Vitamins..Orthomolecular Medicine

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April 23, 2009

Vitamins

Vitamin

Sources

Function Vitamin A

(retinol and beta-carotene) Barley grass, butter, cabbage, carotenoids

(plant origins, converted to A by the body), carrot root, egg yolk,

fish, gotu kola, liver, retinol (ready made A, animal origin, alcohol

form), retinyl palmitate (ester form of retinol, ester is preponderant

in fish liver oils), spirulina, whole milk. Essential for vision,

adequate growth, and tissue differentiation. Vitamin A has excellent

antioxidant properties, stimulates the production of mucous, and is

absorbed by the body 3-5 hours after ingestion.

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Vitamin B1

(Thiamine) Asparagus, beef kidney, beef liver, brewer's yeast, brown

rice, dried legumes, garbanzo beans, gotu kola, kidney beans, lamb,

milk, navy beans, nuts, pork, poultry, rice bran, rye, salmon, soybeans,

spirulina, sunflower seeds, wheat germ, whole grain cereals, yeast.

Thiamine hydrochloride, thiamine mononitrate. Plays a key role in the

body's metabolic cycle for generating energy; aids in the digestion of

carbohydrates; essential for the normal functioning of the nervous

system, muscles & heart; stabilizes the appetite; promotes growth & good

muscle tone.

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Vitamin B2

(Riboflavin) Almonds, asparagus, barley grass, brewer's yeast, cheese,

chicken, eggs, green leafy vegetables, liver, meat, milk products, organ

meats, peppermint leaves, Senna leaves, spirulina, Wheat germ.

Necessary for carbohydrate, fat & protein metabolism; aids in the

formation of antibodies and red blood cells; maintains cell respiration;

necessary for the maintenance of good vision, skin, nails & hair;

alleviates eye fatigue; promotes general health.

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Vitamin B3

(Niacin, Nicotinic acid) Beef liver, brewer's yeast, chicken white

meat, eyebright, feverfew, fish, green leafy vegetables, halibut, hops

flowers, lean meats, legumes, liver, milk, nuts, peanuts, pork, poultry,

red raspberry leaves, salmon, sunflower seeds, swordfish, tuna, turkey,

veal. Niacinamide, nicotinamide are made from niacin. Niacinamide

ascorbate is a complex of niacinamide and ascorbic acid. Niacin is

formed in the body from tryptophan. Improves circulation and reduces the

cholesterol level in the blood; maintains the nervous system; helps

metabolize protein, sugar & fat; reduces high blood pressure; increases

energy through proper utilization of food; prevents pellagra; helps

maintain a healthy skin, tongue & digestive system.

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Vitamin B5

(Pantothenic acid) Blue cheese, brewer's yeast, brain, calcium

pantothenate, corn, eggs, heart, kidney, legumes, lentils, liver,

lobster, meats, milk, molasses, peanuts, peas, rice, soybeans, sunflower

seeds, vegetables, wheat germ, whole grain cereals. D-calcium

pantothenate (C5H16NO5)2Ca, calcium salt of pantothenic acid, only the

dextro - (D) form has vitamin activity. Participates in the release of

energy from carbohydrates, fats & protein, aids in the utilization of

vitamins; improves the body's resistance to stress; helps in cell

building & the development of the central nervous system; helps the

adrenal glands, fights infections by building antibodies.

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Vitamin B6

(Pyridoxine) Avocado, banana, bran, bread, brewer's yeast, carrrots,

chicken, corn, fish, hazelnuts, halibut, ham, herring, legumes, lentils,

liver, peanuts, rice, salmon, shrimp, soybean, sunflower seeds, trout,

tuna, walnuts, wheat germ, whole grain cereals. Vitamin B6 from

nutritional supplements is pyridoxine hydrochloride. Necessary for the

synthesis & breakdown of amino acids, the building blocks of protein;

aids in fat and carbohydrate metabolism; aids in the formation of

antibodies; maintains the central nervous system; aids in the removal of

excess fluid of premenstrual women; promotes healthy skin; reduces

muscle spasms, leg cramps, hand numbness, nausea & stiffness of hands;

helps maintain a proper balance of sodium & phosphorus in the body.

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Vitamin B9

(Folic acid/Folate) Barley, beans, beets, brewer's yeast, calves'

liver, dark green leafy vegetables, endive, egg yolks, fruits, garbanzo

beans, lentils, orange juice, peas, rice, soybeans, split peas, sprouts,

wheat germ, whole-wheat bread, yeast. Necessary for DNA & RNA

synthesis, which is essential for the growth and reproduction of all

body cells; essential to the formation of red blood cells by its action

on the bone marrow; aids in amino acid metabolism.

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Vitamin B12

(Cobalamin) Beef, blue cheese, brain, clams, dairy products, eggs,

fish, flounder, heart, herring, kidney, liver, liverwurst, mackerel,

milk, sardines, shellfish, snapper, swiss cheese. Helps in the

formation & regeneration of red blood cells, thus helping prevent

anemia; necessary for carbohydrate, fat & protein metabolism; maintains

a healthy nervous system; promotes growth in children; increases energy;

needed for Calcium absorption.

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Vitamin C

(Ascorbic acid) Acerola fruit, aloe vera juice, black currant,

broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, capsicum, cauliflower, citrus

fruits, citrus fruits, collards, currants, grapefruit, guava, kale,

lemons, mango, oranges, papayas, parsley, potatoes, rose hips, spinach,

strawberries, sweet peppers, sweet potatoes, tangerines, tomatoes,

watercress. Fermentation of sorbitol. Essential for healthy teeth, gums

& bones; helps heal wounds, scar tissue, & fractures; prevents scurvy;

builds resistance to infection; aids in the prevention & treatment of

the common cold; gives strength to blood vessels; aids in the absorption

of iron. It is required for the synthesis of collagen, the intercellular

" cement " which holds tissues together. It is also one of the major

antioxidant nutrients. It prevents the conversion of nitrates (from

tobacco smoke, smog, bacon, lunch meats, & some vegetables) into

cancer-causing substances. According to Dr. Linus ing, the foremost

authority on Vitamin C, Vitamin C will decrease the risk of getting

certain cancers by 75%.

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Vitamin D

(Calciferol) Butter, cod liver oil, eggs, halibut liver oil, herring,

mackerel, meat, milk, salmon, sardines. Cholecalciferol can be produced

industrially by the action of ultraviolet light on 7-dehydrocholesterol.

Improves absorption and utilization of Calcium and Phosphorus; required

for bone and teeth formation; maintains a stable nervous system and

normal heart action.

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Vitamin E

(Tocopherol) Almonds, apricot oil, corn, corn oil, cottonseed oil,

eggs, hazelnuts, leafy green vegetables, margarine, milk, nuts, palm,

peanut oil, safflower, seeds, soya, sunflower seeds, walnuts, wheat

germ, whole grains. Vitamin E that is produced industrially is derived

from natural sources and is obtained by molecular distillation of edible

vegetable oil products. Major anti-oxidant nutrient; retards cellular

aging due to oxidation; supplies oxygen to the blood which is then

carried to the heart and other organs; thus alleviating fatigue; aids in

bringing nourishment to cells; strengthens the capillary walls &

prevents the red blood cells from destructive poisons; prevents &

dissolves blood clots; has also been used by doctors in helping prevent

sterility, muscular dystrophy, calcium deposits in blood walls and heart

conditions.

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Vitamin H

(Biotin) Brewer's yeast, brown rice, bulgur wheat, butter, calves'

liver, cashews, cereals, cheese, chicken, egg yolk, eggs, green peas,

kidney, lentils, liver, mackerel, meats, milk, nuts, oats, peanuts,

soybeans, split peas, sunflower seeds, tuna, walnuts. Synthesized

industrially from fumaric acid. Synthesized in the body by intestinal

bacteria. Promotes healthy nerves, skin and muscles; coenzyme in glucose

metabolism and fat synthesis. Aids in the utilization of protein, folic

acid, Pantothenic acid, and Vitamin B-12, promotes healthy hair.

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Vitamin K

(Phytomenadione) Vitamin K1 is found naturally in plants. Vitamin K2 is

synthesized by bacteria in the intestinal tract of humans. Vitamin K3 is

synthesized for industrial applications which can be converted into

vitamin K2 in the intestinal tract of the body. Natural sources of

vitamin K1 consists of broccoli, cabbage, spinach, lettuce, turnip

greens, green tea, beef liver, egg yolks, whole wheat, oats, soybeans,

potatoes, butter, cheese, asparagus, tomatoes. Vitamin K2 sources are

the bacterial flora in the ileum and jejunum. Vitamin K is essential

for the blood clotting mechanism that protects the body from bleeding to

death from cuts, wounds, and internal bleeding. It is needed for the

synthesis of prothrombin, a protein which converts soluble fibrinogen

circulating in the blood into very insoluble protein called fibrin, the

major component of a blood clot. Vitamin K plays an essential role in

the production of carboxyglutamyl residues from the amino acid, glutamic

acid.

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Vitamin P

(Bioflavonoids) Apricots, bark, black currants, blue and red berries,

buckwheat, cherries, elderberry, fruits, grapes, grapefruit, garlic,

green tea, green vegetables, hawthorne berry, horsetail, lemons, nuts,

oil, oranges, onions, peppers, prunes, rose hips, soy beans, the peels

of citrus fruits, and shepherd's purse. Maintains the resistance of

cell and capillary walls to permeation, prevents bruising, and intensify

the effect of vitamin C in the body, helps hemorrhages and ruptures in

the capillaries and connective tissues and builds a protective barrier

against infections. Provides natural antiviral, anti-inflammatory and

anti-allergy properties.

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Choline

(Vitamin B Group) Brewer's yeast, cabbage, calves' liver, cauliflower,

caviar, egg yolk, garbanzo beans, green beans, lecithin, lentils, liver,

rice, soybeans, split peas, wheat germ. Very important in controlling

fat & cholesterol buildup in the body; prevents fat from accumulating in

the liver; facilitates the movement of fats in the cells; helps regulate

the kidneys, liver & gallbladder; important for nerve transmission;

helps improve memory.

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Inositol Beans, brain, brewer's yeast, calves' liver, cantaloupe,

citrus fruits (except lemons), garbanzo beans, heart, kidney, lecithin,

legumes, lentils, liver, molasses, nuts, oats, pork, rice, veal, wheat

germ, whole grains. Necessary for the formation of lecithin; aids in

the breakdown of fats; helps reduce blood cholesterol; helps prevent

thinning hair.

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Beta-Carotene Apricots, Broccoli, Carrots, Melon, Palm Oil, Papaya,

Pumpkin, Spinach, Tomatoes. Necessary for growth & repair of body

tissues; helps maintain smooth, soft disease-free skin; helps protect

the mucous membranes of the mouth, nose, throat & lungs, thereby

reducing susceptibility to infections; protects against air pollutants;

counteracts night-blindness & weak eyesight; aids in bone and teeth

formation. Current medical research shows that foods rich in Beta

Carotene will help reduce the risk of lung cancer & certain oral

cancers. Unlike Vitamin A from fish liver oil, Beta Carotene is

non-toxic.

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PABA

Para-aminobenzoic acid Bran, brewer's yeast, brown rice, eggs, fish,

kidney, lecithin, liver, molasses, peanuts, soybeans, sunflower seeds,

wheat germ, whole grain, yogurt. Aids healthy bacteria in producing

folic acid; aids in the formation of red blood cells; contains sun

screening properties; aids in the assimilation of Pantothenic acid;

returns hair to its natural color.

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