Here you can find out about nutrient's,and quite possibly why you are sick.
BLOOD COMPONENTS
Red blood cells carry oxygen around the body and supply individual cells with the life giving element.. They live for only 90 days and over a 12-week period; the whole blood supply is completely renewed and replaced. White blood cells are the basis for the immune system and require nutrients to perform their significant function of attacking and destroying invading bacteria and viruses which otherwise would cause illness or death of the biological system. Plasma is the liquid phase of blood which carries red cells and white cells throughout the body and provides nutrients such as vitamins and minerals to those cells as well as those required by all of the cells exposed to the circulatory system.
CHEMISTRY
There are three ways that materials are dissolved in liquids for introduction into a our bodies. The first is called an emulsion. An emulsion can best be explained as a mixture of oil and water. In order to make them mix one must break the oil part into very fine bubbles and stir them into the water but they won't stay mixed. The tiny bubbles of oil would soon come together and separate themselves from the water. To get them to stay mixed one must add other chemicals called emulsifiers (like soap) to maintain the emulsion. The second way to dissolve materials in a liquid is to add a chemical compound that will dissolve in the liquid like the addition of table salt into water. The salt once added to water breaks down into the two elements that it is made of and forms ions, which are particles with an electrical charge. Salt is made up of two elements. Sodium is a nutrient required by the body and Chlorine is an element that is poisonous to the body. We must be careful what substances we put into our bodies. The third way of mixing substances with liquids in order to introduce them into our bodies is new technology and is proprietary but it involves breaking substances into their atomic form (measured in Angstrom Units) and forcing those atoms into solution with pure water. The result is water containing the atomic form of various nutrients without other chemicals or contaminants that are either harmful or unnecessary.
Solid introduction of nutrients is also a chemical problem. If you look at any pill form of nutrients you will note a list of chemical compounds that are required to combine with digestive juices and result in ones body benefiting from that process. This requires much faith and results in a great deal of profit for the manufacturer.
Minerals
For cell reactions to occur properly, all of the necessary vitamins, minerals, etc., must be present together and in the correctly balanced concentration. An excess of one can stop another from being used efficiently. Minerals, which form the basis of our cells, have to work in combination with other nutrients: this is called nutrient synergy.
Minerals are unique. Plants cannot manufacture minerals, but like us they need to absorb a range of minerals for their own cell construction and reactions. When rain falls on mineral-rich soil, the minerals dissolve and the plants absorb them through their roots.
In the 1960's, Professor Linus Pauling, winner of two Nobel prizes, proved that there are over 60 deficiency diseases, some as debilitating as arthritis, others as well known as osteoporosis, which can be traced to mineral deficiencies alone. After further research, he summarized his revolutionary findings as:
"YOU CAN TRACE EVERY SICKNESS, EVERY DISEASE AND EVERY AILMENT, TO A MINERAL DEFICIENCY"
DNA MOLECULE
Protein-based cells including the unique life-giving DNA, are all replaced in 6 months. Sometimes during DNA synthesis, a programming problem can arise and faulty cells are generated. If these combine, they could form a tumor, which may result in cancer. Provided your immune system is in top condition, these faulty cells are destroyed as they are formed. Minerals and vitamins are essential for DNA health and regeneration.
BONES
In 5 years, every bone cell in the spine will be renewed and in 8 to 15 years, the bone cells in your thighbones are completely replaced.
"perfect cells. . . perfect health"
You can vastly improve your health by continually producing perfect cells. To do so, you must provide your body with all of the nutrients in the right balance, every day.
Nutrients are used to continually rebuild old and damaged cells, including those of your immune system. The immune system controls your ability to fight off infections and diseases ranging from colds and flu to heart disease and cancer.
". . . absorbing as little as 10%. . ."
As we age, our bodies have increasing difficulty in absorbing many of the nutrients that we consume. Enzymes release the vitamins and minerals from our food, so the nutrients can be absorbed through the intestine walls into the blood stream and used for cell activity.
By the 40's, we can only absorb 50% of the nutrients we could when we were in our 20's. By our 60's, we may be absorbing as little as 10%
Why do we suffer from vitamin and mineral deficiencies?
". . . soil drained of essential minerals. . ."
Centuries of cultivating the same surface soil have slowly drained it of minerals. Most crops are grown on the same farmland and in the same soil, which has been tilled, year in and year out for centuries. Pesticides and herbicides kill beneficial soil microorganisms which keep the soil fertile. See Senate document 264 "even Congress knows"
Chemical fertilizers are added to replace only the nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium because these chemicals will force crops to achieve maximum yield. Essential minerals, trace minerals and rare minerals are not replaced and food crops have become severely deficient in them. The crops will not contain many of the 90 + nutrients that we need. Even organic farming is not able to replace the depleted minerals.
". . . a varied diet will NOT provide all the ESSENTIAL trace elements. . ." US Department of Agriculture Report (1977)
". . . continuing MAJOR declines in the mineral values in farm and range soils, throughout the world" 1st Rio Earth Summit (1992)
NOBODY CARES
Supermarkets, commercial growers and even consumers are not concerned with the vitamin and mineral content of fruit and vegetables. There is absolutely no guarantee, usually, not even any information, regarding the actual nutritional content of the fresh fruit and vegetables we buy.
The US Congress as summarized it:
"Never have so many people been so well-fed and fat yet so badly nourished"
UNFORTUNATELY, MOST MASS MARKET SUPPLEMENTS ARE STILL BASED ON OLD TECHNOLOGY-THEY HAVE NOT BEEN REFORMULATED TO BENEFIT FROM THE NEW DISCOVERIES OF THIS TECHNOLOGY WHICH IS BASE ON GOD'S DESIGN
MANY PEOPLE, WHO TAKE SUCH SUPPLEMENTS, STILL SUFFER FROM VITAMIN AND MINERAL DEFICIENCY AILMENTS BECAUSE THE RANGE OF NUTRIENTS IS VERY LIMITED AND ONLY PROVIDES UP TO 10% ABSORBSION.
DON'T BE FOOLED BY OTHERS WHO CLAIM THEIR PRODUCT TO BE 100% ABSORBABLE AND ARE NOT!! ACCORDING TO THE PHYSICIANS DESK REFERENCE PILLS AND POWDERS ARE ONLY ABOUT 10% ABSORBABLE BY OUR BODIES AND THAT IS ONLY IF YOU HAVE NO DIGESTIVE PROBLEMS. OUR MINERALS ARE IN PHARMACEUTICAL GRADE LEVEL 4 WATER AND ARE BROKEN DOWN TO IONIC PARTICLE SIZE THAT'S 10,000 TIMES SMALLER THAN THE TIP OF YOUR HAIR AND THEY ARE TRULY 99.9% ABSORBABLE AND 100% ORGANIC WITHOUT STOMACH UPSETTING SIDE EFFECTS THAT PILLS CAN SOMETIME CAUSE....
The criteria we use for proper utilization of all minerals is dependent on the size and absorption of the mineral. Just because a mineral is in a colloidal solution does not insure that it will absorb correctly. A colloidal solution consists of a mineral particle that is suspended (not water-soluble, meaning dissolved in solution) between water molecules. One of the simplest examples of a colloidal solution is water that comes from copper pipes. Many of us have tasted water coming from a copper pipe and noted its distinct flavor. In this example, the copper particles are simply suspended in the water. This solution is, by definition, a colloidal solution. In this form, most minerals are toxic and can cause major health problems. When testing a colloidal solution, you can shine a flashlight or laser pointer through the suspension and see the mineral particles refracting the light. This is know as the 'Tyndall Effect.' Our solutions have ionic minerals that are in dissolved aqueous solution with the water molecules, therefore, no 'Tyndall Effect' from suspended solids in the water. When mineral particles are truly water-soluble, they provide significant health benefits superior to any colloidal mineral solution.
Interesting enough, the testing of many colloidal mineral products resulted in some very "curious" observations. These products tasted bad or had some kind of matter growing and/or floating in the bottle, and/or had a distinct acid or vinegar taste. These observations led us to check the pH of the products because the contents, as advertised on the labels, should not produce those types of characteristics. Upon checking the pH, we found most of them having an extremely acidic condition. This curious fact can only be caused by the addition of foreign ingredients such as acids during the leaching process. In fact, we found most products tested did not have the characteristics of the actual minerals claimed except for color, which was not derived from the minerals in the product.
More than 50% of the population will be diagnosed cancer during their lifetime and the percentage is steadily climbing. The purpose of this web site is to help reverse this trend by providing the necessary information and support for individuals diagnosed unhealthy cellular replication. Doctors now say that "every man will develop prostate cancer if he lives long enough, even though the overwhelming majority will not die from it." Breast cancer in women is as common as prostate cancer in men. Most people now have cancer in their body when they die, even if they die of something else.
In 1996 more Americans died of cancer than died in World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam combined, with 550,000 Americans dying of cancer. In 2001 it is expected that more than 1.25 million Americans will be diagnosed with cancer.
Most of us have it in our minds, if we are at all conscious of proper nutrition, that the right complement of fruits and vegetables in our diets is sufficient to supply us with the vitamins and minerals that we need to sustain good health. Unfortunately many people never even get that far in their thinking. To be sure, minerals are one of the last things we think to supplement. Consider the following:
· Many people take vitamin supplements without realizing that vitamins cannot do their work unless minerals are also present.
· Because of monocroping and widespread deforestation (which leaves the soil open to erosion), our soils no longer contain the full complement of minerals that our ancestors once enjoyed.
· Because our soils have been so badly depleted of mineral content, the fruits and vegetables that we consume no longer contain the healthful, life giving vitamins and minerals that we think we get when we eat them (minerals are absorbed through the roots of plants from the soils in which they grow).
Is This News?
Outrageously, this information, while new to most Health-Pages visitors, is not late-breaking news. Not at all. Take a moment to read over the following excerpts from US Senate Document #264, published in 1936 by the second session of the 74th Congress (61 years ago!):
"Do you know that most of us today are suffering from certain dangerous diet deficiencies which cannot be remedied until the depleted soils from which our food come are brought into proper mineral balance?"
"No man of today can eat enough fruits and vegetables to supply his stomach with the mineral salts he requires for perfect health, because his stomach isn't big enough to hold them!"
"It is bad news to learn from our leading authorities that 99% of the American people are deficient in these minerals, and that a marked deficiency in any one of the more important minerals actually results in disease. Any upset of the balance, any considerable lack of one or another element, however microscopic the body requirement may be, and we sicken, suffer, and shorten our lives."
"We know that vitamins are complex chemical substances which are indispensable to nutrition, and that each of them is of importance for the normal function of some special structure in the body. Disorder and disease result from any vitamin deficiency. ...It is not commonly realized, however, that vitamins control the body's appropriation of minerals, and in the absence of minerals they have no function to perform. ...Lacking vitamins, the system can make some use of minerals, but lacking minerals, vitamins are useless."
Imagine now what our situation is, with the same soils being subjected to the same denigrating forces - only now we're 61 years further into the crisis. Minerals are so basic to life that mineral products ought to be at every check-out counter at every grocery store. Minerals are the platform from which health is built and maintained - it doesn't get any more basic than minerals, and mineral supplementation is an obvious choice for people who are interested in being proactive in their health. Don't fool yourself into thinking that eating right is all you need to be doing for proper nutrition. Consume enough minerals.
Why don't the pills/capsules supplements work?
Pills / capsules are 'complex' elemental compounds and / or colloidal and come in a form ineffective for absorption by the body. Alarmingly, the absorption of the desired elemental mineral is often less than 1%. This is explained by the fact that 'complex' elements are no longer the desired 'base' elements. Remember the previous example, where you can breath hydrogen or oxygen, yet you cannot breath water--a combination of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom derived from the elements hydrogen and oxygen. Another example is zinc picolinate, which is not the same as the base element zinc. Colloids are like eating the soil rather than the plant and are not proper for the human body.
What happens to colloids if they are not properly absorbed?
First, note that colloid particles are far too large for assimilation by the cells of the body. These particles will become caught up in the blood stream and subsequently deposited, building up in various parts of the body. Toxic build-up of colloidal minerals (copper, lead, and aluminum, to name a few) is also known as heavy metal poisoning.
What are some guidelines to determine if a mineral is truly water-soluble?
There are two tests:
1. After a mineral has been processed and then dehydrated, it should form a crystal, rather than returning to metal form.
2. The mineral solution must pass the "Tyndall Effect" test. In other words, when a laser pointer is directed through the solution, no light will be refracted; it will not look like there is "glitter" in the solution.
This is not rocket science; many distributors have tried this in their own kitchen. They carefully boiled a small portion of the mineral water away, and observed the residue - a perfect crystalline residue was left. Next, on some remaining solution, they shone a laser pointer through it, and observed it was perfectly clear. When tried on competitor's mineral supplements, the water glittered like a snow globe.
Can you overdose?
As with all supplements, more is not always better. Most minerals pose no danger of overdose, yet there are a few that do. Selenium and iron are two elements that should be taken in small doses unless otherwise advised by a health care professional.
What You Can Do...
Increase your consumption of Fruits and Vegetables
Whenever possible, consume organically grown produce. Pesticides and herbicides interfere with the plant's ability to absorb nutrients from the soil: Compared to the average conventionally grown tomato, the average organic one contains:
3 times the Potassium
5 times the Calcium
18 times the Magnesium
2000 times the Iron
Supplement with non-metallic atomic Minerals:
"The alarming fact is that the foods -- fruits, vegetables and grain, now being raised on millions of acres of land that no longer contains enough of certain needed minerals, are starving us -- no matter how much of them we eat!"
Some Important Examples:
Potassium
Works with sodium to regulate the body's water balance and normalize heart rhythms. Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) causes potassium loss, as does long fasting and severe diarrhea. Both mental and physical stress can lead to its deficiency.
What it can do for you:
Aid in clear thinking by sending oxygen to the brain; help dispose of body wastes; assist in reducing blood pressures; and help in allergy treatment.
Iron
Essential for life; necessary for the production of hemoglobin. Calcium and iron are the two major deficiencies of women.
What it can do for you:
Aid in growth; prevent fatigue; promote resistance to disease; prevent chronic blood iron-deficiency; and bring back good skin tone.
Calcium
There is more calcium in the body than any other mineral. 20% of an adult's bone calcium is reabsorbed and replaced every year.
What it can do for you:
Maintain stronger bones and healthy teeth; keep your heart beating regularly; alleviate sleeplessness; help metabolize you body's iron; and aid your nervous system.
Magnesium
Known as the anti-stress mineral; alcoholics usually have a deficiency of it; essential for effective nerve and muscle functioning; and important for converting blood sugar into energy.
What it can do for you:
Aids in mood regulation; keeps teeth healthier; brings relief from indigestion; promotes a healthier cardiovascular system; and helps prevent calcium deposits.
Iodine
Stimulates energy; most people over 40 are considered deficient in iodine which can cause thyroid enlargement (as can iodine toxicity), iron-poor blood, listlessness, lack of energy, slow pulse, low blood pressure, and weight gain.
What it can do for you:
Give more energy; help with dieting by burning excess fat; improve mental alertness; and promote healthy hair, nails, skin, and teeth.
Vanadium In recent studies vanadium has been shown to actually mimic insulin and in one study at Hughes Cancer Research Center, Researchers found that that mineral vanadium can cause cancer cells to commit apoptosis and create 24 new drugs containing vanadium.
What It Can do for you: In low levels may be essential to human health. Researchers have suggested that it may promote healthy efficiency of insulin action inside cells.
Notable Quotes Pertaining to the Importance of Minerals
1. "The farmlands in North America are the worst in the world." World Health Organization Earth Summit Statistics - Soil mineral depletion for the past 100 years: North America: 85%, South America: 76%, Asia: 76%
"All disease is a mineral deficiency" Carey Reams
"I've never seen a deformed child born from mineralized parents"‑Charles Shasky. ND
"Your mineral needs are even more important than your vitamin needs, since your body cannot make minerals "Dr. Henry Schroeder. MD. Ph.D. of Dartmouth College. "There is only one major disease and that is malnutrition. All ailments and afflictions to which we may fall heir are directly traceable to this major disease." ‑ Dr. D. W. Cavanaugh, MD Cornell University)
6. 65% of all disease in our country is directly attributable to our diets. "Former US Surgeon General, ENERGY network. Fall 1993.
7. "At present. we have overwhelming evidence... (that) none of the risk factors for cancer is... more significant than diet and nutrition."‑(Advances in Cancer Research. as quoted by John Robbins in Diet for a New America, p. 251. )
"perhaps 80 90% of cancers could actually be prevented by diet." (New Century Nutrition, 9/96 p.1) Dr. T. Colin Campbell. Professor of Nutritional Biochemistry at Cornell University, Director of the Cornell‑Oxford‑China Diet and Health Project which researched 10,000 families in mainland China and Taiwan‑simultaneously investigating more diseases and more dietary characteristics than any other disease‑nutrition research project ever conducted in the world to date!
"... eating a diet high in fresh vegetables and fruits and low in fat will protect you from practically every disease known to man, including heart disease and most types of cancer." (Dr. William Peavy, Super Nutrition Gardening)
"The food we find in supermarkets, restaurants, and cafeterias is so familiar to us that it is difficult to come to the realization that some of it, eaten in the quantities now generally consumed, may be debilitating or deadly. Nevertheless. a growing number of studies suggest that that is exactly the case." (Senator George McGovern. Chairman. Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs. January 14, 1977. Eating In America. Foreword, the MIT Press.)
"It should be emphasized that this (standard American diet‑SAD) diet... is everywhere associated with a similar disease pattern‑high rates of heart diseases, cancer, diabetes, and obesity. These are the major causes of death and disability in the United States... Diet is one of the things that we can change if we want to... The risks associated with eating this diet are demonstrably large... heart diseases, cancer, diabetes, and hypertension are diseases that kill us. They are epidemic in our population... We have an obligation to inform the public of the current state of knowledge and to assist the public in making the correct food choices." (Dr. D. M. Hegsted, Professor of Nutrition. Harvard School of Public Health. Boston. MA. Eating in America.. Report of the Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs. LS Senate, p. 3)
"You can trace every sickness. every disease and every ailment to a mineral deficiency." Dr. Linus Pauling (only scientist to have earned two non‑shared Nobel Prizes)
. "Minerals are important cellular essentials ....Minerals are needed for a multitude of catalytic reactions in each cell of our body every second of our life." (Why Animals Don't Get Heart Attacks. Mathias Rath. p. 41) "... Vitamins and essential nutrients remain to be discovered as the most frequent remedy of cellular malfunction and disease." (America's .Most Successful Cardiovascular Health System, Mathias Rath. MD. p 156).
"In the absence of minerals. vitamins have no function. Lacking vitamins. the system can make use of minerals, but LACKING MINERALS, VITAMINS ARE USELESS." Dr. Charles Northern MD (Product Essentials. Richard L. Hoskins. Optimum Health Choices. 1234 N 82nd St.. Seattle. WA 98103.)
"Without a sufficient quantity of minerals we are vulnerable to many diseases from depression to cancer." (No More Heartburn by Sherry A. Rogers. SID)
Alot more can be found just by looking in the right places.
It's your life,shouldn't you fix it?
Vitamin A is required for night vision, and for a healthy skin. It assists the immune system, and because of its antioxidant properties is great to protect against pollution and cancer formation and other diseases. It also assists your sense of taste as well as helping the digestive and urinary tract and many believe that it helps slow aging.
It is required for development and maintenance of the epithelial cells, in the mucus membranes, and your skin, and is important in the formation of bone and teeth, storage of fat and the synthesis of protein and glycogen.
A deficiency of vitamin A may lead to eye problems with dryness of the conjunctiva and cornea, dry skin and hair, night blindness as well as poor growth.
Dry itchy eyes that tire easily are normally a warning of too little vitamin A. If the deficiency become severe, the cornea can ulcerate and permanent blindness can follow.
Abscesses forming in the ear, sinusitis, frequent cold and respiratory infections as well as skin disorders, such as acne, boils and a bumpy skin, as well as weight loss might be indicative of the vitamin being in short supply.
Insomnia, fatigue and reproductive difficulties may also be indicative of the vitamin in short supply. Your hair and scalp can also become dry with a deficiency, especially if protein is also lacking.
Vitamin C also known as, ascorbic acid, L-ascorbic acid, dehydroascorbic acid, the antiscorbutic vitamin, L-xyloascorbic acid and L-threo-hex-2-uronic acidy-lactone, is a much talked about vitamin, with people claiming it as a cure-all for may diseases and problems - from cancer to the common cold.
Yet, this miracle vitamin cannot be manufactured by the body, and needs to be ingested.
Vitamin C is required in the synthesis of collagen in connective tissue, neurotransmitters, steroid hormones, carnitine, conversion of cholesterol to bile acids and enhances iron bioavailability. Ascorbic acid is a great antioxidant and helps protect the body against pollutants.
Because vitamin C is a biological reducing agent, it is also linked to prevention of degenerative diseases - such as cataracts, certain cancers and cardiovascular diseases.
Ascorbic acid also promotes healthy cell development, proper calcium absorption, normal tissue growth and repair - such as healing of wounds and burns. It assists in the prevention of blood clotting and bruising, and strengthening the walls of the capillaries.
Vitamin C is needed for healthy gums, to help protect against infection, and assisting with clearing up infections and is thought to enhance the immune system and help reduce cholesterol levels, high blood pressure and preventing arteriosclerosis.
When there is a shortage of Vitamin C, various problems can arise, although scurvy is the only disease clinically treated with vitamin C. However, a shortage of vitamin C may result in "pinpoint" hemorrhages under the skin and a tendency to bruise easily, poor wound healing, soft and spongy bleeding gums and loose teeth.
Edema (water retention) also happens with a shortage of vitamin C, and weakness, a lack of energy, poor digestion, painful joints and bronchial infection and colds are also indicative of an under-supply.
Vitamin D is also referred to as calciferol and can rightly be called the sunshine vitamin, since the body, in a sunny climate can manufacture this nutrient from sunshine on your skin using cholesterol from your body to do so.
Please remember that this can be achieved in about 30 minutes by fair skinned people, while dark skinned people, because of the pigmentation need about 3 hours to reach the same level of manufacture. The sunlight needed for this process is pure unfiltered sunlight.
Vitamin D helps with increasing the absorption of calcium, assists in bone growth and the integrity of bone and promotes strong teeth.
It also helps regulate the amount of phosphorus in the body as well as assisting in a healthy heart and nervous system. In some recent studies it has also shown great promise in assisting psoriasis, the immune system, thyroid function as well as normal blood clotting.
A shortage can lead to softening of the bone and muscle twitching and convulsions, and in children it causes rickets - resulting in bent legs. In adults, the shortage causes loss of minerals from the bones, (osteomalacia) where the bones are sore, tender, and weak muscles with the possibility of deafness developing. In older people, osteoporosis may appear when protein is also lost from the bone. Vitamin D in short supply is also linked to having a burning sensation in the mouth and throat, diarrhea, insomnia and visual problems.
Vitamin E has earned itself a reputation - from spicing up your sex life to banning wrinkles and old age. One of the most important functions of this vitamin is its antioxidant properties. Vitamin E is an essential fat-soluble vitamin that includes eight naturally occurring compounds in two classes designated as tocopherols and tocotrienols.
Vitamin E is an effective chain-breaking, lipid-soluble antioxidant in biological membranes, and aids in membrane stability.
Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant, protects your cells from oxidation, and neutralizes unstable free radicals, which can cause damage. This is done by the vitamin E giving up one of its electrons to the electron deficient free radical, making it more stable. While Vitamin E performs its antioxidant functions, it also protects the other antioxidants from being oxidized.
This antioxidant capability is then also great in helping to prevent degenerative diseases - including heart disease, strokes, arthritis, senility, diabetes and cancer. It also assists in fighting heart disease and cancers and is essential for red blood cells, helps with cellular respiration and protects the body from pollution - especially the lungs. Vitamin E is also useful in preventing blood clots from forming and promotes fertility, reduces and/or prevents hot flushes in menopause. An increase in stamina and endurance is also attributed to Vitamin E.
Vitamin E is also used topically to great effect for skin treatments - in helping the skin look younger, promoting healing and cutting down the risk of scar tissue forming. Used on the skin it is also reported to help with eczema, skin ulcers cold sores and shingles.
Deficiency of Vitamin E is not common, and the symptoms not very clear cut, but may include fatigue, inflamed varicose veins, wounds healing slowly, premature aging and sub-fertility. When Vitamin E is in short supply symptoms may include acne, anemia, muscle disease, dementia, cancers, gallstones, shortened red blood cell life span, spontaneous abortion (miscarriage), and uterine degeneration.
Vitamin K (phylloquinone) can be produced in the intestines and this function is improved with the presence of cultured milk, like yogurt, in the diet, Vitamin K is classified as a fat-soluble vitamin.
Vitamin K is found in nature in two forms - K1, also called phylloquinone, is found in plants and vitamin K2, also called menaquinone, which can be synthesized by many bacteria. Vitamin K3, menadione, is a synthetic form of this vitamin which is manmade.
Vitamin K is used in the body to control blood clotting and is essential for synthesizing the liver protein that controls the clotting. It is involved in creating the important prothrombin, which is the precursor to thrombin - a very important factor in blood clotting. It is also involved in bone formation and repair. In the intestines it also assists in converting glucose to glycogen, this can then be stored in the liver. There are some indications that Vitamin K may decrease the incidence or severity of osteoporosis and slow bone loss.
A deficiency of this vitamin in newborn babies results in hemorrhagic disease, as well as postoperative bleeding and hematuria while muscle hematomas and inter-cranial hemorrhages have been reported.
A shortage of this vitamin may manifest itself in nosebleeds, internal hemorrhaging.
Thiamin may enhance circulation, helps with blood formation and the metabolism of carbohydrates. It is also required for the health of the nervous system and is used in the biosynthesis of a number of cell constituents, including the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). It is used in the manufacture of hydrochloric acid, and therefore plays a part in digestion.
It is also great for the brain and may help with depression and assist with memory and learning. In children it is required for growth and has shown some indication to assist in arthritis, cataracts as well as infertility.
A deficiency will result in beriberi, and minor deficiencies may be indicated with extreme fatigue, irritability, constipation, edema and an enlarged liver. Forgetfulness, gastrointestinal disturbances, heart changes, irritability, labored breathing and loss of appetite may also be experienced.
With too little thiamin around a person may also experience nervousness, numbness of the hands and feet, pain and sensitivity, poor coordination, tingling sensations, weak and sore muscles, general weakness and severe weight loss.
When taking alcohol, antacids and birth control pills or if you have hormone replacement therapy, you need to look at your thiamin intake. People suffering from depression or anxiety and those passing large volumes of urine, or suffering from an infection may all require more thiamin.
Thiamin is destroyed in cooking, and intake may be low if the diet is high in refined foods. Do not add soda if you are boiling green vegetables since soda is alkaline and will destroy thiamin.
It is thought that thiamin can be useful for motion sickness in air and sea travel, and that this vitamin also repels insects when excreted through the skin.
Riboflavin (vitamin B2) is manufactured in the body by the intestinal flora and is easily absorbed, although very small quantities are stored, so there is a constant need for this vitamin
It is required by the body to use oxygen and the metabolism of amino acids, fatty acids, and carbohydrates. Riboflavin is further needed to activate vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), helps to create niacin and assists the adrenal gland. It may be used for red blood cell formation, antibody production, cell respiration, and growth.
It eases watery eye fatigue and may be helpful in the prevention and treatment of cataracts. Vitamin B2 is required for the health of the mucus membranes in the digestive tract and helps with the absorption of iron and vitamin B6.
Although it is needed for periods of rapid growth, it is also needed when protein intake is high, and is most beneficial to the skin, hair and nails.
A shortage of this vitamin may manifest itself as cracks and sores at the corners of the mouth, eye disorders, inflammation of the mouth and tongue, and skin lesions.
Dermatitis, dizziness, hair loss, insomnia, light sensitivity, poor digestion, retarded growth, and slow mental responses have also been reported. Burning feet can also be indicative of a shortage.
Niacin also called nicotinic acid, niacinamide or nicotinic acid and referred to as vitamin B 3, which can be manufactured by the body. Niacin is derived from two compounds - nicotinic acid and niacinamide.
Vitamin B3 is required for cell respiration, helps in the release of energy and metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, proper circulation and healthy skin, functioning of the nervous system, and normal secretion of bile and stomach fluids. It is used in the synthesis of sex hormones, treating schizophrenia and other mental illnesses, and a memory-enhancer.
Nicotinic acid (but not nicotinamide) given in drug dosage improves the blood cholesterol profile, and has been used to clear the body of organic poisons, such as certain insecticides. People report more mental alertness when this vitamin is in sufficient supply.
A deficiency may cause pellagra, the classic niacin deficiency disease, and is characterized by bilateral dermatitis, diarrhea, and dementia.
A shortage of niacin may be indicated with symptoms such as canker sores, depression, diarrhea, dizziness, fatigue, halitosis, headaches, indigestion, insomnia, limb pains, loss of appetite, low blood sugar, muscular weakness, skin eruptions, and inflammation.
Vitamin B6, also known as pyridoxine is part of the B group vitamins and is water-soluble and is required for both mental and physical health.
Pyridoxine is required for the balancing of hormonal changes in women as well as assisting the immune system and the growth of new cells. It is also used in the processing and metabolism of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, while assisting with controlling your mood as well as your behavior. Pyridoxine might also be of benefit for children with learning difficulties, as well as assisting in the prevention of dandruff, eczema and psoriasis.
It assists in the balancing of sodium and potassium as well promotes red blood cell production. It is further involved in the nucleic acids RNA as well as DNA. It is further linked to cancer immunity and fights the formation of the toxic chemical homocysteine, which is detrimental to the heart muscle.
Women in particular may suffer from pre-menstrual fluid retention, severe period pains, emotional PMS symptoms, premenstrual acne and nausea in early pregnancy. Mood swings, depression as well as loss of sexual drive is sometimes noted when pyridoxine is in short supply and the person is on hormone replacement therapy or on birth control pills.
Irritability, nervousness and insomnia as well as general weakness, skin changes such as dermatitis and acne as well asthma and allergies might develop when pyridoxine is in short supply. Symptoms may include nails that are ridged, an inflamed tongue as well as changes to your bones - which can include osteoporosis and arthritis. Kidney stones may also appear.
Vitamin B6 deficiency symptoms will be very much like those of B2 and B3. Vitamin B6 is needed by the body to manufacture its own B3 vitamin.
Folic acid, also known as Vitamin B9, is also referred to as folacin or folate and its chemical name is pteroylglutamic acid. This vitamin can be manufactured by the body and be stored in the liver.
Folic acid is required for DNA synthesis and cell growth and is important for red blood cell formation, energy production as well as the forming of amino acids. Folic acid is essential for creating heme, the iron containing substance in hemoglobin, crucial for oxygen transport.
It is important for healthy cell division and replication, since its involvement as coenzyme for RNA and DNA synthesis. It is also required for protein metabolism and in treating folic acid anemia. Folic acid also assists in digestion, and the nervous system, and works at improving mental as well as emotional health. This nutrient may be effective in treating depression and anxiety.
Shortage of folic acid may be indicated with diarrhea, heartburn and constipation.
Folic acid is very important in the development of the nervous system of a developing fetus.
A deficiency of folic acid on an unborn baby may increase the risk of the baby being born with spina bifida and other serious defects of the nervous system.
When deficient of folic acid, you might suffer from fatigue, acne, a sore tongue, cracking at the corners of your mouth (same as deficiency of vitamin B2, vitamin B6 as well as iron). Long term deficiency may result in anemia and later in osteoporosis, as well as cancer of the bowel and cervix.
Vitamin B 12, known as cyanocobalamin, cobolamin and also known as the energy vitamin is a very widely researched vitamin, and used in supplementation to a very large degree.
This complex structured compound with its cobalt content forms part of the B group vitamins, and the body needs very small amounts.
Cobolamin is needed in the manufacture of red blood cells and the maintenance of red blood cells and it stimulates appetite, promotes growth and release energy. It is often used with older people to give an energy boost, assist in preventing mental deterioration and helps with speeding up thought processes. Some people are also of the opinion that it helps with clearing up infections and provide protection against allergies and cancer. This vitamin is also used in the metabolism of fats, proteins and carbohydrates.
Some symptoms of a deficiency will include a sore tongue, weakness, fatigue, and weight loss, back pain and apathy. It might further result in loss of balance, decreased reflexes, tingling of the fingers, ringing in the ears etc.
A deficiency may also result in the raising of the level of homocysteine in the blood - which in high doses can be toxic to the brain, which may be involved in Alzheimer disease. Severe deficiency may result in pernicious anemia also called Addisonian pernicious anemia.
Another problem that appears in deficiency is the eroding of the myelin sheath - the fatty sheath of tissue, which insulates the nerve fibers in your body.
Biotin, as referred to as Vitamin H is part of the Vitamin B complex group and might be interesting to some people since one of the most visible symptoms of shortage of this vitamin is thinning of hair which can lead to total hair loss.
This does not mean that baldness is a sign of Vitamin H in short supply - severe hair loss might just be indicative of biotin being deficient.
Vitamin H is used in cell growth, the production of fatty acids, metabolism of fats, and proteins. It plays a role in the Kreb cycle, which is the process in which energy is released from food.
Biotin is also indicated for healthy hair and skin, healthy sweat glands, nerve tissue, and bone marrow, and assisting with muscle pain.
Vitamin H not only assists in various metabolic chemical conversions, but also helps with the transfer of carbon dioxide. Biotin is also helpful in maintaining a steady blood sugar level.
Although a shortage of Biotin is very rare, it can happen and may result in dry scaly skin, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, mental depression as well as tongue inflammation and high cholesterol.
The dosage underneath is the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA), but be aware that this dosage is the minimum that you require per day, to ward off serious deficiency of this particular nutrient. In the therapeutic use of this nutrient, the dosage is usually increased considerably, but the toxicity level must be kept in mind.
Adults 300 microgram (0.3 mg) per day and pregnant and lactating women 300 microgram (0.3 mg) per day
Pantothenic acid, also known as vitamin B5, as well as the "anti-stress vitamin" is part of the B group vitamins and classified as a water-soluble vitamin. This nutrient can be manufactured in the body by the intestinal flora.
Vitamin B5 plays an important role in the secretion of hormones, such as cortisone because of the role it plays in supporting the adrenal gland. These hormones assist the metabolism, help to fight allergies and are beneficial in the maintenance of healthy skin, muscles and nerves.
Pantothenic acid is also used in the release of energy as well as the metabolism of fat, protein and carbohydrates. It is used in the creation of lipids, neurotransmitters, steroid hormones and hemoglobin.
Some are of the opinion that pantothenic acid is also helpful to fight wrinkles as well as graying of the hair.
With Vitamin B5 in short supply symptoms like fatigue, headaches, nausea, tingling in the hands, depression, personality changes and cardiac instability have been reported.
Frequent infection, fatigue, abdominal pains, sleep disturbances and neurological disorders including numbness, paresthesia (abnormal sensation such as "burning feet" syndrome), muscle weakness and cramps are also possible indications that this nutrient is in short supply.
Biochemical changes include increased insulin sensitivity, lowered blood cholesterol, decreased serum potassium, and failure of adrenocorticotropin to induce eosinopenia.
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Choline assists in controlling your weight as well as cholesterol levels, keeping cell membranes healthy and in preventing gallstones. It is also most useful in the maintenance of the nervous system, assisting memory and learning, and may help to fight infections, including hepatitis and AIDS. Choline is critical for normal membrane structure and function.
Choline is the major precursor of betaine, and it is used by the kidneys to maintain water balance and by the liver as a source of methyl-groups for methionine formation. It is also used to produce the important neurotransmitter acetylcholine.
It assists in nerve impulse transmission, gallbladder regulation, liver functions and lecithin production.
A deficiency of choline does not happen easily but if it is deficient it may lead to liver disease, raised cholesterol levels, high blood pressure as well as kidney problems, Choline deficiency may also manifest itself in the inability to digest fats, stunted growth and fatty buildup in the liver.
Memory and brain function could also be impaired.
Inositol plays an important part in the health of cell membranes especially the specialized cells in the brain, bone marrow, eyes and intestines. The function of the cell membranes is to regulate the contents of the cells, which makes effective functioning possible.
Inositol is said to promote healthy hair, hair growth, and helps in controlling estrogen levels and may assist in preventing breast lumps.
It may also be of benefit in reducing blood cholesterol levels.
If your intake is not sufficient, you may experience symptoms such as eczema, hair loss, constipation, and abnormalities of the eyes and raised cholesterol.
Inositol plays an important part in the health of cell membranes especially the specialized cells in the brain, bone marrow, eyes and intestines. The function of the cell membranes is to regulate the contents of the cells, which makes effective functioning possible.
Inositol is said to promote healthy hair, hair growth, and helps in controlling estrogen levels and may assist in preventing breast lumps.
It may also be of benefit in reducing blood cholesterol levels.
If your intake is not sufficient, you may experience symptoms such as eczema, hair loss, constipation, and abnormalities of the eyes and raised cholesterol.
It is necessary for a healthy immune system, and is also of use in fighting skin problems such as acne, boils and sore throats. It is further needed for cell division, and is needed by the tissue of the hair, nails and skin to be in top form. Zinc is further used in the growth and maintenance of muscles.
Children, for normal growth and sexual development also require zinc.
It also seems as if zinc helps to control the oil glands, and is also required for the synthesis of protein and collagen - which is great for wound healing and a healthy skin.
There is a shortage of zinc in many people's diet, since zinc is destroyed in the milling process and is also lost in cooking. A deficiency will result in an under-performing immune system, open to infections, allergies, night blindness, loss of smell, falling hair, white spots under finger nails, skin problems, sleep disturbances etc.
Men with zinc shortage may have a problem with fertility, while women may experience irregular periods. Children with too little zinc may have stunted growth and slow sexual maturity.
With too little in the body, the sense of smell might suffer, as well as your sense of taste.
Copper is required in the formation of hemoglobin, red blood cells as well as bones, while it helps with the formation of elastin as well as collagen - making it necessary for wound healing.
A lack of copper may also lead to increased blood fat levels. It is also necessary for the manufacture of the neurotransmitter noradrenaline as well as for the pigmentation of your hair.
It can be stored in the body, and daily presence in the diet is therefore not necessary. If copper is deficient in the body, iron is also normally in short supply, leading to anemia as well as the likelihood for infections, osteoporosis, thinning of bones, thyroid gland dysfunction, heart disease as well as nervous system problems.
Manganese is one of those humble trace elements so often overlooked, yet essential to your health.
It enables the body to utilize vitamin C, B1, biotin as well as choline. It is used in the manufacture of fat, sex hormones and breast milk in females.
It is thought to also help neutralize free radicals as well as being of assistance in preventing diabetes and needed for normal nerve function.
Manganese is also indicated in stimulating growth of the connective tissue and is also thought to be of importance in brain functioning.
Deficiencies are rare but would include poor bone growth, problems with the disks between the vertebrae, birth defects, and problems with blood glucose levels and reduced fertility. Serious deficiency in children can result in paralysis, deafness and blindness.
Manganese is not easily absorbed but since small amounts are needed deficiencies are not very general.
CHROMIUM
Chromium is an essential nutrient required for normal sugar and fat metabolism and works primarily by potentiating the action of insulin. It is present in the entire body but with the highest concentrations in the liver, kidneys, spleen and bone.
Although chromium is only required in very small amounts, our modern day diet has left many people short of chromium on a daily basis, with the average American being chromium deficient, and two out of three being hyperglycemic, pre-hyperglycemic or diabetic.
Chromium is needed for energy, maintains stable blood sugar levels. In cooperation with other substances, it controls insulin as well as certain enzymes. It works with GTF (Glucose Tolerance Factor) when this hormone-affiliated agent enters the bloodstream because of an increase of insulin in the bloodstream.
GTF (containing niacin, vitamin B3, glycine, cysteine, glutamic acid etc.) enhances insulin, which results in the sugars passing quicker into the cells and in that way they are removed from the bloodstream. By stabilizing the blood sugar level it also assists in regulating the cholesterol in the blood.
Natural chromium levels decline with age and so with the action of the GTF. Although chromium picolinate is readily absorbed by the body, and is one of the best types of chromium when it comes to absorption, it will only be absorbed it if there is a shortage of chromium.
Chromium picolinate has been used as a carbohydrate-burning supplement for some time and has proved very successful. (Chromium picolinate is chromium chelated with picolinate - a natural amino acid metabolite) It is also required in synthesis of fats, protein and carbohydrates, and may assist in preventing coronary artery disease.
A shortage of chromium may also lead to anxiety, fatigue, glucose intolerance (particularly in people with diabetes), inadequate metabolism of amino acids, and an increased risk of arteriosclerosis.
SELENIUM
Selenium used to be treated as a very toxic substance, but modern science now regards it as essential - but in small quantities. An overdose or deficiency of selenium is equally bad, and good steady amounts should be available - but in small quantities.
One of the main activities of this mineral is its anti-aging properties and its ability to help rid the body of free radicals, as well as toxic minerals such as mercury, lead and cadmium.
It is helpful in fighting infections since it stimulates increased antibody response to infections, promotes more energy in the body, and while it helps with alleviating menopausal symptoms in women, it assists the male in producing healthy sperm.
In certain cases selenium has also proven effective in helping to fight cold sores and shingles, which are both caused by the herpes virus.
Some researchers have shown that in selenium-deficient animals a harmless virus can mutate into a virulent form capable of causing damage and death - this has also been followed up with other studies, which seem to indicate that selenium helps to keep the spread and multiplying of viruses in check.
Selenium is also used against arthritis and multiple sclerosis and if provided in adequate amounts it is thought to help prevent cancer as well. Tissue elasticity and pancreatic function is also dependant on this mineral.
In a study it was shown that selenium could be useful in treating certain cancers, and is also helpful in making the blood less "sticky", which is helpful in preventing heart attacks and strokes.
POTASSIUM
Potassium is one of the electrolytes we all require to maintain health.
It is needed for growth, building muscles, transmission of nerve impulses, heart activity etc.
Potassium, together with sodium - potassium inside the cell and sodium in the fluid surrounding the cell, work together for the nervous system to transmit messages as well as regulating the contraction of muscles.
The kidneys excrete any excesses, but deficiencies are seldom found in people on normal diets, although most people could look at increasing their potassium intake. A deficiency may result in fatigue, cramping legs, muscle weakness, slow reflexes, acne, dry skin, mood changes, irregular heartbeat.
If you are into bodybuilding, it is also a good idea to increase your potassium intake, since potassium is needed to maintain your muscles in good form, controlling your muscle actions, and since potassium is lost in excessive sweating and urine. A great way to include this in your diet is to have a banana, citrus fruit or even a dash of apple cider vinegar.
BORON
Boron is a newcomer to nutritional supplements and is used to help with menopausal symptoms as well as maintaining healthy bones, since its affinity to calcium and magnesium.
It enhances the body's ability to use calcium, magnesium, as well as vitamin D. It also seems to assist in brain functioning and recognition. Boron seems to prevent calcium and magnesium from being lost in the urine and may help with decreasing menstrual pain by increasing the oestradiol level, which is a very active type of estrogen. People have also reported the reduction of arthritis symptoms with an intake of Boron.
A shortage of boron might negatively influence the balance of calcium, magnesium and phosphorus resulting in bone loss, and increasing the risk of arthritis and elevated blood pressure.
