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Vitamin Guide

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Part 2: Let’s hear it for those workhorse Bs!

By Jonathan Evans
Herbal Information Specialist for the Herbarium

This month we will start our vitamin tour by looking at the B complex. Many people will come to the shop and want just vitamin B-1 or B-6, or B-12. The problem is that when you take just a single B-vitamin, you are depleting your body of the others. In essence you are trying to run a six-cylinder car on one cylinder. Instead of the single vitamin approach, it’s a good suggestion to take a base complex, and then add a particular B, if needed.

The B family

B vitamins are water soluble, and very important to counteract the effects of stress on the nervous system The government’s recommended intake levels for B vitamins are very low. That’s because these Daily Recommendations are based on the absolute minimum of a nutrient to maintain cell function. Take a look at the standard vitamin at the store and note how much the listed “100 percent of the value” for a given vitamin or mineral actually measures. I realize 100 percent sounds like it should be enough, and people worry about a toxic dose of any given vitamin, but hear me out. (As an example of getting a toxic dose of B-1, you would have to take 125 mg per kilogram of weight. For a 165 lb person that equals 9,375 mgs. We are only taking 50-100 mg for the whole person. I would not worry about getting a toxic dose  using a supplement delivering 50-100 mgs.)

As my wife Kathy Duffy, LPN, CCAP/I, MH, and I have said for decades on radio, at public talks and here in this column, I do not live in a minimum world.

For stress, and more

Stress is everywhere, and how we react to it plays a large role in how we exist in the world. Anxiety and depression are conditions that seem to be overwhelming in numbers and nature. Prescription drugs and our supplement sales for these conditions are alarmingly high. We regularly see people who should be taking 50-100 mgs of a B-Complex, or more to cope with the stresses of everyday life. (Read the back label - Each of the Bs should be at LEAST 50 mgs).

Many individuals have been able to reduce or get off their medications by increasing their B complex vitamins.  That all being said, the B complex is also very useful for other conditions.

So keeping in mind that all the Bs are for nerve function and stress reduction, the following is a summary of some other uses for the various members of the B family.

All B vitamins are water soluble.

  • B-1 (Thiamine). FDA Daily value: 1.5 mg. Therapeutic uses: Alcoholism, arthritis, high cholesterol, cystitis, glaucoma, heart disease, hypo-thyroidism, anxiety, depression.
  • B-2(Riboflavin). FDA Daily value: 1.7 mg. Therapeutic uses: Alcoholism, arthritis, cataracts, acne, baldness, leg cramps, meniere’s syndrome, vertigo, hyperthyroidism, carpal tunnel syndrome (used with B-6).
  • B-3 (Niacin). FDA Daily value: 20 mg. Therapeutic uses: All of the above, plus migraines, poor circulation, high blood pressure, cholesterol, effective against several carcinogens.
  • B-5 (Pantothenic acid). FDA Daily value: 10 mg. Therapeutic uses: Stress, arthritis, fatigue, hypoglycemia, liver cirrhosis, diabetes, speeds up wound healing, helps produce natural cortisone, hormone production,red blood cell formation, adrenal exhaustion.
  • B-6 (Pyridoxine) FDA Daily value: 2 mg.Therapeutic uses: athero-sclerosis, asthma, eczema, muscular disorders, nausea in pregnancy, carpal tunnel (along with B-2), dream recall, irradiation, post-operative pain and swelling, lactation.
  • B-12 (Cobalamin) FDA Daily value: 6 mcg (micrograms. 1,000 mcg= 1mg). Therapeutic uses: formation and regulation of red blood cells, bone marrow, nerve cell membrane, growth hormones, allergies, anemia, bursitis, insomnia depression, menstrual disturbances, energy, mental clarity.

*Note: B-12 is usually admin-istered in an injection at your doctor’s office. The only other best way to get your B-12 is in a sublingual or lozenge form. B-12 does very poorly through the digestive system, so if you have been taking capsules, you probably are getting only a fraction of the vitamin.

  • Biotin. (also called Vitamin H, though I do not know why) FDA Daily value: 300 mcg. Therapeutic uses: maintenance of skin, hair, sebaceous glands, nerve, bone marrow and sex glands, eczema, dermatitis, baldness, strengthening nails and hair.
  • Folate/folic acid. FDA Daily value: 400 mcg. Therapeutic uses: improves lactation, healthier-looking skin, capable of increasing pain threshold, prevention of birth defects, pernicious anemia (with B-12) important for mental and emotional health.
  • Choline. FDA Daily value: None. Therapeutic uses: Most of the previously stated uses plus ear noises, headache, constipation, cholesterol.
  • Inositol. FDA Daily value: None. Therapeutic uses: Cholesterol, const-ipation, reduces liver fats, insomnia, atherosclerosis.
  • PABA (Para Aminobenzoic Acid). FDA Daily value: None. Therapeutic uses: Graying hair, vitiligo, parasitic diseases, sunburn/ultraviolet radiation protection, stimulates intestinal bacteria to produce folic acid.
  • As you can see, the FDA daily value levels are very low for this grouping of important vitamins. Toxic levels would be nearly impossible given how much you would have to take to reach toxicity.

Still to come: our vitamin tour discussion of vitamins D,E,F & K.

— Jonathan

Send questions on botanical remedies to: Natures Rx: Jonathan Evans at herbarium258@gmail.com, or by regular mail to: The Herbarium, 264 Exchange St., Chicopee, MA  01013. If requesting additional info, include a self-addressed stamped envelope.

*Article Sources: FDA Vitamin/Mineral chart, VitaChart, Carolyn H. West, Simplified Guide to Nutritional Supplements, Ziff & Ziff.