Vitamin B5 Serves Many Important Functions To Keep Body And Mind
Vitamin B5, also known as pantothenic acid, serves the body in many ways. It is a member of the nutritionally elite group of 
eight vitamins known collectively as the Vitamin B complex. This powerful group of vitamins has a role nearly every major body system and process. The Vitamin B complex serves to keep both body and mind functioning and in good health.
Vitamin B5, like all of the vitamins that form the B complex, is essential to the body’s ability to use the food it takes in as fuel for its myriad of processes, great and small. It works in the regular maintenance and repair of all bodily tissues, from the cellular level up. This makes it an essential part of the body’s efforts to fight the physical damage that excessive stress contributes to.
Vitamin B5 serves many important functions in the nervous system, especially in terms of nerve function and health. Among the contributions that Vitamin B5 makes to the nervous system is the production of neurotransmitters, which are important to the ability of the nerves to communicate.
Because of its important role in the growth and health of the hair and necessity to healthy skin, it is used frequently in a variety of cosmetic products. Vitamin B5, acting as a cofactor to other members of the Vitamin B complex and other nutrients, has an important role in the functioning of the adrenal glands and also serves to promote normal growth of the body, due to its role in hormone production throughout the body.
Deficiency in Vitamin B5 can have a variety of negative consequences for the body and the mind. Physical symptoms include fatigue, headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, weakened immune system, abdominal pain, neurological disorders, muscle weakness and cramps, increased insulin sensitivity, acne, digestive problems, and slow or retarded growth.
Mental symptoms of Vitamin B5 include depression, personality disorders and change, sleep disturbances, and insomnia, which generally makes most other deficiency symptoms feel much worse. In general, adults should have about 5mg of Vitamin B5 per day, with women increasing their daily intake to 6mg to 7mg while pregnant or breastfeeding. Children, depending on size and weight, should have about 2mg to 4mg of Vitamin B5 each day.
The importance of the Vitamin B complex to physical health and mental functioning cannot be overstated. For optimum performance of the body and the mind, including cognitive functions and emotional responses and stability, the standard recommended daily intake levels of these vitamins should be achieved every day. Because these are water-soluble vitamins, they are washed away daily with the urine and thus, the body’s supply of these essential nutrients must be renewed daily.
Nutritional supplements are a reliable and safe way to meet these important nutritional goals, provided that attention is given to the accepted limits of dosage. Too much of any nutrient can be toxic, and often can cause as much damage as having too little. The body is a delicately balanced system, and requires that balance to be maintained to function at its best.
r4h4n - Nutrition for Antiaging
Feb 21, 2009
Vitamin B5
Vitamin B3
Vitamin B3 is one of the vitamins that make up the nutritional powerhouse known as the Vitamin B complex. Vitamin B3 is also called niacin, nicotine acid and
niacin amide, and serves many vital purposes in the functioning of the body and the mind.Vitamin B3 works with the other B vitamins to change food to energy. It also serves to regulate the appetite, as well as the digestive system. Its primary tasks within the digestive system relate to controlling the levels at which bile and other stomach fluids are secreted.
Among the other important contributions Vitamin B3 makes to the health of the body is the essential role it plays in the respiration of the cells, its role in keeping the nervous system healthy, and its relationship to the production of the hormones associated with reproduction. Vitamin B3 is also important to the health of the body’s biggest organ – the skin.
Vitamin B3 plays an important role in mental health, and recent research has made some intriguing connections between the use of Vitamin B3 supplements and the production of serotonin.
By using the supplements, L-Tryptophan then doesn’t have to be spent by the body in the making of niacin, thus freeing the L-Tryptophan to be taken to the nervous system, where it is processed into 5-http, which leads to the production of serotonin, important for mood and feelings of well-being. Serotonin imbalance has been shown to be associated with anxiety and depression.
Vitamin B3 is a water-soluble vitamin, which means that it is washed out of the body via the urine and the body must renew its supply of this vital nutrient daily. Deficiencies of vitamin B3 can have serious health consequences for both the body and the mind.
Physical symptoms of a niacin deficiency can include muscular weakness and a lack of muscular control, particularly in the larger muscles masses, such as those found in the legs. Other physical symptoms are open sores on the skin and in the mouth, a swollen tongue and chronic bad breathe, loss of appetite, chronic diarrhea, joint pain, low blood sugar and headaches.
It can also cause the disease pellagra, which presents with such symptoms as severe dermatitis, diarrhea and dementia. Mental symptoms of a serious can include depression, fatigue, and insomnia. The insomnia makes all of the other symptoms, physical and mental, that much harder to bear.
Dietary supplements are a safe and effective way to be sure that you meet the recommended daily requirements of B3 in your diet. However, it is important to use dietary supplements according to the standard dose levels, as taking too much can cause other health problems, some serious in nature. There are cases in which higher than standard does may be recommended, such as to combat symptoms that have been brought about by deficiencies.
However, taking does higher than the standard levels should only be done when under the care of a qualified health care professional. Dietary supplements, like all medications, should always be kept out of the reach of children.
r4h4n - Healing Process
Vitamin B1
Vitamin B1, also called thiamine, is one of the eight vitamins that make up the powerful Vitamin B complex.
Like all of the B vitamins, this nutrient plays a great role in the health of the body and the health of the mind. Care should be taken to maintain the recommended daily intake levels of this essential nutrient, as the results of deficiencies can be devastating in nature.Vitamin B1 serves many purposes in the body. It is an essential part of converting carbohydrates to energy, and necessary to the proper functioning of the nervous system, the heart and the musculature system of the body. Thiamine is very important to the brain, particularly in terms of emotional health and well being, as well as being useful for focus and concentration.
There are a variety of physical conditions and diseases associated with deficiencies in Vitamin B1. Symptoms include pain, numbness and tingling in the extremities, muscle weakness and a lack of physical coordination, particularly in the larger muscle masses that make up the leg muscles.
A deficiency in thiamine can cause enlargement of the heart, which can itself lead to congestive heart failure, and lung congestion. A severe deficiency in Vitamin B1 can lead to nerve damage, brain damage and even death. Mental symptoms associated with a serious lack of Vitamin B include fatigue, psychosis, and confusion.
These are a few serious diseases specifically associated with a deficiency of Vitamin B1, including the notorious beriberi disease. There are also two specific types of brain damage associated with severely low levels of Vitamin B1. One, Korsakoff syndrome, results in confusion and short term memory loss. Another, Wernicke’s Disease has symptoms that include vision disturbances and irregularities, an unsteady walk, and mental confusion.
Despite the obvious importance of Vitamin B1 to many of the body’s important functions, a great deal of people regularly fails to meet the recommended daily intake levels. Alcoholics are particularly vulnerable to being deficient in Vitamin B1, because alcohol ruins the B vitamins.
Illnesses that force bodily fluids from the body, such as chronic diarrhea, can deplete the body’s levels of thiamine, because it is a water-soluble vitamin and the body needs to have its supply renewed every day. There are also rare conditions that interfere with the body’s ability to use Vitamin B1 properly.
Dietary supplements are an affordable, safe and effective way to consistently meet the recommended daily intake levels of Vitamin B1. It is especially important, however, when taking supplements to use them with care and attention, because taking too much Vitamin B1 can cause adverse side effects and even serious health problems.
As with all substances, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. While there are certain health situations that do call for higher than average doses of this powerful B vitamin, high dosages should only be taken while under the direct care of a qualified health care professional. Like any other medication or dietary supplement, Vitamin B1 supplements should always be kept well out of the reach of children.
r4h4n - Healing Process
Vitamin Mineral and Mental Disorders
When we think of the benefits of being sure that our daily consumption of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients reaches recommended daily
intake levels, we usually think in terms of the physical health of the body.However, it is important to be aware of the fact that deficiencies in the daily intake of vitamins and minerals can negatively impact our mental processes as well. Recent research has indicated that such deficiencies can even contribute to one of the most common mental disorders of all -- depression.
The Vitamin B complex is incredibly important to our mental well-being and functioning. Indeed, even relatively small deficiencies can have an adverse effect. Serious deficiencies can contribute to serious mental illnesses. In terms of mental health alone, the importance of making sure that that the daily diet meets the recommended daily intake levels of the Vitamin B complex cannot be overstated.
As an interesting aside, those with alcohol problems – often abused in an attempt to self-medicate for depression and the abuse of which often contributes to depression – are often suffering from Vitamin B complex deficiencies. That is because alcohol destroys Vitamin B in its various forms.
A lack of thiamine can lead to a lack of energy. This, in turn, can lead to deep fatigue, anxiety, depression and even to suicidal thoughts. It can bring on insomnia, which can exasperate each and every one of those symptoms. Serious deficiency in niacin has been clinically associated with such mental symptoms as cognitive slowness in regard to the processing of information, dementia, anxiety and psychosis.
Vitamin B5 has been found to play a role in the formation of hormones and other brain chemical processes that are related to mood. Deficiency can lead to feelings of stress and certain types of clinically diagnosed depression. Vitamin B6 is essential to the production of serotonin and dopamine. Long-term deficiencies in Vitamin B12 can lead to such mental disorders as serious mood swings, mania, paranoia, dementia, and even hallucinations.
Vitamin C also is important in the prevention or easing of depression. It is important to note that many common medications, both over the counter and prescription, can rob the body of Vitamin C, leading some doctors to recommend partnering such medications with Vitamin C supplements.
Deficiencies in a number of minerals have been associated with depression and other mental disorders. Among these are magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, potassium, and manganese. Some of these combine with other nutrients that are important in the formation and release of serotonin and other compounds directly related to mood.
Other mental symptoms associated with deficiencies in these essential minerals include paranoia, confusion, anxiety, depression, fatigue and tearfulness.
The brain, and thus our mental processes, is ruled by the chemical interactions that take place within it. These chemicals are delicately balanced, and nutrition plays an integral role both in the formation of these essential chemicals and the maintenance of their balance.
On every level of mental mood and functioning, it is absolutely necessary that we make sure to achieve the recommended daily intake levels of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. Dietary supplements, when used according to recommended dosages, are a safe means of seeing to it that our minds perform at peak levels.
r4h4n - Healing Process
Feb 20, 2009
Vitamin A
Vitamin A Each Day Is An Essential Part Of Reaching Your Health Goals
Recent government surveys have found that most people do not consume enough Vitamin A in their daily diets. This is unfortunate, 
because Vitamin A is essential to good health. In fact, serious health problems can result from long-term, serious Vitamin A deficiencies.
Vitamin A is important from the very beginning of life. Pregnant women must be sure to consume sufficient amounts of Vitamin A, which will be more than they needed before pregnancy, because Vitamin A plays a great role in the proper physical development of a baby. It helps to promote proper cell differentiation, which is the specialization of cells upon division to take over certain tasks, meaning that cells for the heart take on their characteristics, those for the liver take on theirs, and those for the brain take on their own characteristics and functions, and so on.
Vitamin A also serves in bone growth and development, as well as in the general growth and development of the body.
Vitamin A has a significant part in the quality and functioning of the body’s immune system. One facet of this functioning has to do with the skin and body’s mucus membranes. The skin and mucus membranes serve a very practical purpose for the body.
These operate as barriers against bacteria and viruses, protecting against infection and disease. Vitamin A helps to keep the skin and mucus membranes healthy and able to serve their primary purpose.
As we’ve all heard through the years, carrots are good for the eyes. That is because they are a good source of Vitamin A, which is essential to vision. In fact, a serious deficiency in Vitamin A can result in blindness. Many children living in poverty in developing nations throughout the world have become blind simply because of the lack of Vitamin A in their diets.
Vitamin A also serves to keep the surface linings of the intestinal, urinary and respiratory tracts healthy. This offers protection from bacteria, as well has promotes proper functioning.
One of the more common units of measure for Vitamin A found on packaging labels of food and dietary supplements is the International Unit, or IU. Adult and teenaged males should be sure to consume at total of 3,000 IU of Vitamin A per day.
Adult women and teenaged females should have 2,310 IU per day, 2,565 IU per day if pregnant and 4,300 IU per day if breastfeeding. For children ages 9 through 13, 2,000 IU is the recommended daily intake, with 1,320 IU being sufficient for those aged 4 through 8. From the first year through age 3, 1,000 IU is recommended.
Using dietary supplements to complete a healthy diet can ensure that the body receives the nutrients it needs for optimum performance. However, it is important to heed label and doctor recommendations for the best amount to be taken for your dietary needs.
Proper nutrition is essential to achieving and maintaining health. It is much better to avoid sickness than to recover from it. Taking steps to ensure that you are getting enough Vitamin A each day is an essential part of reaching your health goals.
r4h4n - mineral
Feb 19, 2009
Vitamin K
Variety of Physical Benefits Attributed to Vitamin K
Vitamin K is among the less well known of the vitamins that are essential parts of a healthy diet. Vitamin K serves many important 
purposes in the body, and attention to ingesting the recommended daily intake levels is necessary to the overall health of the body. In addition to the benefits to physical health, Vitamin K has also been found to have cosmetic benefits as well.
One of the most important purposes that Vitamin K serves in the body is the control of blood clotting. In fact, it plays a significant role in the production of thrombin, which is one of the most important of the bodily substances related to blood clotting.
Deficiencies can cause frequent nosebleeds and internal bleeding. A deficiency in Vitamin K is particularly serious for infants, especially those who are born prematurely, as it can contribute bleeding in the brain.
Vitamin K is also important to the health of the bones. It is involved both in their formation and in the repair of bones that are fractured or otherwise damaged. Recent studies have found that Vitamin K may help to prevent or at least decrease the severity of osteoporosis and other bone diseases that cause what is called slow bone loss.
There are a variety of other physical benefits attributed to Vitamin K. It is important to the proper growth and development of babies in the uterus. There are very specific birth defects that are associated with Vitamin K deficiency. These include flat nasal bridges, cupped ears, shortened fingers and underdevelopment of the nose, mouth and the middle area of the face.
However, with that said, it is important to remember that high levels of Vitamin K should be avoided during the last trimester of pregnancy because, as with all dietary supplements and medications, too much can be dangerous for the baby.
You should always discuss each and every dietary supplement you take during your pregnancy with your healthcare provider, even if it is something you’ve been taking for years and is a substance you know well.
There are a variety of prescription medications that can interfere with absorption or the body’s ability to use Vitamin K. In fact, high doses of certain vitamins and minerals can do the same.
It is important, then, to discuss your supplement plan with a licensed nutritionist and, if you are taking prescription medications, with your health care provider. Vitamin K is very important to the body and must not be neglected or used incorrectly.
The cosmetic uses of Vitamin K include success in treating those dark circles under the eyes. Because of its anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, research has found Vitamin K to be useful in combating the visual signs of the aging of the skin.
Using dietary supplements that contain Vitamin K can be a safe and secure means of making sure that the body meets the daily intake requirements for this essential vitamin, provided that dosage instructions are followed carefully. This is especially important during pregnancy, for although Vitamin K plays a vital role in the normal growth and development of the baby during pregnancy, too much can be toxic.
r4h4n - mineral
Feb 18, 2009
The Antioxidant Vitamins
The antioxidant vitamins perform many essential tasks within the body. In recent years, a great deal of research has been done concerning the
abilities of the antioxidant vitamins to prevent certain diseases, ranging from cancer to heart ailments. Many studies have shown promising results, and researchers continue their efforts at determining all of the ways that these powerful antioxidant vitamins protect our health and well being.
One of the many important tasks that antioxidant vitamins perform is that of bringing free radicals under control. A free radical is an unstable molecule, operating within the much larger context of a cell. What makes it unstable is that it is lacking an electron. Electrons are a part of the system that enables chemical reactions within the body. Chemical and electrical actions and reactions are the base of all operations of the body.
The free radical lacks an electron because it is the result of the splitting of a structure weakened by either one of the body’s natural metabolizing processes or by some external contaminant, such as pollution or cigarette smoke. The free radical attacks other molecules, seeking its missing part, which leads to its molecule victim becoming a free radical as well. When enough free radicals accumulate with a cell, the cell can be damaged, or worse.
Antioxidant vitamins have the power to bring these free radicals under control. They do this by meeting the free radicals’ most basic needs, by giving them the electrons they need to be stable. Thus, the antioxidant vitamins remove the free radicals’ motive for aggression and crime -- their motive to attack other molecules to steal their electrons, thereby creating still more free radicals -- and bring an end to the free radical crime wave that threatened the very existence of their world and restore social order and peace to their world, the cell, and perhaps even to their universe, the body.
The primary antioxidant vitamins are Vitamin E, Vitamin C, and Vitamin A. They do not become free radical themselves when they give an electron to the unstable molecule, because they have the special capacity to remain stable with or without the electron. It is through this interaction with the free radicals that the antioxidant vitamins are able to assist in the prevention of damage to tissues and cells that could lead to disease.
Numerous studies have found that the antioxidant vitamins may offer protection against a variety of cancers. Other studies have associated antioxidant vitamins with helping to lower blood pressure. Controlling free radicals, as the antioxidant vitamins do, is thought to be an important part of defending the body and the mind against the effects of aging.
In addition to continuous studies concerning antioxidant vitamins potential in preventing cancers, heart disease, and diabetes related conditions, researchers are also paying close attention to the possibilities antioxidant vitamins may hold for Alzheimer's disease.
Dietary supplements offer a safe and convenient means of meeting the suggested daily intake requirements of these powerful antioxidant vitamins, provided that the standard dosage recommendations are followed.
The chemical balance that allows the body to operate at peak performance can be seriously disrupted by taking too much of any supplement. A licensed nutritionist or your health care provider can best advise you on the dosage most suitable to your individual dietary needs and health goals.
r4h4n - mineral
The Antioxidant Minerals
Because the antioxidant vitamins tend to get most of the press and publicity, many people are unaware that there are also important
antioxidant minerals that are essential to the body’s continuous battle against free radicals and the damage they do. Making sure that the proper nutrients are consumed daily is a necessary part of helping the body to be able to keep free radical damage as low as possible.A mineral, vitamin or other nutrient is deemed antioxidant if it, on its own or as an essential part of a group of substances, it serves to bring free radicals under control. Free radicals are unstable molecules that generally come from both environmental contaminants and some of the body’s natural processes. There are certain minerals that are an integral part of managing the free radical population within the body.
Selenium has come to be recognized as one of the most important of these minerals, though each does play an important role in free radical management. Selenium is an essential component of the antioxidant enzyme glutathione peroxides, and this substance is one that is able to stabilize the free radical.
Since the universal acceptance of the mineral selenium, a trace element, as an essential nutrient during the 1950’s, researchers have been studying the ways that it affects health. In 1973, researchers confirmed the antioxidant properties of the mineral selenium and since then, numerous studies have demonstrated that it may play a significant role in the prevention of certain types of cancers.
However, it should be noted that excessively high levels of selenium can cause serious health problems – as can deficiencies of selenium – and some studies have found excessively high levels of selenium to be associated with other types of cancer. The body is a delicate balance of a variety of chemicals and substances, and optimum performance requires thought and planning.
The minerals zinc and copper form part of another of the body’s important antioxidant enzymes. This enzyme, called superoxide dismutase, is present in the body in two forms. The first form is found almost everywhere in the body, and it needs zinc and copper to function.
The second form of this important antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase is found specifically in the mitochondria, which is the part of the cell responsible for changing the energy that comes from the various nutrients into a form that can be used by the cells. In this second form of the enzyme superoxide dismutase, it is the mineral zinc and the mineral manganese that are essential to the antioxidant enzyme’s ability to function properly.
Making sure that the body has all of the minerals, vitamins and other nutrients it needs each day is very important for both day-to-day and long-term health and well-being. Dietary supplements are a safe and effective means of seeing that the body does have all of the nutrients it needs for all of its systems to work at peak performance levels, especially those that maintain daily health and those that protect health over the long-term. However, nutritional supplements are powerful agents, and must be used within the established dosage guidelines to be beneficial to the health. Used in this fashion, dietary supplements can serve as a valuable part of any health routine.
r4h4n - optimum health
Feb 5, 2009
Vitamin B2
Vitamin B2, also known as riboflavin, is a member of the group of eight vitamins that make up the nutritional powerhouse known as the
Vitamin B complex. These vitamins are vital to the functioning of the body in almost every way, playing important roles in each of the bodily systems.In addition to their powerful influence on the physical health of the body, the Vitamin B complex is essential to mental functioning, including cognition and the stability of emotional response. Vitamin B2 has many roles in human health and functioning.
Vitamin B2 is an essential part of the fundamental workings of the blood. It serves in the production of red blood cells, the means by which oxygen, vital to every cell in the body, is transported through the circulatory system. It is also essential in the production of antibodies and the body’s absorption of iron.
It serves the digestive system by helping the body to make use of the energy potential in carbohydrates. It serves to protect the health of the mucus membranes, especially those that act within the digestive process to keep the foods consumed moving smoothly through the digestive tract. It is a cofactor, or partner, in the metabolism of amino acids, fatty acids, and certain proteins.
Because it plays a role in the regulation of the activity of the thyroid, it is important to normal growth and development, as well as to the reproductive system. Vitamin B2 serves as a cofactor to Vitamin B6, which could not be active within the body without Vitamin B2, in many processes and also helps in making niacin useful to the body.
It also has a role in adrenal gland function. It is important to tissue repair in the body, and helps to keep the skin healthy, as well as the hair and the fingernails and toenails. It is essential to good vision, and may play a role in the prevention of cataracts.
Deficiency in Vitamin B2, or riboflavin, can cause a variety of physical and mental symptoms. Among these are skin disorders that range from simple dermatitis to open sores on the internal and external parts of the mouth, inflammation of the inner mouth and tongue, hair loss, slow or retarded growth, vision problems, itching, burning and watering of eyes, digestive difficulties, tremors, and oily skin.
Mental symptoms include dizziness, slowed mental processes, and insomnia, which can serve to make any and all of the other symptoms much feel worse. Children, depending on size and weight, need between .6mg to .9mg of Vitamin B2 per day. Adult males generally need about 1.3mg daily of Vitamin B2. Adult females require 1.1mg daily, and should increase the daily dosage to 1.5mg if pregnant or breastfeeding.
The Vitamin B complex nutrients are essential to the functioning and health of the body and the mind, and it is important to avoid deficiencies. Nutritional supplements serve as a safe and effective means of guaranteeing that your body has the Vitamin B2 that it needs each and every day.
r4h4n - optimum health
Feb 4, 2009
Nutrition for Antiaging
During the past thirty years, there has been a steadily growing body of scientific evidence showing that vitamins and minerals play a much more
important role in our overall health than previously acknowledged.The proper balance of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients has been linked to health benefits that include stronger immune system response, prevention of many degenerative diseases, and the slowing of the daily wear and tear that is the aging process. A well balanced diet, rich in the necessary nutrients, while difficult to achieve in our fast paced culture, has a wide range of benefits.
It is essential to overall health and longevity to keep the immune system functioning well. There are a number of nutrients that have been shown be necessary to our immune function. Antioxidants, such as the vitamins A, C, E, beta carotene, and selenium have been shown to boost immunity.
The minerals zinc and magnesium are also important for immune function. To ensure a beneficial intake of these antioxidants, you must include a variety of fruits and vegetables in your daily diet. Zinc and magnesium can be found in dairy products, and seafood.
Certain vitamins and minerals have been shown to aid in the prevention of some degenerative diseases, and aging disorders. Antioxidants can help to lower the risk of cataracts, and macular degeneration, which are conditions associated with aging. It is also suggested by experts that they can help slow the aging process by reducing the daily cell damage done by environmental pollution, and time.
Vitamin E has been linked with a lower risk of heart disease. Niacin, a B vitamin can help in reducing the level of cholesterol. Some other nutrients that are helpful in protecting against age related disorders are selenium, cartenoids, flavinoids, and some Amino acids.
Proper nutrition via the diet, while definitely achievable, is often a difficult process in today’s fast paced culture, particularly in combination with the social changes we’ve experienced. People often work longer and harder, and the two income family reigns supreme, followed closely by the single parent family unit.
Another difficulty involved in achieving the standard recommended daily intake levels of essential vitamins, minerals and other nutrients each and every day has to do with food quality. As minerals are depleted from the soil, due to growing practices that include single crop plantings and failure to rotate crops or let field remain fallow to rest and regenerate, as well as through the erosion of topsoil, the mineral content of food is not always what we think it is.
Nutritional supplements offer a reliable and safe means of ensuring that we reach our nutritional goals. Nutritional supplements are not meant to substitute for a good diet, but rather to complement it. In fact, they tend to perform much better when they have real food to interact with. If you are inexperienced with nutritional supplements, you may benefit from a consultation with a licensed nutritionist who will be able to help you to devise a nutritional supplement plan best suited for your dietary needs and health goals.
r4h4n - optimum health
Feb 2, 2009
Healing Process
Make Sure That Your Body Is Able To Support The Healing Process
Vitamins, minerals and other nutrients, aside from keeping the internal processes of the body healthy, strong and functioning well, also serve to promote the healing of wounds, both on the external and inner surfaces of the body. The rate at which wounds heal and the quality of the repair tissues depends upon adequate nutrition. There are several vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that affect the healing process.
Vitamin K is essential to the very first step of healing a wound – stopping the bleeding, via the clotting of the blood. Without Vitamin K, healing would not proceed, as the blood would not clot. Vitamin K partners with the mineral calcium in the production of the body’s primary clotting agent, thrombin.
One of the most important vitamins involved in the healing of wounds is Vitamin C. It is particularly helpful in the growth and development of new tissues, in part because it also supports the health and function of the body’s many tiny capillaries that are responsible for taking oxygen and nutrients to the far reaches of the body.
Another aspect of its importance in the growth and development of new tissues, thus in wound healing, as well as the maintenance of existing tissues, has to do with its role in collagen production. Collagen is what makes the scar that holds a wound together and makes up the connective tissue of the body. Collagen supports the structure of the skin. Vitamin C is essential to the production of collagen, meaning that Vitamin C has a great part in literally holding the body together.
Zinc is another mineral important to wound healing. There are more than 300 enzymes in the body that require zinc to perform their tasks. Many of these enzymes relate directly to the healing of wounds, such as the production of collagen. Zinc plays a role in the body being able to make use of certain proteins and in cell division.
However, it should be noted, too much zinc can interfere with the healing of wounds. That is because the body operates on a chemical system that has a delicate balance, and too much zinc interferes with how the body uses copper and other substances, thus throwing off the balance that is necessary for the best wound healing.
Copper, a mineral, is also significant to the process of healing wounds. Copper has many roles in the body, including being a component of numerous enzymes. In terms of healing, one of its most important roles is in the formation of collagen, which is essential to the wound healing process.
The vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that we consume daily are what support all of the processes of the body and the mind. The healing of wounds is essential to the body, and proper nutrition is what allows the process of wound healing to operate at peak performance, meaning that wounds heal as well and as quickly as they should. Dietary supplements are an affordable, safe and convenient way to make sure that your body is able to support the healing process.
r4h4n - calcium
Jan 13, 2009
Mineral
Minerals are essential nutrients that serve the body in many ways. Many minerals are active in their own right, serving individual purposes within the body. However, the much more 
common way of working for minerals is partnership. They act as cofactor in many complex substances and processes. Many minerals complement each other, serving as cofactor to each other in the body’s most essential processes.
The mineral manganese serves a purpose in this process as well and the mineral zinc is needed to metabolize phosphorus. This group of minerals also combine to protect the health of the nerves and to enhance the ability of the nerves to communicate, as well as ensures the ability of the muscles in the body to contract smoothly and regularly, contributing to, among other things, a regular heartbeat.
The mineral iron is responsible for the production of hemoglobin in the blood, which is what the red blood cells store the oxygen in as they travel the body, supplying the cells and tissues with the oxygen that is vital to their survival. But, without the mineral copper, the body would be unable to absorb and use the iron. A deficiency in copper results in an anemia that is similar to that caused by a deficiency of iron.Minerals serve as cofactors in a variety of chemical combinations in the body that are essential processes of everything from food digestion to oxygenation of the body’s cells. The entire functioning of the body is built upon chemical and electrical reactions. These depend primarily upon the nutrition we consume, which serves as fuel and, once broken down to its basic elements, the chemicals needed to complete the various interactions. The balance of the complex system is delicate, but must be maintained to ensure health and peak performance.
The amount of mineral available in food and water can vary from region to region. That is because the amount of minerals found in plants depends on the quality of the soil, the type and amount of mineral deposits in the soil. Growing the same crops in the same place year after year can deplete the minerals in the soil. Topsoil erosion also can reduce the minerals available in soil.Nutritional supplements can serve as an effective and safe means of ensuring that each day the body achieves the standard recommended daily intake levels of the minerals it need to perform the essential operations of the body. Because the balance of nutrients in the body is so important, it is a good idea to engage in a consultation with a licensed nutritionist who will be able to help you to devise a mineral supplement plan that is best suited to your individual dietary needs.
r4h4n - calcium
Optimum Health
Copper is a trace element mineral that serves a wide variety of purposes within the body, both on its own and as a cofactor, meaning it is an essential part of chemical processes that
involve other vitamins, minerals, other nutrients or other substances. Although the body requires a comparatively tiny amount of copper per day, even that little bit is essential to optimum health and performance.Copper came to be recognized as in the 1870’s as a basic part of our blood. This mineral is called an elemental because it is a metal. In terms of concentration, it is the third greatest metal present in our bodies.
Copper is present throughout the body, and serves many purposes that influence physical and mental health and function. In addition to the influence it has independently, it acts as a cofactor, or partner, in many enzymes and processes, affecting a wide variety of bodily functions and systems.
Copper works with Vitamin C in the production of collagen and elastin, which are connective tissues that, quite literally, hold the body together. In addition to this aspect of wound healing, copper also has a role in the first step to wound healing – blood clotting.
It also partners with iron in the making of red blood cells, which serve the essential purpose of bringing oxygen throughout the body, as well as helps the body to absorb and use iron. It is helps to make bones, working with calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, Vitamin D and Vitamin C.
Melanin, the substance that gives skin and hair their color, requires copper for its production. Copper has a role in the production of hormones that come from the thyroid, and thus is important to the body’s rate of metabolism, which in turn affects body weight. Body weight affects the start of puberty and the onset of sexual maturity.
Copper has a role in the nervous system, as well. It is necessary in the creation of the myelin sheath, which protects nerves and enhances their communication. The connective tissues and nerves in the brain require copper for both structure and function. Copper also serves as a cofactor in the production of the body’s important antioxidant enzymes, making a significant contribution to the control of damaging free radicals.
Copper has a role in each of the body’s major systems and processes. As a trace element, the body requires just a tiny bit of copper daily. Adults should have just 1.5mg to 3mg per day. It is important to note that too much copper can be toxic to the body’s system. The body’s systems are basic are regulated by chemical reactions, and the chemicals in the body are a delicately balanced group.
Nutritional supplements can offer a safe and reliable means of making sure that the body receives all the nutrients that it needs daily. However, when using supplements, it is important to be aware of the upper levels of tolerance, and to make sure that your dietary supplement dosages fall within that range, staying well below toxic points and maintaining the system’s healthful balance.
r4h4n - calcium
Jan 12, 2009
Calcium
We’ve heard it from the days of childhood – calcium is good for the teeth and bones. While it is true that calcium is absolutely necessary to the health and 
strength of bones and teeth, this essential mineral also serves several other important purposes in the body. Yet, many people routinely fail to consume enough calcium in their daily diets.
Despite the importance of consuming adequate amounts of calcium daily, some studies have found that as much as 75% of people in the United States do not have a sufficient daily intake of calcium. Those following strict vegetarian diets, especially vegan, must be particularly careful concerning calcium intake levels.
Fortunately, there are several varieties of calcium supplements on the market. Adults need between 1000 mgs and 1300 mgs of calcium per day, and should not supplement beyond 2500 mgs, as that can cause other health problems. Your health care professional can help you to choose the amount that you need daily, as preexisting conditions, such as bone loss or damage due to previous deficiencies, can make a difference in how much you should be taking daily.Some types of calcium supplements are absorbed more easily by the body than others. However, some may be preferable for other reasons. The most common calcium supplements include calcium citrate, calcium carbonate, oyster shell or bone meal based calcium supplements, coral calcium, and calcium gluconate and calcium lactate based supplements.
In choosing your supplement, you should be aware of how to read the label to ensure that you are getting the amount of calcium that you think you are. Elemental calcium is the term used for the calcium that your body will be able to absorb. Some supplements have this and other types of calcium, but it is only the elemental calcium that can count towards your daily intake. Calcium is absorbed best in acidic circumstances, which is why many supplements are recommended for use after meals, when the stomach acids are at higher levels.Current research has found that calcium citrate is the most efficient of the supplements, meaning that the body absorbs it easily. However, although it is absorbed easier and can be taken at any time of day, whether or not there is food in the stomach, this type often contains less of the elemental calcium, and thus more pills daily will be needed. Calcium carbonate is the most common over the counter calcium supplement and should be taken after meals, because of the increased stomach acid. These, however, should be watched for sodium content.
Calcium is essential for good health and supplements are an excellent way to ensure that you are not among the many people who regularly do not consume the amount of calcium needed daily. There are a variety of factors to be taken into account when choosing a calcium supplement. A little research and consultation with a nutritional specialist can help you to choose the best calcium supplement for your individual needs.
by. r4h4n - vitamin
