Vitamin Supplements

Vitamin B2 [Riboflavin]

FACTS:

Water soluble. Easily absorbed. The amount excreted depends on bodily needs and may be accompanied by protein loss.

Like the other B vitamins it is not stored and must be replaced regularly through whole foods or supplements.

Also known as vitamin G.

Measured in milligrams [mg.] Read the rest of this entry »

Vitamin B₁₂[Cobalamin]

FACTS:

Water soluble and effective in very small doses.Commonly known as the “red vitamin“, also cyanocobalamin.

Measured in micrograms [mcg.].

The only vitamin that contains essential mineral elements.

Not well assimilated through the stomach. Needs to be combined with calcium during absorption to benefit body properly.

Recommended adult dose is 3 mcg., with larger amounts suggested for pregnant and lactating women. Read the rest of this entry »

Vitamin B₁₇ [Laetrile]

FACTS:

One of the most controversial “vitamins” of the decade.

Chemically a compound of two sugar molecules [one benzaldehyde and one cyanide] called an amygdalin.

Known as nitrilosides when used in medical doses. Obtained from apricot pits.

One B vitamin that is not present in brewer’s yeast.

Touted as a cancer treatment in most of the United States at this date and legal in fifteen states but rejected by the Food and Drug Administration on the grounds that it might be poisonous due to its cyanide content. Read the rest of this entry »

Vitamin F [Unsaturated Fatty Acids — Linoleic, Linolenic and Arachidonic]

FACTS:

Fat soluble, made up of unsaturated fatty acids obtained from foods.

Measured in milligrams [mg.].

No RDA has been established, but the National Research Council has suggested that at least 1 percent of total calories should include essential unsaturated fatty acids.

Unsaturated fat helps burn saturated fat, with intake balanced two to one.

Twelve teaspoons sunflower seeds or eighteen pecan halves can furnish a day’s complete supply. Read the rest of this entry »

Inositol

FACTS:

Water soluble, another member of the B complex, and a lipotropic.

Measured in milligrams [mg.].

Combines with choline to form lecithin.

Metabolises fats and cholesterol. Read the rest of this entry »

Niacin [Nicotinic Acid, Niacinamide, Nicotinamide]

FACTS:

Water soluble and a member of the B-complex family, known as B3.

Usually measured in milligrams [mg].

Using the amino acid tryptophan, the body can manufacture its own niacin.

A person whose body is deficient in B₁, B2, and B6 will not be able to produce niacin from tryptophan. Read the rest of this entry »

Vanadium

FACTS:

Inhibits the formation of cholesterol in blood vessels. No dietary allowance set.

WHAT IT CAN Do FOR You:

Aid in preventing heart attacks.

DEFICIENCY DISEASE:

None known.

BEST NATURAL SOURCES:

Fish.

SUPPLEMENTS:

Not available.

TOXICITY:

Can easily be toxic if taken in synthetic form.

PERSONAL ADVICE:

This is not one of the minerals that needs to be supplemented. A good fish dinner will supply you with the vanadium you need. Read the rest of this entry »

Selenium

FACTS:

Vitamin E and selenium are synergistic. This means that the two together are stronger than the sum of the equal parts.

Both vitamin E and selenium are antioxidants, preventing or at least slowing down aging and hardening of tissues through oxidation.

Males appear to have a greater need for selenium. Almost half their body’s supply concentrates in the testicles and portions of the seminal ducts adjacent to the prostate gland. Also, selenium is lost in the semen. Read the rest of this entry »

Phosphorus

FACTS:

Present in every cell in the body.

Vitamin D and calcium are essential to proper phosphorus functioning.

Calcium and phosphorus should be balanced two to one to work correctly [twice as much calcium as phosphorus]. Involved in virtually all physiological chemical reactions. Necessary for normal bone and tooth structure.

Niacin cannot be assimilated without phosphorus.

Important for heart regularity.

Essential for normal kidney functioning. Read the rest of this entry »

Magnesium

FACTS:

Necessary for calcium and vitamin-C metabolism, as well as that of phosphorus, sodium, and potassium.

Measured in milligrams [mg.].

Essential for effective nerve and muscle functioning. Important for converting blood sugar into energy.

Known as the antistress mineral.

Alcoholics are usually deficient. Read the rest of this entry »