The safety
record of the B-complex vitamins is extraordinarily good. Since their
discovery, beginning with thiamin (B-1) in 1911, many thousands of studies have
verified an unequaled therapeutic value of these essential substances. Side
effects have been rare, and toxicity is nearly nonexistent, even at the highest
doses. Some cautions are in order anyway, of course, and here are some of the
most important of these cautions.
Folic
Acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12
Cardiovascular
disease, the number-one killer of men and women, claims the lives of almost 40%
of the more than 2.4 million Americans who die each year. Today, about 64
million Americans have some form of cardiovascular disease.
Homocysteine a
nonessential, sulfurcontaining amino acid, is an independent marker of risk for
the development of cardiovascular disease. Back in 1981, we first recommended
that members reduce homocysteine levels by taking folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12.
Some
researchers consider homocysteine as important a cardiovascular risk factor as
low-density lipoprotein (LDL). Homocysteine can make blood clot more easily than
normal, increasing the risk of both heart attack and death by heart attack.
Inadequate
levels of folic acid and vitamins B6 and B12 can lead to increased homocysteine
levels.
VITAMIN
B-5 (Pantothenic acid)
In 1958,
biochemists Roger J. Williams and Richard Pelton fed large amounts of vitamin
B5 to male and female mice. They found that the treated mice lived an average
of 19% longer than controls. A previous study
had found that B5 increased the
lifespan of fruit flies.
The major biochemical role of vitamin B5
appears to be as a constituent of coenzyme A, which is involved in many
chemical reactions essential to life, including the detoxification of many
dangerous substances. When high doses of vitamin B5 were given to rats they were
able to survive in cold water twice as long as controls. Similar results have
been found in humans.
Pantothenic
acid (PA), a B-complex vitamin, is essential for humans and animals for growth,
reproduction, and normal physiological functions. It is a precursor of the
coenzymes, CoA and acyl carrier protein of fatty acid synthase, which are
involved in more than 100 different metabolic pathways including energy metabolism
of carbohydrates, proteins and lipids, and the synthesis of lipids,
neurotransmitters, steroid hormones, porphyrins and hemoglobin.
Food sources:
Pantothenic acid is found in many foodstuffs. Good sources of the vitamin
(>1 mg/ serving) include organ meats, lobsters, poultry, soybeans, lentils,
split peas, yogurt, eggnog, avocado, mushroom, sweet potato. Pantothenic acid
loss during processing is significant, as it is stable in neutral solution but
is readily destroyed by heat in either alkali or acid.
Toxicity: In
humans, the only reported symptom after intakes of 10 to 20 g calcium
pantothenic acid was diarrhea.
VITAMIN
B-12
Did you know
that 1 in 8 adults over the age of 65 suffers from severe cognitive decline —
and that nearly half of all individuals over the age of 80 do?
Did you know
that correcting a simple nutrient deficiency that affects an estimated 1 in 2
older individuals could significantly reduce your risk of developing serious
cognitive decline?
B12
Deficiency: A Growing Epidemic
According to a
report in the Harvard Health Newsletter, vitamin B12 deficiency is the most
common nutrient deficiency in the developing world and the U.S.
This is bad
news since B12 is one of the building blocks your body uses to produce DNA. It
also keeps your immune system functioning optimally, regulates mood and sleep
cycles, and is crucial to energy production, which is why it’s known as the “energy
vitamin.”
Signs and
symptoms of a B12 deficiency include the following:
·
Low energy and weakness
·
Confusion or “fuzziness”
·
Persistent sleep problems
·
Digestive problems
·
Hearing and vision loss
·
Memory problems
·
Irritability and mood swings
·
Dizziness or lightheadedness
·
Weak immune function
·
Numbness and tingling in the
hands and feet
Simply put,
taking a high-quality B12 supplement can increase your energy and improve your
overall state of well-being — and help preserve your brain function as you age.
Vitamin
B12 Keeps Your Brain from Shrinking
The cognitive
decline associated with aging has been clearly linked to a process in the body
that involves a decrease in brain mass. That’s right, your brain actually
shrinks as you get older! This reduction in brain mass is directly correlated
with Alzheimer’s risk and the associated loss of memory and cognitive function
seen in older individuals.
A landmark
study conducted in 2010 showed that supplementation with B12 in combination
with B6 and folic acid slowed the accelerated rate of brain shrinkage and
declining cognitive scores in older individuals with mild cognitive impairment.
While B6 and
folic acid are readily available in the diet and easily absorbed, B12 is not,
and severe B12 deficiency is thought to affect nearly 1 in 2 older adults,
making proper supplementation critical.
A more recent
2011 study published in the journal Neurology confirmed the importance of B12
in brain health among older individuals.
It again showed that older individuals with
higher levels of B12 in their blood had less shrinkage of the brain than
counterparts with lower levels.
Those with
higher B12 blood levels and increased brain size also scored higher on memory
and cognitive tests.
B12 protects
your brain and nervous system by keeping nerves healthy and communicating in an
optimal manner.
In addition,
one of its most powerful protective properties for the brain is its ability to
reduce blood levels of a dangerous metabolite called homocysteine.
Homocysteine
is a protein naturally formed in the body as a result of metabolism that is
commonly correlated with many adverse health affects.
Reductions in
circulating homocysteine levels as a result of increased blood levels of B12
have been found to reduce the risk of developing serious cognitive decline.
Being
deficient in B12 puts your brain at serious risk by contributing to age-related
brain shrinkage and elevated levels of homocysteine.
VITAMIN B-12,
unlike other B vitamins, is stored in muscle and other organs of the body.
A little B-12
goes a long way, what is stored lasts a long time, and it may take YEARS to
deplete your body’s reserves. But sooner
or later, usually later (after age 40), not only do poor eating habits catch up
with us, but we also lose the ability to efficiently absorb what B-12 we do get
from food.
COBALAMIN is
the proper name for vitamin B-12. It is a really huge molecule (C 63, H 90, O
14, P, Co). The "Co" is for the one cobalt atom at its core.
B-12 is
obtained mostly, but not exclusively, by eating animal products such as dairy
and meat. If you therefore think that
you have to eat lots of meat to get your B-12, consider this:
Where do
grass-and-grain-eating cattle get THEIR vitamin B-12?
From synthesis
by microorganisms in their gastrointestinal tract (GI), that's where. And such
synthesis in vegetarian animals is so tremendous that their milk and flesh is
OUR source of B-12. But it all actually
came from their bacteria.
Yes, B-12 is
also synthesized in the human GI tract, but not reliably enough for most
people. Such synthesis as occurs may be enhanced by a good vegetarian diet that
favors an internal population of beneficial, B-12 making bacteria and because
we are not herbivores we do not really have as much as these animals.
But with our
diets, we will need more than our vegetarian diet can provide. Nutritional
yeast, fermented soy foods such as tempeh, and sprouts (according to some
sources) are effective vegetarian sources of dietary B-12.
But there
still is a physiological hurdle to cross.
Absorption of
dietary B-12 takes place in the very last part of the small intestine, right
before the colon.
This
absorption requires a biochemical helper molecule called “intrinsic factor,”
which is a glycoprotein normally secreted by cells lining your stomach.
Strong stomach
hydrochloric acid is also required to split up this huge B-12 molecule. (That's
why a weak acid like vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is harmless to B-12, persistent
myths to the contrary).
And if your
body no longer makes intrinsic factor like it should, you cannot absorb oral
B-12 supplements very well, either.
The end result
can be pernicious anemia, which is more than the classical inability to make
enough hemoglobin for your red blood cells.
Pernicious
anemia also results in a sore mouth and tongue, assorted burning and tingling
and numbness sensations in the extremities of toes and fingers (paresthesia),
and eventually neurologic damage.
I think
Meniere’s, and dementia symptoms mistaken for Alzheimer’s disease, might be a
manifestation of this.
While there is
a urine test for B-12 deficiency (the "isotope-dilution assay for urinary
methylmalonic acid"), to get it right it is necessary to measure the
cerebrospinal fluid, not the blood, to get accurate B-12 readings.
You can do a
simple, non-invasive therapeutic trial of B-12. This is so inexpensive and safe
that it would be difficult to deny it to anyone.
Today, some
doctors try a 1,000 microgram (mcg) injection at least once a week.
When compared
to the US RDA (REQUIRED DAILY ALLOWANCE) of only about 3 mcg, that dose may
appear rather hefty. But given the miserable nature of Meniere’s, erring on the
high side may be preferable to unnecessarily delaying recovery. And there is no
side effects whatsoever to B-12 overdose as at today.
Why
You Should Start Taking a B12 Supplement Now
Many factors
are contributing to the massive widespread rise in B12 deficiency. The most
important is related to the fact that the body’s ability to absorb B12
decreases as we age.
It has been
clearly established that most people are deficient in B12 not because of a lack
of consumption, but because they lack the ability to properly absorb it into
the bloodstream- the molecule is big and the gut needs acid to break it down
for absorbtion as well as needing a compound "intrinsic factor" to
absorb it.
Unlike almost
all other vitamins, as earlier said B12 must be separated from food by stomach
acid in order to be absorbed.
In addition,
the body has to release a special binding protein called intrinsic factor to
facilitate the passage of B12 into the blood stream.
As we age, the
cells in our stomach that make the stomach acid needed to cleave B12 from food
and the intrinsic factor needed to absorb it significantly reduce in activity
and potency.
This leaves us
with a severely compromised mechanism to extract and absorb B12 from our food.
Therefore, a sublingual (under-the-tongue) B12 supplement that bypasses the
digestive process becomes necessary in order to raise B12 blood levels.
Another major
factor that contributes to B12 deficiency is prescription medication / drugs.
Acid-blocking
medications (for stomach ulcers) and the diabetes drug, metformin, both deplete
the body of B12.
By the way,
B12 supplements are extremely safe. B12 has no known drug interactions and has
never shown any adverse or toxic effects in humans, even when given in large
doses.
If you do not
like the idea of getting shots (IV INJECTION) of B-12, you should be aware that
intra-nasal (that is, by way of the nose) absorption is the next best thing.
It sounds
pretty weird, as duly promised at the beginning of this section, but it is an
efficient delivery method for large-sized molecules whether you like the sound
of it or not.
Your nose has
two choices:
1) Buy
ready-to-use, over-the-counter B-12 gel, which you will occasionally find for
sale in a pharmacy or health food store. Some products come in individual
disposable packets. These are pricey.
2) Make your
own B-12 intra-nasal supplement. It is cheap, easy and best done behind closed
doors. Obtain your doctor’s APPROVAL before trying this procedure.
Take any B-12
tablet (between 100 to 1,000 mcg) and grind it into a powder between two
tablespoons.
Add water,
just a few drops at a time, to make a soft paste. With your clean pinkie finger, gently swab
the paste inside your nose up to a comfortable level.
Do not push;
use no force whatsoever. The excipients (tableting ingredients) are more likely
to bother your schnoz than the B-12 is. If it irritates you, try using less, or
a different brand of tablet. I have tried this two times a week for a month or
two.
It is
important also to take the Right B12. You can also take the injection or shots.
There are 2
main factors to consider when choosing the right B12 supplement:
1. Sublingual
Delivery: All oral B12 supplements should be delivered to the body by
dissolving them under the tongue. The vast network of blood vessels under the
tongue allows B12 to be absorbed directly into the blood stream and thus bypassing
the issues related to stomach acid and intrinsic factor.
2. Activated
Form: Most B12 supplements on store shelves and on the Internet are made with
an inexpensive form of B12 called cyanocobalamin.
The problem
with this form of B12 is that your body cannot even utilize it!
In order to
have a beneficial effect on the health of your cells, it must first be
converted into its active counterpart called methylcobalamin.
For these
reasons, I ALWAYS suggest that anyone interested in supplementing with B12 use
a supplement that contains 100% methylcobalamin delivered in a sublingual form.
Human research
has shown that supplementing with the active form of B12 is much more effective
than using its inactive cyanocobalamin counterpart.
The only
reason why more companies don’t use active B12 in their supplements is to save
money and increase the profit margins on products. I have two products highly
effective form of B12 and B complex formula (See the end of this document)
VITAMIN
B-6
Vitamin B-6
(pyridoxine) has been reported to cause temporary neurological symptoms such as
heaviness, tingling or numbness of the limbs in persons taking very large doses
(2000mg and above). This is the only B vitamin such reported and this dosage is
extremely large.
Even then it
is very important to realize that such cases are not common, and when they do
occur usually result from huge doses of pyridoxine when TAKEN ALONE.
The B-vitamins
are a team, and work best as a team. Upsetting the balance by taking a lot of
just one is usually not advisable except when acutely deficient of for
theraupetic treatment.
No single
B-vitamin can do the job that the whole "team" can do.
B-6 by itself
in doses of 2,000 to 6,000 milligrams daily (that's one thousand to three
thousand times the US RDA!) can produce side effects and is therefore way too
much to take.
Very, very few
persons report symptoms on 1,000 mg daily, and only the rarest reports go any
lower. When taken with, or as part of, a
complete B-complex supplement, B-6 side effects other than a harmless
deeper-colored urine are virtually unknown.
But the
advantages of B6 are many. For example, premenstrual tension symptoms often
improve dramatically with only a few hundred mg/day of extra B-6.
There is no
need to "push the envelope" and take thousands of milligrams when
hundreds will do. At least 50 to 100 mg of supplemental B-6 daily is a virtual
necessity for women taking oral contraceptives.
The
"contraceptive pill" causes some abnormal physiological changes that
create a deficiency of B-6, as well as lower serum levels of thiamine (B-1),
and riboflavin (B-2), and niacin (B-3), and folic acid, and B-12, and vitamin
C! (Wynn, V. Lancet,
March 8, 1975). Almost all the B - vitamins are depleted gradually
from the body by contraceptive pills says Dr. Wynn.
Laboratory
animals receiving the human B-6 dose equivalent of just 75 mg daily do not get
strokes, even when fed a lousy diet (Atherosclerosis, vol. 22, 1975, pp 125-127)
Since women on
oral contraceptives are three times more likely at any age to have a stroke,
there is an important lesson here.
B-6 deficiency
produces hardening of the arteries (Rinehart and Greenberg, American Journal of Pathology,
vol. 25, 1949, pp 481-496.)
Furthermore,
B-6 is necessary in order for your body to produce lecithin. Lecithin, a lipid- transporting substance
from soy, has been used clinically to clear out fatty livers... and even
clogged arteries.
VITAMIN
B-3 / NIACIN
Niacin
(vitamin B-3) has been used in doses up to tens of thousands of milligrams per
day (10000mg/day i.e. 10gm) for over 40 years by psychiatrists.
It is an
effective alternative treatment for severe depression, psychotic behavior, and
schizophrenia.
Most
physicians have ignored niacin's usefulness until rather recently. Niacin has
finally gained popularity as one of the cheapest ways to lower serum
cholesterol.
Changes in
liver function tests have been reported in persons taking one to five thousand
milligrams daily of niacin BY ITSELF.
Important
points have generally gone unnoticed:
Niacin is much better
tolerated when given with Vitamin C. Abram Hoffer, M.D. pioneered high dose
niacin therapy back in the 1950's. He repeatedly published his observations
that gram-sized doses of vitamin C greatly improve a patient's niacin tolerance.
Dr. Hoffer recommended at least as much vitamin C per dose as
niacin.
This means
with three thousand milligrams of niacin per day, then, one would need a
MINIMUM of three thousand milligrams of vitamin C.
The medical
profession's unfounded resistance to large doses of vitamin C is embarrassingly
well known.
It is useless
to blame niacin for side effects caused by ignoring expert medical advice on
how to use it correctly along with vitamin C.
Vincent
Zannoni at the University of Michigan Medical School has shown that vitamin C
protects the liver itself. Even doses as low as 500 milligrams daily helped
prevent fatty buildup and cirrhosis.
5,000 mg of vitamin C per day appears to
actually flush fats from the liver. (Ritter, M. "Study Says Vitamin C
Could Cut Liver Damage," Associated Press, October 11, 1986)
F. R. Klenner,
M.D. showed that very large doses of vitamin C (between 500 to 900 mg per
kilogram body weight per day) can cure hepatitis in two to four days (Smith, L. H., ed.
Clinical Guide To The Use Of Vitamin C, Life Science Press, Tacoma Washington,
1988, pp 22-23).
Niacin
(Vitamin B-3) is also one of the team of B-vitamins and needs any massive
intake to be at least partly balanced with the rest of the B-complex, just like
B-6 mentioned above.
Would you pay
for cable TV if there were only one channel?
Taking only
one B-vitamin is neither logical nor efficient. So avoid doing it unless there
is a good reason.
Many, perhaps
most, persons showing changes in their liver function tests upon ingestion of
large amounts of niacin have been using alcohol.
Accurate
information about sizable alcohol consumption is very difficult to get from a
patient: the more they use, the less they'll tell.
Alcohol does
nothing if it doesn't hurt the liver.
The French have the highest per capita consumption of alcohol in the
world. They also have the world's highest percentage of deaths from cirrhosis
of the liver. An alcoholic will have elevated liver enzyme if he takes high dose
niacin particularly without equivalent dose of vitamin C.
Alcohol is a
drug, and consumption and abuse is more widespread and more serious than most
persons imagine.
US statistics
says over two thirds of all hospital admissions of the elderly are alcohol
related. (New
York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, Oasas Today, 1:1, Sept-Oct. 1992)
The liver
undergoes profound changes in both its endoplasmic reticula and its microsomal enzymes in order to detoxify
alcohol.
The unbalanced
introduction of very large doses of
niacin to an overloaded liver may well overtax an alcohol-strained system.
This is likely
where some changes in liver function tests come from (American Journal of Medicine, vol 86, April, 1989, page
431 and vol. 87, August 1989, page 248; American Journal of Cardiology, vol.
64, October 1, 1989 page 728).
Any
hepatotoxic effects (liver poisoning effect) of niacin are almost invariably
associated with the sustained release
form (Journal of the American Medical Association, March 2, 1994).
Sustained
release niacin generally enables higher doses with less "flushing."
However, that
warm sensation called flushing indicates niacin saturation. Sustained release
delivery may therefore be hiding this sign that the body has had enough niacin
at a given time.
Simply
reducing the dosage reduces side effects. (Naito, H. "Reducing Cardiac Deaths with
Hypolipidemic Drugs," Postgraduate Medicine, vol 82, no. 6, November 1987;
Figge, H. L. et al: "Nicotinic Acid: A Review of its Clinical Use in the
Treatment of Lipid Disorders," Pharmacotherapy, Vol. 8, no. 5, 1988)
Since the
regular "immediate release" form of niacin also is effective in
lowering total cholesterol and actually improves beneficial HDL levels, why not
just use the plain tablets? Take less, but more often, and you approximate the
idea of a sustained release tablet, but with a lower dose at a time.
If there is a
flush, reduce the dose. The idea is to be comfortable. It is better to be able
to use less of the vitamin for a long time than to use a lot, have trouble, and
quit.
Physicians
often over prescribe anyway, and niacin is no exception.
Niacin is not
a magic cholesterol bullet, nor is cholesterol the only factor in heart
disease.
Niacin is PART
of the picture, part of the B-vitamin team, and part of a total health
program.
Granted,
niacin is indeed important. This is shown by even our inadequate US RDA, which
recommends many times more niacin than any other B-vitamin.
However,
persons truly seeking to lower their cholesterol need to eat more fiber, more
vegetables (especially carrots), more vitamins E and C, and to exercise more.
They also need
to eat less sugar, less fat, less meat, and reduce stress. There are ZERO
harmful effects (and countless side BENEFITS) in taking these steps.
People who do
not want to change their diet and do not want to change their lifestyle ask
doctors for a pill instead.
There is no
such thing as monotherapy for cardiovascular disease. If there was, we'd all
use it and be saving literally a million lives each year.
Is it really that big a surprise that niacin alone isn't enough to do
the job right?
The
B complex Supplement I recommend:
Pioneer B
Complex Stress Formula is a product formulated by Pioneer. It is a vegetarian
supplement with all the Vitamin Bs, coenzymes, standardized herbs, green foods,
antioxidants, Vitamin ACE, and other essential nutrients for comprehensive,
fast action. It is gluten free. The supplemetal fact of Pioneer B Complex is
listed below:
Vitamni A 500IU 10%
Vitamin C (Mg Ascorbate) 200mg 333%
Vitamin B2
(Riboflavin) 50mg 2941%
Vitamin B3
(Niacin) 75mg 375%
Vitamin B5
(Pantothenic acid) 250mg 2500%
Vitamin B6
(Pyridoxine) 50mg 2500%
Vitamin B7
(Biotin) 300mcg 100%
Folic Acid 1000mcg 250%
Vitamin B12
(methylcobalamine) 250mcg 4167%
Magnessium
(Aspartate/ascorbate 3:1) 100mg 25%
Sodium 1mg *
Choline 50mg *
Inositol 50mg *
Greens
(spirulina , chlorella) 300mg *
Citrus
bioflavanoids 200mg *
Relax herbal
Blend:
Matricara
recutital, Hops, Humulus Lupulus,
Strobile
extract, Passion flower extract,
Eleutheros 200mg *
The list of
health benefits include anti-stress, boost energy, mental clarity, memory
improvement, anti-aging, brain protection, nerve protection, anti-headache,
blood builder, anti-depression, aids digestion, terminates tingling and
numbness of extremities.
The
B12 Supplement I Recommend:
Stop Aging Now is a company that is leading the way in bringing to the
market an affordable, high-potency sublingual methylcobalamin supplement of the
highest quality.
They produce
pleasant tasting cherry-flavored lozenge that delivers 1,000 mcg of activated
B12, which is the minimum amount recommended by most experts.
Another
benefit of Stop Aging Now‘s MAX-B12 is that it uses a sublingual (under the
tongue) delivery system to ensure absorption directly into the bloodstream,
bypassing the digestive tract, which makes it effective even for those who
can’t absorb B12 from food.
The lozenge
quickly dissolves and you’ll experience immediate boosts in your energy, mental
clarity and mood.
The safety
record of the B-complex vitamins is extraordinarily good. Since their
discovery, beginning with thiamin (B-1) in 1911, many thousands of studies have
verified an unequaled therapeutic value of these essential substances. Side
effects have been rare, and toxicity is nearly nonexistent, even at the highest
doses. Some cautions are in order anyway, of course, and here are some of the
most important of these cautions.
Scientific
References:
http://act.alz.org/site/DocServer/ALZ_BoomersReport.pdf?docID=521
Ibid.
Harvard Health
Letter – August 2005 Edition
Mayer G,
Kröger M, Meier-Ewert K. Effects of vitamin B12 on performance and circadian
rhythm in normal subjects. Neuropsychopharmacology. 1996 Nov;15(5):456-64.
Herbert V.
Vitamin B12 in Present Knowledge in Nutrition. 17th ed. International Life
Sciences Institute Press, 1996.
American
Health Assistance Foundation. 2000-2012 www.AHAF.com/alzheimers
A. David
Smith, Stephen M. Smith et al. Homocysteine-Lowering by B Vitamins Slows the
Rate of Accelerated Brain Atrophy in Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Randomized
Controlled Trial. PLOS. Sept. 2010.
Kimberly A
Skarupski, Christine Tangney, et al. Longitudinal association of vitamin B-6,
folate, and vitamin B-12 with depressive symptoms among older adults over time.
Am J Clin Nutr. 2000;71:514-22.
Baik HW,
Russell RM. Vitamin B12 deficiency in the elderly. Annu Rev Nutr.
1999;19:357-77.
Bowman, G.
Neurology, published online Dec. 28, 2011.
Taraneh
Dormohammadi Toosi, Farhad Shahi, et al. Neuropathy caused by B12 deficiency in
a patient with ileal tuberculosis: A case report. Eur J Pharm. 1993;241:1-6.
Neurosci Lett.
2000;288:191-4.
B. Hooshmand,
MD, MSc, A. Solomon et al. Homocysteine and holotranscobalamin and the risk of
Alzheimer disease. Neurology October 19, 2010vol. 75 no. 16 1408-1414.
Jolien de
Jager, Adriaan Kooy. Long term treatment with metformin in patients with type 2
diabetes and risk of vitamin B-12 deficiency: randomised placebo controlled
trial. BMJ. 2010;340:c2181.
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