| Third, there is a deficiency of b vitamins, which are required to transport sugar into the brain.
Most Americans are sugar intolerant to some degree, either because they eat too much of it or because they do For information on the not procJuce enough disaccharidases (the sugar-digesting enzymes for this r ?\ p B B health condition, enzymes: lactase, sucrase, and maltase) in the small see Appendix B. . . , , , , r ..
- intestine. Most people eat too much sugar, tar exceeding the capacity of the digestive system to make disaccharidases to process it. |
Gale Maleskey
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 Studies have shown that when you supplement with b vitamins, you also help relieve other ailments associated with having too much estrogen, such as premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
Try taking 50 milligrams of vitamin B6 twice a day, says Dr. Silbert. Because some women's bodies have trouble metabolizing this vitamin in its standard form, she recommends taking pyridoxal-5-phosphate (P5P). This is the activated form of vitamin B6 that everyone's body can handle. If you take 50 milligrams of P5P twice a day, you'll get the equivalent of the same dose of vitamin B6. |
Dr. Gary Null
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 Bee propolis is anti-inflammatory, while b vitamins combat stress. Also good are bee pollen, blue-green algae, and pycnogenol.
Nervous system stressors, such as caffeine, alcohol, and hard-to-digest foods like meat, should be avoided, especially at the onset of an attack. Foods high in the amino acid arginine, such as chocolate, peanut butter, nuts, and onions, are also associated with higher incidences of outbreaks.
Since stress promotes outbreaks, it is important to make time for activities that alleviate tension. |
Bradley J. Willcox, D. Craig Willcox, and Makoto Suzuki
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 Whole grains are also rich in b vitamins, which are essential for dealing with stress. Pantothenic acid, often referred to as the "antistress" vitamin, plays an important part in the production of the adrenal hormones, which, as we have noted, are rapidly produced when we are under stress.
Aside from eating well, it's also important to drink plenty of fresh water, preferably filtered or spring water. It helps to rid the body of toxins and other by-products of stress. Avoid smoking and excessive caffeine and alcohol consumption; these popular vices only raise your stress levels. |
Dr. Julian Whitaker
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| Supplementation with these nutrients is especially important as we grow older, because while full-blown deficiencies of these b vitamins are rare, subtle deficiencies are quite common. When supplementing with B-complex vitamins, don't single out one or two—take the whole family. They work best together; deficiencies in one or another may upset the teamwork.
Choline
Classified by the National Academy of Sciences as an essential nutrient in 1998, choline falls into the general category of B-complex vitamins. |
| Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)
Also known as cobalamin, vitamin B12 is the most important of the b vitamins for proper brain functioning. In addition to its role in the methylation process, vitamin B12 is involved in the production of red blood cells, as well as the myelin sheaths that cover and protect neurons and help speed up impulse conduction. Deficiencies of vitamin B12 are common in the elderly and may result in mental confusion that is sometimes mistaken for Alzheimer's disease. |
| Vitamin B1 (Thiamin)
Vitamin By also known as thiamin, was the first of the b vitamins to be discovered. It is required in the production of three important enzymes that are necessary for the conversion of glucose into energy in the brain. This nutrient also mimics the activities of the important neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Extreme deficiencies in thiamin cause a condition known as beriberi, which is characterized by mental confusion and other symptoms.
Thiamin supplementation appears to improve cognitive function. |
| As explained in previous chapters, the importance of the b vitamins has been underscored by new research on methylation—the process by which toxic byproducts of cellular metabolism are removed from the body. When this process goes awry, there is a buildup of highly toxic homocysteine. Elevated homocysteine is a known contributor to atherosclerosis and has been classified as an independent risk factor for heart disease and stroke.
In recent years, excess homocysteine has also been linked to neurodegenerative disorders. |
| They also discovered that levels of vitamin B12 and folic acid, the primary b vitamins involved in methylation (vitamin B6 plays a supporting role), were considerably lower in the patients with Alzheimer's. Those with the lowest levels of vitamin B12 and folic acid were 4.3 and 3.3 times, respectively, more likely to have Alzheimer's than people with the highest levels of these nutrients.
In addition to facilitating methylation and helping control homocysteine levels, several members of the B-complex family of vitamins serve independent protective functions in the brain. |
Artemis P. Simopoulos, M.D., and Jo Robinson
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 Low-fat and nonfat milk products are good for you, however, because they provide b vitamins, protein, and calcium.
For some people, cutting back on butter can be quite difficult— especially now that margarine has been discredited due to its high trans-fatty acid content. If you like some form of fat with your bread, consider olive oil. Many people who sit down to dinner now ask "please pass the olive oil" instead of "please pass the butter." A growing number of restaurants serve a dish of olive oil along with the basket of bread. |
Zorba Paster, M.D. and Susan Meltsner
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 Make sure it contains b vitamins, (at least 100 percent of the recommended daily allowance and a minimum of 0.4 mg (400 meg) of folic acid.
Women with heavy menstrual bleeding should take iron. If you are a man or a postmenopausal woman, select a multivitamin that does not ontain iron. If you're eating right, your body does not require the extra iron, and the common side effects of iron supplementation, constipation and bloating, are simply not worth it. |
| We've known for more than a hundred years that not getting sufficient amounts of certain vitamins or minerals promotes disease, from beri beri and pernicious anemia for those deficient in specific b vitamins to scurvy for folks lacking vitamin C. Fortifying foods, by iodizing salt, for example, or adding vitamin D to milk, helps prevent deficiencies and protect us from the diseases associated with them. So does taking vitamin and mineral supplements. But that's not the only longevity-boosting benefit of supplementing our daily diets. |
Carl C. Pfeiffer
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 Memory boosters
Other memory boosters include b vitamins, especially choline. This nutrient probably works by boosting the levels of acetylcholine, an important nerve transmitter substance. In studies at the Palo Alto Hospital in California, drugs which boost acetylcholine induced "supermemories." Choline on its own is effective in improving short-term and long-term memory, but the doses have to be high (10 grams a day), and the effects are not long lasting. Pantothenic acid, B5, is also important in acetylcholine synthesis. |
Bradley J. Willcox, D. Craig Willcox, and Makoto Suzuki
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| It also provides healthy amounts of iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc, as well as numerous b vitamins. It can be used as a replacement for rice, potatoes, and other starchy foods or combined with vegetables or seafood to make a pilaf. Try adding it to soups and stews. It is easy to cook in the microwave.
• Whole kasha. These hulled and roasted buckwheat seeds can be boiled to make cereal, pudding, or a side dish similar to bulgur wheat. Kasha porridge is a popular staple in Russia and the Middle East. |
Dr. Vern Cherewatenko and Paul Perry
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 Found primarily in animal products such as organ meats, clams and oysters, milk products, other seafood, and eggs, B12, in combination with other b vitamins, may play a role in reducing heart disease. RDA: 2 micrograms.
Possible negative effects of higher than recommended intake: According to the Harvard Medical School Health Group Publication on Vitamins and Minerals, no toxicity is reported for B12 at intakes up to 100 micrograms.
Vitamin C—the citrus vitamin. |
Bradley J. Willcox, D. Craig Willcox, and Makoto Suzuki
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| Parsley contains significant amounts of b vitamins and vitamin C.8° It may stimulate smooth muscle contraction in the bladder and uterus and act as a diuretic. There are several forms of parsley available other than fresh leaves, including capsules, extract liquid, oils, and teas, but we don't recommend them, since their efficacy still lacks support from human clinical trials. Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding should not take parsley oil capsules because it can increase the levels of some plasma proteins, blood calcium, and water loss.94
Peppermint. |
Mark Bricklin
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 It is of interest that 12 of the 14 normal women ingested nutritional supplements regularly, with the b vitamins being in the megadose range. In comparison, only 6 of the 39 PMT patients ingested nutritional supplements on a regular basis.
"Among the trace elements studied: Copper, selenium and chromium intakes were not different among the two groups.... However, the normal women consume on the average twice as much iron and zinc, four times as much manganese as the PMT patients. |
| Finally," she wrote, "I decided to try mixing all the B-complex vitamins, backing them up with brewer's yeast, and putting them in a carrying agent that would make them adhere to my skin but that would be friendly to the b vitamins. I crush up six tablets of riboflavin, eight tablets of niacin and seven tablets of pantothenic acid and then mix them with two rounded teaspoons of brewer's yeast powder. Then I add two teaspoons of either crude sesame oil or rice bran oil. I mix them all together and apply once a day all over the feet between toes, on nails, etc. |
| Then, physicians were able to diagnose and treat the women's underlying illnesses.
"B vitamins are cheap and readily available, and free from troublesome side effects," the researchers noted. "More attention should be paid to assessing the thiamine and pyridoxine status of the mentally ill in the hope of detecting and correcting deficiencies" {British Journal of Psychiatry, September, 1979).
Changes in Behavior
One researcher in Ohio claims that the very first symptoms of a thiamine deficiency might be changes in a person's behavior. Derrick Lonsdale, M.D. |
| The British researchers also used b vitamins successfully to treat two elderly women suffering from symptoms of Wernicke's syndrome. One woman was a 65-year-old widow who had lived alone since her husband's death. She had lost weight and suffered from asthma and diverticulitis as well as depression. The other woman was 78 years old and also a widow. She, too, lived alone, had neglected herself and suffered from paranoia. |
| In their discussion, the researchers say, "Over a long run, the consumption of refined sugar may deplete the body of its reserves of chromium, manganese, zinc, magnesium and most of the b vitamins. The need for these nutrients increases in direct proportion with the amount of refined sugar consumed, since they are required for the metabolism of glucose. Dairy products interfere with magnesium absorption, therefore increasing the need for this element. |
| Bolster the b vitamins and be sure to get key nutrients at all times of the month.
For severe PMS, contact the following organizations for more information: the National PMS Society, P.O. Box 11467, Durham, NC 27703; or Premenstrual Syndrome Action, P.O. Box 9326, Madison, WI 53715.
Body Fat and the Failure to Menstruate
The absence of menstruation, amenorrhea, can be caused by a too-low percentage of body fat. Women who train hard for athletics and professional dance (such as ballet) are especially susceptible to amenorrhea. |
Earl Mindell, R.Ph., Ph.D.
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 In a report published in The Journal of the American College of Nutrition researchers determined a magnesium deficiency has been associated with premenstrual syndrome alone or in combination with inadequacies of zinc, linoleic acid and b vitamins (predominantly B6).
PMS patients given a multivitamin and mineral supplement containing high doses of magnesium and vitamin B6, showed a 70 percent improvement of symptoms.
Vitamins
Vitamin A—High doses of vitamin A in the second half of the menstrual cycle have been shown to relieve symptoms. |
Bradley J. Willcox, D. Craig Willcox, and Makoto Suzuki
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| It is converted in the body into an essential amino acid called methionine, or harmless cysteine, if we have enough b vitamins in our diet—folate, vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), and vitamin BI2 (cyanocobalamine). How we process this amino acid is also determined, to a certain extent, by our genes. Those who cannot effectively process this amino acid have a much higher risk of dying prematurely from coronary heart disease or stroke. They are also at higher risk for peripheral vascular disease (e.g., leg ulcers or blood clots called deep-vein thrombosis) and possibly dementia (including Alzheimer's). |
Barnet Meltzer, M.D.
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 In essence, the entire trace mineral content and most of the b vitamins have been extracted from: refined white sugar; refined carbohydrates such as white bread; pastries; and packaged cereals. Because these items are already so highly refined, the digestive system is left with few nutrients to process, and instead the sugars and carbs are rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream. The pancreas reacts to this influx of sugar by releasing insulin, which lowers glucose levels, resulting in reactive hypoglycemia and all its mood-swing, food-swing symptoms. |
Gale Maleskey
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| Brewer's yeast is a rich source of many nutrients, including protein, some b vitamins, phosphorus, and chromium. The protein content of yeast accounts for slightly more than half of its weight.
It's this variety and abundance of nutrients that have made brewer's yeast such an enduring supplement, says Michael Janson, M.D., president of the American College for Advancement in Medicine, based in Laguna Hills, California, and author of The Vitamin Revolution in Health Care.
A Big Sweet Tooth
Yeast is a living, single-cell organism. |
| Since the b vitamins are generally beneficial, your best tactic may be to take a high-potency B-complex formula that includes 50 milligrams of most of the different kinds, Dr. Lombard says. Look for one that includes 1,000 micrograms of both vitamin B12 and folic acid along with the other ingredients.
A Memory Pill
Dr. Lombard suggests that people who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease should also take 300 milligrams of a nutritional supplement called phosphatidylserine (PS) daily with meals. |
| They are trying to complete the circle by showing that lowering homocysteine levels with b vitamins can also lower heart disease risk, says Dr. Allen.
Nerves of Steel
Vitamin B12 also maintains the fatty sheath, called myelin, that surrounds and protects nerve fibers and promotes their normal growth, Dr. Pinto says. Like insulation around copper wires, this sheath allows your radiating network of nerves to send their electrical messages without short-circuiting. When B12 is missing, the myelin sheath breaks down, which eventually leads to nerve damage. |
| The need for some nutrients, such as the b vitamins, which are used to help metabolize food, are based on calorie intake. These nutrient requirements are higher for men, who usually eat more calories each day, than for women. The differences are slight, however.
Calcium is often singled out as a nutrient that's needed more by women in menopause than by premenopausal women, but men also need it, Dr. Kolasa points out. "Men get osteoporosis, too, if they manage to live long enough," she says. |
Francisco, M.D. Contreras
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| Folic acid, one of the b vitamins, is a powerful nutrient, and often deficient in those who need it the most.
Researcher Edward Giovannucci, Harvard Medical School, thinks folic acid may help turn off cancer genes. Giovannucci's team discovered that a high intake of folic acid, from fresh vegetables and fruit and vitamin supplements, lowered the risk of tumor development.
Other research shows folic acid directs the growth of new cells in the body. A shortage or lack of this nutrient may contribute to improper or abnormal cell formation. |
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