B Vitamins, Iron, Glucosamine and Chondroitin, Ginkgo biloba, St. John’s wort and Vitamin K

B Vitamins

Because B vitamins help extract energy from food, supplement marketers would like you to believe that getting more through pills or fortified drinks will give you a power boost. Truth is, most people get plenty of B vitamins in their diet; more won’t necessarily make you more energetic. Other benefits of extra Bs need to be confirmed by further research. Evidence suggests that taking a combo of B6, B12, and folic acid might cut the risk of age-related macular degeneration. Researchers were once hopeful that B12 and folate could protect the heart, but recent research has proved disappointing. What’s more, some women take biotin to combat hair loss, a symptom of severe biotin deficiency, but we couldn’t find studies that showed it helps prevent or treat the problem.

Vegetarians, since B12 is found largely in animal derived foods, and people older than 50, because the stomach acid needed to absorb B12 diminishes with age. The amount of B12 in a typical multivitamin, 6 micrograms, is usually sufficient. Many pregnant women opt for the high levels of folic acid found in prenatal vitamins to help prevent neural tube defects in the developing fetus. Some preliminary evidence suggests that biotin might increase nail thickness in those who have brittle nails. If you want to try it, take 2.5 to 3 milligrams daily for four to six months.

Iron

Adolescent girls, premenopausal women, and athletes are at risk of iron deficiency. Women might need to compensate for iron lost through menstrual bleeding. And as we get older, we don’t always absorb the mineral well. Women who have lengthy or heavy periods and / or symptoms such as fatigue, irritability, and difficulty concentrating should consider taking iron supplements. Get tested before you take supplemental iron. The amount found in some multivitamins formulas is fine for most people, but extra iron could be dangerous if you don’t need it. If your doctor gives you the green light, start with one of the inexpensive iron salts – ferrous sulfate, ferrous fumerte, or ferrous gluconate. If those leave you constipated or nauseated, two possible side effects, try a slow-release version or try iron-polysaccharide complex. Also keep in mind that iron is best absorbed on an empty stomach, but if you can’t tolerate that, you can take it with food. A small serving of meat and a vitamin C-rich food such as spinach or turnip greens is best.

Glucosamine and Chondroitin

If you have join pain and stiffness, you might have osteoarthritis, which occurs when cartilage breaks down. Evidence is mixed on whether those supplements effectively alleviate symptoms. In one big trial they didn’t work any better than a placebo for people with just mild symptoms but did provide significant relief for those with moderate to severe pain. Those who suffer from moderate to severe osteoarthritis pain should consider taking it. Record your symptoms and stop in three months if you don’t improve. Glucosamine is made from shells of sea creature,s so talk to your doctor if you have a seafood allergy. The study used 1,500 milligrams of glucosamine and 1,200 milligrams of chondroitin sulfate, split into three doses. Your best choice is probably glucosamine sulfate alone (also called glucosamine sulfate salt).


Ginkgo biloba

This herb is used by people to enhance memory and mental focus and stave off cognitive decline. But we haven’t seen conclusive scientific evidence that it really works. It’s also worth emphasizing that ginkgo can cause bleeding and interact with other medications.

St. John’s wort

It’s widely considered a natural antidepressant. A recent review involving 29 trials and almost 5,500 patients showed that it improved symptoms better than a placebo and worked about as well as prescription antidepressants. The results are promising, but the studies were of short duration and some were of questionable quality, and the makeup of supplements varied. If you have mild or moderate depression, St. John’s wort might be beneficial. But it can cause side effects, such as stomach problems and possibly a decreased enjoyment of sex. It can also interfere with a long list of medications, including certain antidepressants, birth-control pills, and drugs for high cholesterol and migraine. Talk to your doctor before you start taking St. John’s wort. Most studies used 500 milligrams to 1,200 milligrams of extract daily.

Vitamin K

Research is conflicting, but two large studies, the Framingham Heart Study and Nurses’ Health Study, have linked lower intakes of vitamin K to a higher risk of fractures. Most people get plenty of vitamin K, but consider supplements if you seldom eat K-rich foods such as green leafy vegetables and soybean, canola, or olive oils. Rather than taking a separate pill, you can take a multivitamin or calcium supplement that includes K. for optimum bone health, some experts think women should get more than the currently recommended 90 micrograms daily.

Supplements to support your overall health but not to treat your disease:

USANA Vitamins Supplements Procosa II has ground-breaking formula that supports optimal joint health. To help support healthy joints, USANA created Procosa® II supplement, a product with a blend of glucosamine, manganese, vitamin C, and silicon—building blocks for healthy cartilage.

Vitamin E, Vitamin K, B Vitamins and Vitamin D

Vitamin E is an important antioxidant that should be supplied at levels well above the RDI of 30 IU (international units) per day. Many authorities recommend 200 to 1,000 IU per day to help prevent age-related degenerative diseases such as cancer and atherosclerosis. Experts recommend that elderly people with risk factors for heart disease and those suffering from Alzheimer’s-related dementia take extra vitamin E. Most natural health care providers prefer the natural d-alpha form of vitamin E over the chemically synthesized dl-alpha form.

Benefits of Vitamin E
• Acts as a powerful antioxidant
• Prevents deficiency in low-weight infants
• Acts as an anti-clotting agent
• Assists in the formation of red blood cells

Vitamin K

Vitamin K is included in multivitamin formula because it can help prevent bone loss. A daily dose of 80 to 300 micrograms conforms to current RDI standards. Vitamin K is especially important for patients with a history of intestinal malabsorption or chronic antibiotic therapy (antibiotics kill vitamin K-producing intestinal bacteria).

Benefits of Vitamin K

• Helps prevent abnormal bleeding
• Promotes normal growth and development
• Helps prevent bone loss

B-Complex Vitamins

The B vitamin family includes eight distinct vitamins:

• B1 – Thiamine
• B2 – Riboflavin
• B3 – Niacin
• B5 – Pantothenic Acid
• B6 – Pyridoxine
• B7 – Biotin
• B9 – Folic Acid
• B12 – Cyanocobalamin

Each B vitamin is a separately functioning coenzyme that affects a wide-range of processes and functions in the human body. If you have a specific condition for which a single B vitamin is known to be helpful, a separate supplement of this vitamin may be added to a multi, preferably after consultation with a knowledgeable health care provider.

Vitamin D

We get vitamin D from two sources; our food and the sun. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to higher risks of colorectal and breast cancer, so it’s important to guarantee an adequate intake. In fact, vitamin D was recently shown to reduce the risk of polyp development in the colon, a precursor to colon cancer. For those who don’t get regular exposure to sunlight or eat vitamin D-fortified foods, 400 IU per day may be optimal. Because vitamin D plays a role in bone building, people with an increased risk for osteoporosis may benefit from 800 IU per day.

Benefits of Vitamin D

• Prevents rickets
• Treats low blood calcium in cases of kidney disease
• Helps promote bon formation
• Promotes normal development of children and infants

Vitamin K

Not all vitamins were discovered as a cure for deficiency. Vitamin K’s existence was suspected in 1929, but it was discovered, identified, and isolated later, and has been used widely since 1939. Vitamin K was initially unveiled in experiments on chickens. It was found that with certain diets chickens lost their blood-clotting ability. It was observed that the blood of chickens coagulated faster on diets that contained sprouted soybeans containing naturally occurring vitamin K. We now understand that vitamin K has excellent blood-clotting ability.

Healthy bacteria in the intestines normally produce vitamin K. Much of the population lacks healthy levels of intestinal “flora” and would be advised to supplement vitamin K through naturally occurring sources. Vitamin K is most readily found in leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale, and to a lesser extent in sprouts and algae, olive oil, and green tea.

Vitamin K is essential for synthesizing the liver protein that controls clotting. It is involved in creating prothrombin, the precursor to thrombin, an important factor for blood clotting, assisting in the production of six of the 13 known proteins needed for clotting. People taking anticoagulants must be careful to keep their vitamin K intake stable. This vitamin is also important to bone formation.

Consuming low levels of vitamin K has been linked with poor boon density, while supplementation with vitamin K has shown improvements in biochemical measures of bone health. A report suggests that women who get at least 110 micrograms of vitamin K a day are 30 percent less likely to break a hip as women who receive any amount less than 110 micrograms.

Other reports showed that those eating a daily serving of lettuce or other green leafy vegetable cut the risk of hip fracture in half when compared with eating one serving a week. Data from the Framingham Heart Study also shows an association between high vitamin K intake and reduced risk of hip fracture.

Dietary fat is necessary for the absorption of vitamin K. According to a survey in 1996, a substantial number of people, particularly children and young adults, are not getting the vitamin K they require. A deficiency of vitamin K may result in internal hemorrhaging or nose-bleeds. In newborn children a deficiency of vitamin K can result in hemorrhagic disease, as well as postoperative bleeding. As a result, mothers who are breastfeeding need to consume foods that are rich in vitamin K so that the infant is properly nourished.

Toxicity does not easily occur with a normal dietary intake of naturally occurring vitamin K, but synthetic vitamin K can cause a serious toxic reaction. High uptake of synthetic vitamin K in the range of 10,000 mgs or more has been seen to cause flushing and sweating, jaundice, and anemia. Vitamin K-3 (menadione) supplements have been banned by the FDA because of their high toxicity. If you are taking any anti-coagulant (to prevent blood clotting) medication you must consult your medical practitioner before taking a vitamin K-rich supplement of any kind.

Dietary deficiency is rare, but can occur when the body does not absorb fat properly, as in gall-bladder disease. Major sources of vitamin K include spinach, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage, sprouts (specifically onion sprouts), and raw sauerkraut. As a dietary supplement, we recommend a full-spectrum botanical source of vitamin K such as spinach or kale extract.

Try Turnip Greens

Turnip greens are good sources of vitamin K. Try them in a salad for a quick, healthy metabolism boost. Other foods rich in vitamin K include green leafy vegetables like spinach or kale, broccoli, cabbage, beef liver, egg yolk, and wheat bran or wheat germ.