Friday, February 17, 2006

Vitamin B Deficiency??

Well, I have been having some issues for the last couple of weeks with sleepy extremities. So, I finally broke down and emailed my Dr's PA and he told me to add b supplements to my daily vitamin regiment.

His order to take the B-complex prompted me to do some further research on the whole vitamin B thing. B is very important for just about everything. Wow, I should be doing lots more research. These vitamins are essential for:

The breakdown of carbohydrates into glucose (this provides energy for the body)
The breakdown of fats and proteins (which aids the normal functioning of the nervous system)
Muscle tone in the stomach and intestinal tract
Skin
Hair
Eyes
Mouth
Liver


This is a quick guide from Howthingswork.com:

(Vitamin
Food Sources
Importance
When You Take Too Much
When You Take Too Little)

Thiamine (B1)
cereal, bread, meat, rice, yeast, corn, nuts
carbohydrate metabolism, nervous system
none known
beriberi (anemia, paralysis), movement & memory effects

Riboflavin (B2)
grains, milk, meat, eggs, cheese, peas
maintains skin, mucous membranes, eyes, nerve sheaths
None known
skin & oral problems, anemia

Niacin (B3)
Meat, milk, eggs, fish, legumes, potatoes
healthy skin, nerves & GI tract, metabolism of food
flushing, itching, cramps, nausea, skin eruptions
pellagra (diarrhea, dermatitis, dementia)

Pyridoxine (B6)
organ meats, brown rice, fish, butter, soybeans
metabolism of food, amino acids
nerve damage
skin & nerve damage, confusion, mouth irritation

Folic acid (B9)
yeast, liver, green vegetables, whole grain cereal
DNA, hemoglobin synthesis, formation of blood cells, protein metabolism
convulsions, disrupted zinc absorption
anemia, mouth irritation, poor growth

cyanocobalamin (B12)
liver, meat, eggs, poultry, milk
metabolism of food, blood cell formation, DNA synthesis
none known
pernicious anemia, mouth irritation, brain damage

Pantothenic acid
N/A; made by our intestines
meats, legumes, whole-grain cereals
breakdown of carbohydrates, lipids, amino acids
diarrhea
none known

Biotin
N/A; made by our intestines
beef liver, egg yolk, brewer's yeast, mushrooms
functions as coenzyme in caroboxylation reactions
none known
scaly dermatitis

Its funny (and scary) how in my reading this article I realized all of the symptoms I am having. Sleeplessness, sore muscles, fatigue, and much much more. I am going to get my B12 shot and some b-complex sublingual tomorrow (or at least talk with my PCP on what I should be doing for suppliments).
Posted by The Catapillar :: 12:10 AM :: 1 Comments:

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