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October 8, 2003 |
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Other Vitamins to Supplement The vitamin-B complex is a group of 11 separate nutrients: thiamine, riboflavin, niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), pyridoxine (B6), folic acid, biotin, paba-aminobenzoic acid (PABA), B12, Because they work together in many chemical reactions, you should take them together as a B complex vitamin, even if you take additional B vitamins individually. Overall, they help with stress, mood and energy. They’re particularly important when you’re emotionally stressed and your body loses valuable B vitamins. That’s why they’re so helpful if you suffer from PMS. Recommended daily intake: Between 25 and 100 mg per day, taken as a single or divided dosage Good to know: Take B vitamins during the day, rather than at night, as they can be too stimulating. These three B vitamins are important players in preventing heart disease. They apparently work by lowering levels of homocysteine, an amino acid in the blood that studies suggest may be related to increased risk of heart disease, stroke and peripheral vascular disease. In fact, nearly 40 percent of those with heart disease have abnormal levels of homocysteine. These three vitamins destroy homocysteine chemically, rendering it harmless. block clotting, lower blood pressure and improve blood cholesterol levels. It can also regulate many PMS symptoms, including mood swings, irritability, fluid retention, breast tenderness, bloating, sugar craving and fatigue. In women who are prone to fatigue caused by bacteria, viruses, candida or allergies, B6 strengthens your immune system. prevent cervical dysplasia, a condition that can be a precursor to cancer of the cervix, and plays an important role in the production of red blood cells. Helps with: Heart health, bone health, fatigue, normal cholesterol levels, managing stress, brain and central nervous system function, preventing breast cancer and cervical cancer, PMS symptoms, heavy bleeding and anemia. Recommended daily intake: Vitamin B6: 50 to 100 mg Vitamin B12: If you have bone loss, eat little or no animal products, or have heavy menstrual bleeding, take 100-500 mcg. Take 1,000 mcg per day if you suffer from fatigue or low thyroid function Folic acid: 800 mcg Best food sources: Brewer’s yeast, cereal grains, animal liver, oysters, salmon, whole grains and green leafy vegetables Good to know: Antibiotics such as sulfa drugs and tetracycline can interfere with the production of many B vitamins. Also, women on birth control pills and menopausal women on estrogen replacement therapy are at risk of B6 deficiency. and Inositol Choline and inositol together make lecithin, an important component in cell membranes, particularly liver cells. These vitamins enable your body to move fats in and out of cells, and helps your liver break down estrogen. Inositol is also a central nervous system tranquilizer, which is why it’s often recommended to calm premenstrual anxiety and irritability. Lecithin helps prevent atherosclerosis, a form of heart disease. Helps with: Heart health, normal brain functioning, memory, liver function, PMS. Recommended daily intake: Lecithin: 2 tbsp. stirred into 4 oz. of water. Choline and inositol: 50 to 500 mg each. Best food sources: egg yolks, brewer’s yeast, wheat germ, fish, peanuts, leafy green vegetables, and animal liver. Good to know: Choline is a very sensitive compound, easily destroyed by estrogen, alcohol, sulfa drugs (antibiotics), and cooking. Your body stores large amounts of inositol, found in whole grains, citrus and unrefined molasses. Drinking coffee depletes these stores.
Niacin dilates blood vessels, improves circulation to the arms and legs, and reduces blood pressure. It also lowers total blood cholesterol (a significant risk factor for heart attacks) and improves your overall cholesterol profile by also increasing “good” HDL cholesterol. Helps with: Heart health, restful sleep. May have a mild tranquilizing effect. Best form to use: Use niacinamide to avoid the “niacin flush” women often feel when the vitamin dilates the blood vessels, causing a sensation of warmth, itching, and making your skin red. Recommended daily intake: 25 to 100 mg in single or divided dosages. Helps with: Stress, PMS, fatigue Best food sources: egg yolks, brewer’s yeast, organ meats and whole grain cereals. Recommended daily intake: 50 to 100 mg as part of a vitamin B complex for prevention and good general health. For stress, PMS, and fatigue, take 250 to 500 mg once or twice a day. Critical for: Anxiety and stress, PMS Recommended daily intake: 25 to 100 mg in single or divided dosages.
Vitamin D is both a vitamin and a hormone. It’s a vitamin because without it, we can’t absorb calcium. And it’s a hormone because we manufacture it when our skin is exposed to sunlight. Its most important role, however, is maintaining calcium blood levels by increasing the amount of calcium we absorb from food, and reducing the amount we lose each day. These days, because of sunscreens and well-founded warnings to avoid sun exposure, we may have problems getting enough vitamin D without supplementation. Helps with: Bone health, immunity, fatigue. Recommended daily intake: 400 IU. If you have osteoporosis, take 800 IU, regardless of diet or sun exposure. Best source: Sunlight Good to know: Vitamin D deficiencies are particularly prevalent in strict vegetarians (vegans) who don’t eat vitamin D-fortified dairy foods, the elderly, dark-skinned people, alcoholics, those with liver or kidney disease, and those who live in northern latitudes.
This is a relatively obscure but important vitamin. It’s fat-soluble, meaning it’s stored in our body, and is produced by bacteria in the intestines as well as found in green leafy vegetables. Critical for: Proper blood clotting, bone health. Recommended daily intake: No more than 150 mcg a day Best source: Green leafy vegetables, alfalfa Caution: Vitamin K interferes with the blood thinner Coumadin (warfarin). If you take this drug, don’t take supplemental vitamin K. To learn more about other nutrients, read on: Antioxidants and free radicals
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