| Daily. vitamin b6 50-100mg. Vitamin C 500mg. Vitamin E 400iu. Magnesium, Zinc. Cod liver oil: 2 teaspoons. Anti-allergic bedding. Provides a protective barrier against the house dust mite on mattresses and bedding. Droppings from the tiny pests are worse in the bedroom.
ASTRINGENTS. One of the largest groups of herbs. Herbs that contract blood vessels and certain body tissues (mucous membranes) with the effect of reducing secretion and excretion. Binders. They are used for debility, internal and external bleeding, catarrhal discharges, etc, their action due to the tannins they contain. |
James A. Duke, Ph.D.
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| Be aware that high doses of vitamin b6 have been linked to nerve damage in the extremities, a condition called peripheral neuropathy. It's remotely possible that you might experience symptoms with a dosage as low as 100 milligrams a day. If you notice any numbness or tingling in your fingers or toes, reduce your dosage or stop taking the supplement.
Consider extra calcium, too. Some scientific literature suggests that disturbances in calcium metabolism may contribute to PMS. |
Thomas Bartram
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| Some authorities conclude that CTS is a primary deficiency of vitamin b6, dose: 50-200mg daily.
General. Yoga, to control pain. Attention to kidneys. Diuretics may be required. Cold packs or packet of peas from the refrigerator to site of pain for 15 minutes daily.
CARRAGHEEN MOSS. See: IRISH MOSS.
CARUNCLE, URETHRAL. A tender easily bleeding bright red swelling at the urinary outlet of the vagina. About the size of a large pill. Not cancerous but painful on intercourse and on passing urine.
Treatment. Tincture Thuja, 5 drops in water morning and evening, internal. |
Marcia Zimmerman, C.N.
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 Although pyridoxine, or vitamin b6, was the specific B vitamin tested, the other B vitamins are required to "push" pyridoxine-activated enzymatic reactions to completion.
You can see that the argument for supplementation with fatty acids, minerals, and vitamins is extremely compelling. In the early eighties, a Canadian team noted that the data accumulated proved diet alone could not provide enough nutrients to overcome fluctuation in brain biochemistry. |
| In order for this to occur, vitamin b6, magnesium, zinc, ascorbate, biotin, folic acid, and niacin all must be present. Given the symptoms of deficiency, it is not much of a surprise that behavioral disorders including AD/HD respond well to supplementation with these nutrients. The need for supplementation in AD/HD sufferers may be due to several factors, including inadequate dietary sources, inability to extract needed amounts, or because they require more than others.
In a study conducted in England in the late 1970s, Mary Coleman, Ph.D. |
| It is important to be aware of this and take vitamin b6 to keep your levels up if you are facing AD/HD.
Faulty neurotransmission is considered the leading reason for inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, temper tantrums, sleep disorders, forget-fulness, and aggression. As we have seen, four neurotransmitters are involved. Dopamine and norepinephrine are thought to control attention and hyperactivity. Serotonin, or 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HTP), appears to regulate depression, aggression, sleep, pain, impulsivity, and eating disorders. |
James A. Howenstine, MD
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 The only way to be certain that you are getting the proper dosage of folic acid, Vitamin B 12, vitamin b6 and Trimethylglycine to treat homocysteine excess is to have regular tests of homocysteine (HC) blood levels. Each 3 unit increase in HC causes a 35% increase in the risk of heart attack.
Trimethylglycine (TMG) is the most effective agent to lower homocysteine levels. (Page 86 of Disease Prevention and Treatment: Third Edition). The usual dose is 500 mg. three times daily. If HC levels have not fallen adequately, up to 9000 mg.. of TMG may be needed daily. |
Ruth Winter, M.S.
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 PYRIDOXINE TRIPALM1TATE • vitamin b6 Tripalmitate. See Pyridoxine HCL.
PYRITHIONE ZINC • Head and Shoulders Antidandruff Shampoo. X-Seb Shampoo. Zincon Dandruff Shampoo. A zinc derivative that acts as an antibacterial and antifungal ingredient for the skin. Relieves the itching and scalp flaking associated with dandruff and with seborrheic dermatitis of the scalp. PYROCATECHOL • Used as an antiseptic. Colorless leaflets, soluble in water; prepared by treating salicylaldehyde with hydrogen peroxide. Used in blond-type dyes as an oxidizing ingredient and for dyeing furs; also in photography. |
Dr. Mary Dan Eades
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 Interactions—
• vitamin b6 is needed to convert the amino acids cysteine and methionine into taurine.
• Excessive consumption of alcohol is associated with high urinary losses of taurine. This overconsumption also causes the body to lose its ability to utilize taurine properly.
• Diabetes increases the body's requirement for taurine.
Conversely, taurine taken in combination with cystine may reduce the need for insulin.
Recommended Usage—Because this nutrient is not considered essential yet, there is no DRI listing even for infants. |
Ralph Moss, PhD
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| On the other hand, taking at least 40 milligrams per day of vitamin b6 reduced kidney stone formation by one third. "Routine restriction of vitamin C to prevent stone formation appears unwarranted," they concluded. One can only wonder how this erroneous story got started and has been perpetuated for decades.
Vitamin B12 Deficiency?
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. |
Gary Null
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 MAGNESIUM FOR UNDULANT FEVER
Along with large doses of manganese and vitamin b6, magnesium can cure undulant fever, a condition transmitted by pets and other domestic animals.61
MAGNESIUM FOR YOUR NERVES
Do your nerves feel ragged? Are you especially sensitive to the slightest pain or noise? Do you suffer from insomnia, especially after drinking? It could be that your nervous system is crying out for more magnesium. |
Dr. Mary Dan Eades
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| Recommendation: Take 50 to 75 mg of vitamin b6 3 times daily along with 50 to 100 mg of B-complex.
• Vitamin C may help to offset the unpleasant side effects of taking L-dopa, the medication most commonly used to treat Parkinson's disease. Although most people tolerate L-dopa well, some people who have been unable to tolerate taking their medication because of nausea or increased salivation can by taking vitamin C along with it reap the benefits of L-dopa without the misery. This vitamin is a powerful antioxidant that may slow the progression of the disease. |
| Plus, additional supplementation with the following B-group vitamins may also help:
• Pantothenic acid as calcium d-pantothenate 150 mg per day; 50 mg vitamin b6 (pyridoxine) per day; 25 to 50 grams thiamine (vitamin B,) per day; 100 mg niacin (vitamin B3) per day; 2 to 5 mg folic acid per day; and 1000 micrograms vitamin B,2 weekly to monthly.
Herbal remedies
• To supplement your calcium intake, use pigweed, the best plant source for this nutrient. Other plants that contain calcium include stinging nettle, marjoram, red clover, thyme, basil, celery seed, dandelion, and purslane. |
Gary Null
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| Therefore, the need for vitamin b6 is much greater when you consume a diet largely of animal fat and protein.12
Summary
Protein food is broken up by your teeth, but pepsin and hydrochloric acid in the stomach begin to break it into its component amino acids. Proteases in the small intestine nearly finish this job, which is completed in the lining of the small intestine prior to absorption.
It is believed that competition for absorption explains why you need that proportion of amino acids in your food we call complete. |
| Morre and her colleagues at Purdue University, who conducted tests on experimental animals, discovered that "maternal vitamin b6 deficiency during a critical period of brain development interferes with this orderly process [of brain development] in the young." Her team also noted lower brain and body weights as a result of B6 deficiency.60
According to Michael H. Brophy, M.D. and Pentti K. Silteri, Ph.D. |
Sheldon Saul Hendler
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| Doses higher than 50 mg daily for prolonged periods are not recommended because of the possibility of neurologic side effects (see vitamin b6). Those who do take higher doses should be under a physician's supervision.
2) Vitamin E can be increased to a total of 400 IUs daily for breast tenderness.
3) L-tyrosine may be helpful for PMS-associated depression and fatigue. Capsules of 500 mg can be taken on an empty stomach an hour before each meal for a total of 1,500 mg daily. Some women may need higher amounts of L-tyrosine, up to 2,000 mg before each meal, for a beneficial effect. |
Thomas Bartram
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| Pantothenic acid lOmg; Vitamin A 7500iu; vitamin b6 25mg; Vitamin E 400iu; Zinc 25mg.
General. Warm dry climate often relieves. Surgery may be necessary. Herbs Pleurisy root, Comfrey root and Bryonia, sustain the constitution and promote tissue healing after joint replacements with ceramic substitute after the famous Charnley operation. The condition is disabling but it is possible to manage successfully, maintaining normal activities with minimum difficulty.
ARTHRITIS - PSORIATIC A form of joint erosion possible in patients with psoriasis; fingers and toes being most susceptible. |
Earl Mindell, R.Ph., Ph.D.
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 PMS patients given a multivitamin and mineral supplement containing high doses of magnesium and vitamin b6, showed a 70 percent improvement of symptoms.
Vitamins
Vitamin A—High doses of vitamin A in the second half of the menstrual cycle have been shown to relieve symptoms. However, betacarotene is a better choice, since it is less toxic and is converted into vitamin A as the body needs it. Good food sources of betacarotene include apricots, sweet potatoes, broccoli, cantaloupe, pumpkin, carrots, mangoes, peaches, and spinach. |
Nicola Reavley
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| Those age 65 or older are likely to need to increase intake of several nutrients, particularly vitamin b6, vitamin B12 and vitamin D because of reduced absorption. They may benefit from supplements (See page 454 for more information.) There's also evidence that a multivitamin may improve immune function and decrease the risk of infections in older people.
• Premenopausal women may benefit from iron supplements as their diets are often low in this mineral and iron deficiency anemia is relatively common. |
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