Saturday, March 05, 2011

THE COMPLEX B VITAMINS.....so very important to us

B12 deficiency, something I never thought I would have or develop. For nearly 40 years of my life I have been eating very healthy, taking supplements and living a good life which I thought was maintaining my health. Well, after all said and done my body was not assimilating the food & nutrients I was providing it with properly or might I say not at all. The last 3 years of my life have been a struggle in the area of maintaining my health. Recently I was found to be deficient in B12. Even though I took the supplement it was exiting my body without helping it at all. So doctors placed me on b12 shots. I will be tested again this week to see if they have helped. I don't feel any different, but after all I did not get this way overnight and it may take a while to start to build the body up again.
The B vitamins help to maintain the nerves, skin, eyes, hair, liver and mouth as well as healthy muscle tone in the gastrointestional tract and proper brain function. B complex vitamins are co enzymes involved in energy production and may help to alleviate depression or anxiety. These nutrients are not absorbed as we age so elderly people need these even more so. There have been cases where the elderly have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's who have later found it was a b12 deficiency plus b complex deficiency.
B1...Thiamine enhances circulation and helps in blood formation, carb metabolism and production of hydrochloric acid needed for digestion. It also aids in brain function and helps energy, growth, learning capacity normal appetite and is needed for muscle tone of the intestines, stomach and heart. It also is an antioxidant which protects against aging, alcohol consumption and smoking. The richest source in in brown rice, egg yolks, fish legumes, liver, peanuts, peas, pork, poultry, rice bran, wheat germ and whole grains. Other sources are asparagus, brewers yeast, broccoli, Brussels sprouts,kelp, most all nuts, oatmeal, plums, dried prunes, spirulina and watercress. A high carb diet will increase your need for B1. Antibiotics, sulfa drugs and oral contraceptives may decrease levels in your body.
B2...riboflavin is necessary for red blood cell formation, antibody production and growth. It helps alleviate eye fatigue. Deficiencies will include cracks and sores in the mouth, skin lesions, dizziness, hair loss, insomnia, light sensitivity poor digestion and slow mental response.
B3..niacin, niacinamide, nicotinic acid is needed for proper circulation and healthy skin. It aids in the functioning of the nervous system, metabolizing the carbs, fats and proteins and production of hydrochloric acid for digestion. It helps cholesterol and is also a memory enhancer.
B5...pantothenic acid is the anti stress vitamin which is needed by all cells in the body. It aids in the production of neurotransmitters. It also prevents certain types of anemia. A deficiency of this may cause fatigue, headache, nausea, and tingling in the hands.
B6...pyridoxine affects both the physical and mental health of our bodies. It aids in the absorption of fats and proteins in our bodies. It plays a role in cancer immunity and aids in the prevention of arteriosclerosis. It aids the heart muscle. A deficiency may be recognized by a sore tongue, anemia, convulsions, headache, nasea, flaky skin and vomiting. Also by acne, anorexia, arthritis, depression, dizziness, fatigue, hyperirritability, impaired woulnd healing, learning difficulties, weak memory, hearing problems, hair loss and tingling sensations.
B12...cyanocobalamin is needed to prevent anemia. It aids folic accid in regulating the formation of red blood cells and helps in the utilization of iron in the body. Strict vegetarians must remember that they need b12 supplementation as this vitamin is mostly found in animal protein. The body can store up to 5 years worth of this vitamin but eventually you will get a deficiency if no supplementation is done and the body starts to deterriorate.
Other b'x we need are botin, folic acid and PABA. Without the proper balance of b's in our system we will no doubt develop some type of deficiency or illness. Consider adding a b complex supplement to your daily dose of vitamins. In this day and age we can not get all we need just from the foods we eat. Your body will thank you!
UCanBeWell4Ever !!!!!

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