VITAMINS

Vitamin A (Beta Carotene)

• Necessary for growth and repair of body tissues
• Boosts the immune system by increasing the number of infection-fighting T cells
• Builds resistance to respiratory infections
• Helps treat acne, superficial wrinkles, boils, and open ulcers when used topically
• Protects the mucous membranes of the mouth, nose, throat and lungs, thereby reducing susceptibility to infections
• Protects against air pollutants
• Counteracts night-blindness and weak eyesight
• Aids in bone and teeth formation
• Promotes growth of strong bones, teeth, and hair
• Beta Carotene may help reduce the risk of lung cancer and certain oral cancers
• May lower harmful cholesterol

Possible Symptoms of Deficiency:

• Night blindness
• Increased susceptibility to infections
• Rough, dry, scaly skin
• Loss of smell and appetite
• Chronic fatigue
• Defective teeth and gums
• Retarded growth

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Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)

Vitamin B1 is water-soluble and like all the B-complex vitamins must be replaced daily. Vitamin B1 is known as the “morale vitamin” because of its beneficial effects on the nervous system and mental attitude. Those who smoke, drink, consume a lot of sugar, or take birth control pills have an increased need for this vitamin.

Benefits and functions:

• Plays a key role in the body's metabolic cycle for generating energy
• Aids digestion, especially of carbohydrates
• Essential for the normal functioning of the nervous system, muscles and heart
• Stabilizes the appetite
• Promotes growth and good muscle tone
• Helps fight air or seasickness
• Improves mental attitude

Possible Symptoms of Deficiency:

• Loss of appetite
• Weakness and fatigue
• ervousness and irritability
• Insomnia
• Weight loss
• Mental depression
• Constipation
• Heart and gastrointestinal problems

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Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)

Vitamin B12 is water-soluble and needs to be combined with calcium during absorption to properly benefit the body. Vegans (vegetarians who don't eat any dairy or eggs) need to supplement their diets with B12. Elderly people often have a difficult time absorbing vitamin B12 and supplementation may be beneficial.

Benefits and functions:

• Helps prevent anemia
• Necessary for carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism
• Maintains a healthy nervous system
• Promotes growth in children
• Increases energy
• May lower the risk of heart disease
• Relieves irritability

Possibly symptoms of deficiency:

• Pernicious anemia
• Poor appetite
• Growth failure in children
• Fatigue
• Brain damage
• Nervousness
• Depression

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Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)

Vitamin B2 is an easily absorbed water-soluble vitamin that needs to be replenished daily. It works best with vitamin C, vitamin B6 and niacin. Stressful situations and lifestyles require additional B-complex.

• Needed for carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism
 
• Increases energy through proper utilization of food
 
• Helps reduce cholesterol and tryglycerides
 
• Helps prevent and ease the severity of migraine headaches
 
• May eliminate canker sores and bad breath
 
• Aids in the formation of antibodies and red blood cells
 
• Maintains cell respiration
 
• Necessary for the maintenance of good vision, skin, nails and hair
 
• Alleviates eye fatigue
 
Promotes general health   

Possible Symptoms of Deficiency:

• Itching and burning eyes
• Cracks and sores in the mouth and lips
 
• Bloodshot eyes
 
• Purplish tongue
 
• Retarded growth
 
• Digestive disturbances
 
• Oily skin
  
  
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Vitamin B3 (Niacin)

Vitamin B3 , or niacin, is a member of the B-vitamin family. It is water-soluble, which means it is not stored in your body and needs to be frequently replenished. There are two forms of vitamin B3 , niacin (also known as nicotinic acid) and niacinamide (also known as nicotinamide). Both forms work the same way as an important nutrient in your body, but are used to treat different conditions.

Your body needs vitamin B3 to turn carbohydrates into energy. Without B3 , your body systems would grind to a halt. B3 is also involved in the breakdown of fat and cholesterol, which is why niacin (nicotinic acid) has been found to be a good cholesterol-lowering agent.

Your body uses vitamin B3 to make various compounds, such as sex hormones and adrenal hormones. It can also help the body get rid of toxic and harmful chemicals, and it helps with blood sugar control.

Most people get enough of this vitamin just from the foods they eat. Your health care provider may prescribe a vitamin B3 supplement for high cholesterol or other conditions. It is important that your health care provider closely monitors you while you are taking high doses of vitamin B3 because it can cause serious side effects, such as liver damage, at these dosages.

Sources
Our bodies actually manufacture vitamin B3 from protein, so if you are eating enough protein, you will also be getting enough vitamin B3 . The best sources of vitamin B3 are found in protein-rich foods such as lean meats, chicken, fish, eggs, cooked dried beans and peas, liver, nonfat or lowfat milk and cheese, soybeans, and nuts.

Other good sources include brewer's yeast, wheat germ, enriched breads and cereals, whole grains (except corn), mushrooms, and green vegetables. Vitamin B3 can be lost in cooking water, so you should steam, bake, or stir-fry vegetables when possible.

How to Take It
It is important to take niacin supplements with food to avoid stomach upset and to decrease the risk of developing stomach ulcers.

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Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid)

All the cells in your body need vitamin B5 , or pantothenic acid. It is a water-soluble B vitamin that is converted by the body into a compound called coenzyme A, which your body needs to change food into energy. Vitamin B5 is also known as the "antistress" vitamin because it supports the healthy functioning of your adrenal glands, the organs that help your body cope with all types of stress. Vitamin B5 is needed for proper nerve and muscle action, and it is vital to maintaining a healthy immune system. It also seems to help decrease the painful symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.

Sources
Pantothenic acid gets its name from the Greek work pantos, meaning "everywhere," because it is available in a wide variety of foods. A lot of vitamin B5 is lost in processing, so fresh meats, vegetables, and whole unprocessed grains have more vitamin B5 than refined, canned, and frozen food. The best sources are brewer's yeast, whole-grain breads and cereals, mushrooms, liver, dried beans and peas, avocados, fish, chicken, nuts (pecans, hazelnuts), peanuts, cauliflower, milk and cheese, potatoes, oranges, bananas, and eggs. 

How to Take It
For general adrenal support or stress relief, 250 to 500 mg daily is probably adequate. For treating rheumatoid arthritis, 1,000 mg twice daily (2,000 mg a day) is the recommended amount. To lower blood lipid levels (cholesterol or triglycerides), the recommended dose of pantethine is 300 mg three times daily (900 mg a day). Take with water, preferably after eating, or according to your health care provider's recommendation.

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Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)

Vitamin B6 is water-soluble and needs to be replaced daily by whole foods or supplements. Requirement increases when high-protein diets are consumed and for those taking birth control pills. Vitamin B6 works best with vitamin C, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, and magnesium.

Benefits and functions:

• Strengthens the immune system
• Necessary for the synthesis and breakdown of amino acids
• Aids in fat and carbohydrate metabolism
• Aids in the formation of antibodies
• Helps maintain the central nervous system
• Works as a natural diuretic
• Promotes healthy skin
• Reduces muscle spasms, leg cramps, hand numbness, nausea and stiffness of hands
• Helps maintain a proper balance of sodium and phosphorous in the body
• Helps prevent kidney stone formation

Possible Symptoms of Deficiency:

• Nervousness
• Insomnia
• Skin eruptions
• Loss of muscular control
• Anemia
• Mouth disorders
• Arm and leg cramps
• Hair loss
• Water retention

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Vitamin B9 (Folic Acid)

Folic Acid or folate is another water-soluble member of the B-complex family. According to research women can reduce their risk of heart attacks by 42 percent by taking just 400 mcg. of folic acid with 2-10mg. of vitamin B6 every day.

Benefits and functions:

• Protects against birth defects
• Improves lactation
• Protects against intestinal parasites and food poisoning
• Lowers homocysteine levels thus reducing the risk of heart disease
• Helps prevent anemia
• Promotes healthier looking skin
• Acts as an analgesic for pain
• Necessary for DNA and RNA
• Essential to the formation of red blood cells by its action on the bone marrow
• Aids in amino acid metabolism

Possible symptoms of deficiency:

• Gastrointestinal disorders
• Anemia
• Premature gray hair
  
  
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Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)

Vitamin C is water-soluble and a potent antioxidant. It is one of the most widely taken supplements. Because vitamin C is excreted from the body every 2-3 hours it should be taken 2-3 times each day to help maintain a constant level in the bloodstream. Ester C is the most absorbable form of vitamin C available. According to Dr. Lines Pauling, the foremost authority on vitamin C, vitamin C will decrease the risk of getting certain cancers by 75%.

Benefits and functions:

• Essential for healthy teeth, gums and bones
• Helps heal wounds, scar tissue, and fractures
• Prevents scurvy · Builds resistance to infection
• Aids in the prevention and treatment of the common cold
• Gives strength to blood vessels
• Aids in the absorption of iron
• Required for the synthesis of collagen
• Prevents the conversion of nitrates (from tobacco smoke, smog, bacon, processed meats, etc.) into cancer-causing substances
• Accelerates healing after surgery
• Helps decrease blood cholesterol
• Offers protection against many forms of cancer
• Act as a natural laxative
• Lowers incidence of blood clots in veins
• Helps lower blood pressure
• Reduces the effects of many allergy-producing substances

Possible symptoms of deficiency:

• Weight loss
• Fatigue
• Bleeding gums
• Swollen or painful joints
• Slow-healing wounds and fractures
• Bruising
• Tooth decay
• Loss of appetite
• Muscular weakness
• Skin hemorrhages
• Capillary weakness
• Anemia
• Impaired digestion
• Reduced resistance to colds and infections
  
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Vitamin D

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin acquired through sunlight or diet. People living in large cities, especially in areas of high smog density, should increase their vitamin D intake

Benefits and Functions:

• Improves the absorption and utilization of calcium and phosphorous
• Necessary for bone and teeth formation
• Maintains a stable nervous system and normal heart action
• May slow or even reverse some cancers
• May prevent colds when taken with vitamins A and C

Possible symptoms of deficiency:

• Rickets
• Tooth decay
• Softening of bones
• Improper healing of fractures
• Muscular weakness
• Retention of phosphorous in the kidneys
  
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Vitamin E

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant that is stored in the liver, fatty tissues, heart, muscles, testes, uterus, blood, adrenal and pituitary glands.

Benefits and Functions:

• Major anti-oxidant nutrient
• Retards cellular aging due to oxidation
• Prevents oxidation of “bad” cholesterol
• Helps prevent various forms of cancer
• Alleviates fatigue
• Working as a diuretic it may lower blood pressure
• Aids in the prevention of miscarriages
• Protects the lungs against air pollution by working with vitamin A
• Lowers the risk of heart disease and stroke
• Decreases the risk of Alzheimer's disease
• Supplies oxygen to the blood
• Aids in bringing nourishment to cells
• Strengthens the capillary walls
• Prevents and dissolves blood clots

Possible symptoms of deficiency:

• Rupture of red blood cells
• Fluid retention
• Lack of sexual desire
• Abnormal fat deposits in muscles
• Dry skin
• Muscle degeneration 

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Vitamin H (Biotin)

Vitamin K

Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin needed in a small but critical amount to form certain proteins essential mainly for blood clotting but also for kidney function and bone metabolism.

Benefits and Functions:

• Helps prevent internal bleeding and hemorrhaging
• Aids in reducing excessive menstrual flow
• Promotes proper blood clotting
  

Possible symptoms of deficiency:

• Celiac disease
• Spruce
• Colitis

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