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 !!!!!

AGING & B12 DEFICIENCY

A great number of health problems facing people around the age of 60 as they get older are attributed to nutritional deficiencies. Many have malabsorption problems, which means the body does not absorb the nutrients from the foods we eat as they go through the gastrointestinal tract. As we age our bodies do not assimilate the foods properly as they did before. During this aging process the body slows down and is not as efficient as when we were younger. So more than ever it is important to give the body the correct nutrients required and make sure the body is operating correctly for the support, repair and regeneration of the cells.
Many older people become deficient in b12 because their stomachs do not produce enough stomach acid for proper digestion. This will create an environment for the overgrowth of certain bacteria that will steal whatever b12 has been extracted from the protein in the digestive tract. Others do not produce enough of a substance called, intrinsic factor, without this the b12 cannot travel from the stomach to the rest of the body even if nothing else is a problem.
One can have vitality and a zest for living at any age. My Mom was a specimen of this. She never had been to a doctor since the birth of my youngest brother over 50 years ago. She ate healthy, never complained to us of any disturbances, was happy and full of fun, then all of a a sudden out of nowhere at age 79 she passed on of an aortic aneurysm. She had energy abounding till that point and loved life. But what a quick way to go...in the blink of an eye. Although 79 is young, especially for someone who loved life as much as she did. Death is something we all will do one day, there is no way out of it. But if there are warning signs our bodies are giving us and even diagnosis being made, I feel we should do everything in our power to bring life back into the cells and health back into the body. That is what I aim to do with my issues at the moment. You should not assume that pain and illness are to be associated with aging. You can feel better at 60 than at 30 I read recently. I am holding on to these words. At age 30 I was in tip top shape. Teaching exercise classes at a local gym, filling in for the regular instructors there I was in optimum shape. I ran 3-6 miles each day, lifted free weights, Nautilus machines, aerobics, rode my bike 3-6 miles each morning. I was fit & feeling fine. No ........feeling the best I had ever felt! So if this statement is true, I will be 60 in 2 years and I am holding on to it and going to believe every word of it that I will be better than at age 30. I would give anything to feel that healthy and vibrant once again....and I will....you watch (or read my blogs) it will come to visit me again...GOOD HEALTH & ENERGY!
It took years for my body to develop the health issues I now have, not from bad diet because I do eat right and well, but from stress of all sorts and my body for some odd reason not absorbing the great foods and supplements I have given it all these years. So since it took a while to get this way I need nothing short of a miracle to be healthy tomorrow, but if my miracle does not come I will live with the hope that over time by taking care of myself and doing the things I learned in the past that can help heal the body I believe I will be healed and I will be able to have the vibrancy once again I knew before and the great energy and love of life my Mom had. And I will grow to be old and healthy. I will stand firm on believing the scripture below.
If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes. Mark 9:23

It's Been a While......

Sorry it has been a while since blogging. I have been resting quite a bit still when home. I still have not received the reports on the blood work they have done for the b12 deficiency so if and when I do leave the house when I return it is sleepy time for me. I know I do need to move it or I will loose it, so I am very thankful to the awesome group of friends I have who get me out and about these past few months. I have a wonderful extension of girlfriends, married and single. They all step up to the plate and help. I do hope they do not tire of that. But their getting me out does help get the blood flowing, it is just that when you have MS or a similar disease people can not see that you do not feel well because you look just fine. Perhaps you look a bit tired but then again the whole world is tired these days. I just want to say thanks to my friends for seeing beyond the end of your noses as they say, and caring. More should be lucky to have friends as I do. I also have a wonderful son, who takes great care of his mom. He knows exactly what I need when I need it. From phone calls to treats out or cleaning my home.
Well as soon as they put me on a treatment plan medically for the b12 deficiency so my body starts absorbing the wonderfully healthy foods I consume, I will then start a cleanse program because....health begins in the colon. But I am a bit too weak physically at this time to under go any colonic or enema routine or even herbal cleanses, it would only make me too weak and in order to do so when this weak I feel you do need to do it under supervision. So once my b12 shots begin, it may be just a one time thing, or it may be a daily thing for the rest of my life, whatever, when my resistance picks up a bit I will then begin my trip down 2beHealthyAgain lane.
Wishing all of you a wonderful 2011....may you grow to be healthy, wealthy & wise.
Live Life Fully & Abundantly so UCanBeWell4Ever !!!!!

B12 Deficiency

Upon going to a doctor visit last Friday I was sent for another MRI of the head and blood work. They scheduled me for Saturday morning. Monday afternoon the nurse called me at home with the results. The MRI had no change since the last time, which was good. Nothing worse to reveal. But the blood work showed a B12 deficiency. So more paper work is being sent to me so I can undergo some more testing. They may choose to start me on B12 shots but not until they dig deeper to see the root cause of this. I take a B12 supplement and also B Complex, but after doing some research I am finding that just because we put the vitamins and good food into us if one part of our body is not manufacturing the nutrients properly then our cells are not nourished and repaired. The human body is so in depth and intricately designed. I think I really need God's help here more than I had thought. He knows what to fix. I am glad they have found an underlying cause to my inability to get out of bed each day. Could this all be going back to 2008 to when they found the cysts on my liver and the primary care physician said not to worry about them? I saw a liver specialist who also said it was not a concern at that time as I had other health issues she was dealing with. Did my health issues get swept under the rug for a while till now? I will never know and don't choose to worry about it. What I am concerned with at the moment is regaining my strength so I will have energies to fight this and my MS and also in the mean time get my hands working properly so I can be productive in society once again.
Symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency include very pale skin, shortness of breath, fatigue, dizziness, headache cold hands and feet, heart palpitations, and chest pain. These symptoms are due to a decreased production of red blood cells that are necessary to carry vital oxygen to the body's cells and tissues. A serious complication that can occur due to decreased red blood cell production is pernicious anemia, also called vitamin B12 deficiency anemia.

Read more at http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/v/vitamin_b12_deficiency/symptoms.htm?ktrack=kcplink

Vitamin B12 deficiency and vitamin B12 deficiency anemia can also affect the gastrointestinal tract and result in enlarged liver (hepatomegaly), nausea, vomiting, heartburn, abdominal bloating, gas, constipation or diarrhea, loss of appetite, and weight loss.

Read more at http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/v/vitamin_b12_deficiency/symptoms.htm?ktrack=kcplink

Symptoms can also occur in the nervous system. If left untreated, vitamin B12 deficiency can result in permanent nerve damage. Symptoms can include numbness and tingling in the hands and feet, unsteadiness, difficulty walking, confusion, depression, memory loss, and dementia.. I have all but a few of these listed symptoms.

Vitamin B12 and MS

THIS FINDING BELOW IS TREAMENDOUS NEWS TO ME! NOW TO FIX IT!

December 16, 2010

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) are at higher risk of vitamin B12 deficiency. Low levels of vitamin B12 can mimic and exacerbate many MS symptoms, including fatigue, depression and memory .

All this time I had MS I had never known that I was at a higher risk for B12 deficiency!

Read more at http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/v/vitamin_b12_deficiency/symptoms.htm?ktrack=kcplink