The Contribution Of B Vitamins To Cardiovascular And Neural Health
Healthy vitamin and mineral status is paramount for healthy neurocognitive function and well-being . During pregnancy it is an accepted practice for women to supplement their diet with folate. Early studies established that dietary supplementation of folic acid reduced the risk of babies being born with neural tube defects such as spina bifida and anencephaly . Folic acid intake is therefore paramount during pregnancy to assist the proper closure of the foetal neural plate which under rapid development forms the spinal cord and skull.
A wide variety of neurological symptoms manifest in humans as a result of vitamin B12 deficiency. Numbness of the skin, hands or feet, muscle weakness and disjointed motor coordination are some of the symptoms indicative of sensory and motor disorders as a result of the degeneration of the spinal cord due to inadequate myelin . Whereas confusion, apathy, depression and dementia like symptoms are indicative of cerebral disorders that can vary in severity and can include memory and judgement impairments . When folate or vitamin B12 is insufficient, an accumulation of HCy occurs which is understood to be highly toxic to neurons and believed to be the cause of these neurological, sensory and motor symptoms described . Therefore, it is suggested that consumption of vitamin B12 will address the accumulation of HCy, and in turn, alleviate the associated neurological, sensory and motor system symptoms.
Ok So It Looks Like Vitamin B Does Work With Anxiety But Will It Work For Me
No one can say for sure. It depends on many factors. For example people who are deficient in vitamin B and who starts supplementing will probably be the ones who notices strongest effects. This is of course natural and to be expected but even people who eat a healthy diet and do not have a B12 deficiency, for example, have also reported reduced anxiety levels. In addition to this we are all different and respond differently to everything so the only way to know for sure is to try it.
Personally I feel the effects but its by no means a miracle cure . It is, however, another tool for anxiety and my philosophy is to collect and try out as many tool and tricks I can
as long as they are risk free, that is.
May Help Stomach Ulcers Heal
When vitamin U was initially researched in the 1950s, some studies suggested that drinking 1 quart of cabbage juice daily helped gut ulcers heal 45 times faster than the standard anti-ulcer therapy available at the time .
Yet, researchers couldnt confirm whether these effects were due to vitamin U or multiple nutrients.
Since then, few studies have examined the topic. To determine whether vitamin U is truly effective against ulcers, more research is needed.
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What Is Occupational Stress
The US National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety has argued that Occupational stress occurs when there is a discrepancy between the demands of the environment/workplace and an individuals ability to carry out and complete these demands. Increased workplace demands diminish the ability of our body to deal with stress . Additionally, poorer diets because of longer hours spent at work also result in a diminished capacity for our body to deal with stress.
Vitamin B5 Pantothenic Acid
Pantothenic Acid is one of the lesser known B-Vitamins to the average individual, as it is not commonly used as a natural health supplement. But it’s still an important one. It plays a role in the creation of the acetylcholine neurotransmitters, oxidizes fatty acids, and more. It also produces CoEnzyme-A.
It’s rare to be deficient in B5. The name itself translates almost literally to “from everywhere” because it’s found in nearly every type of food.
While Pantothenic Acid may help with a variety of unfortunate and painful conditions, it does not appear to play any role in anxiety or stress whatsoever.
Verdict: No known benefit
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Reducing Stress On Your Body And Mind
> STUDY REVEALS 24% STRONGER STRESS REDUCTION AMONGST SEVERELY STRESSED PARTICIPANTS WHO TOOK MAGNESIUM IN CONJUNCTION WITH VITAMIN B6 AFTER EIGHT WEEKS THAN THOSE WHO TOOK JUST MAGNESIUM. THIS TREND WAS ALSO OBSERVED AT FOUR WEEKS.
Stress is a fact of modern life in much of the industrialized world and can be a trigger for many diseases and pathological conditions1. About 40% of adults find themselves feeling stressed on a regular basis, and in a recent survey on self-care2, one in four people reported suffering from stress at least once a week.
Whether its a result of juggling a busy schedule, long hours on the job, or a congested commute, stress affects everything from our moods to our performance at work. In fact, one in five people in self-care survey said they had gone to work while stressed 10 times or more in the past year.
We often think of stress as a fact of life with no resolution. As a result, we often just wait for things to change and the stress to pass. But chronical stress can have serious effects on health including a reduced ability of short term memory recall3, cause cardiovascular system disorder4, sleep disruption and insomnia5, and stress mediators exerting effects on the immune system6. Because of this impact, people should look at ways to mitigate the amount of harm all that stress does on their body.
Whats The Difference Between Stress And Anxiety
Because the symptoms of stress and anxiety are so similar, many people use the terms interchangeably. It is useful to understand the difference as many vitamins help both but the definition is different. Shared symptoms between the two conditions include:
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Difficulty sleeping
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A hard time concentrating on tasks, conversations, etc.
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Mood swings or mood changes, such as irritability
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Chronic fatigue and loss of motivation
However, while stress is a response to a short-term trigger , anxiety is a persistent feeling that never goes away.
Whether youre experiencing long-term anxiety or short-term stress, psychologists point out that both are emotional responses within your brain and nervous system. And an ever-expanding body of research is investigating how the foods you eat affect how you feel, and whether specific vitamins and minerals can help your brain to better moderate your emotional responses to lifes difficulties.
Get the nutrients you need to help feel less anxious with the Heights Smart Supplement.
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Vitamin B6 May Help Reduce Heart Disease Risk
The recommended daily amount of vitamin B6, also called pyridoxine, is 1.3 mg for adults up to the age of 50, according to the National Institutes of Health. Pregnant or breast-feeding teens and women need even more vitamin B6 daily about 2 mg. You can find vitamin B6 in the following foods:
- Bananas
- Wheat germ
- Whole-grain flour
Vitamin B6 is important because it’s involved in more than 100 enzyme reactions in the body’s cells, helping us metabolize amino acids from our food and build new red blood cells. There is intriguing research that B6 may help reduce the risk of heart disease, but this benefit has not yet been definitely established. The health benefits of vitamin B6 uncovered by clinical research include reduction in heart disease risk. Although deficiency in this vitamin is rare in the United States, it can lead to muscle weakness, depression, irritability, short term memory loss, nervousness, and difficulty concentrating.
How Does Vitamin B Complex Impact Stress Levels
When the body experiences stress, it manufactures cortisol, often called the fight or flight hormone. Cortisol provides the energy that will be needed to respond to a situation that the mind perceives as dangerous, whether the response is to run or to stand and face the situation.
If neither fight nor flight is necessary, the energy created is then stored in the body and converted to fat, which can cause weight gain. A chronic excess of cortisol levels can damage the body but when B5, or pantothenic acid, is present in sufficient quantity, it can regulate the production of cortisol and thereby protect the body against the deleterious side effects of this hormone.
Although cortisol is castigated due to its possible negative impact on the body, some cortisol is necessary for the body to function properly, and maintaining adequate amounts of B5 in the body can help regulate the amount of cortisol made.
Since B5 regulates the level of cortisol in the bloodstream, excessive stress can cause the body to use more B5 than it would normally. This depletes the level of B5 in the body, which allows excess cortisol to accumulate and the result is an insufficient level of B5 in the bloodstream, which can then precipitate high blood pressure, weight gain, and many other undesirable side effects.
- Beef, chicken, duck, pork, turkey
- Organ meats
- Cereal and other whole grains
- Egg yolks
- Split peas and lentils
- Soybeans
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What Is The Complex
Vitamin B-complex is a combination of all eight B-group vitamins. Individually, each vitamin contributes to the overall function of the body. Together, the effects of a vitamin B-complex are much stronger. Each vitamin has multiple functions and many cross over. B-group vitamins are synergistic. The parts function much better as a whole.
How Thiamine Helps You Produce Energy
Your body needs energy.
The foods you eat gets converted by your mitochondria into a form of energy that the cells can use = this high-energy molecule is called adenosine triphosphate .
You can think of energy production in your mitochondria as a complex machine with lots of different cogs that depend upon vitaminsand minerals.
Vitamin B1 is such a vitamin!
Vitamin B1 is a very important cog in the ATP production factory and acts as a sort of gatekeeper of oxidative metabolism.
Essentially, thiamine turns energy production either ON or OFF.
You can think of thiamine as being the spark needed to ignite the fuel you eat.
When there is no spark to ignite the fuel = no flame/combustion in your engines = no energy.
Hence why a thiamine deficiency can really mess with energy production.
Doesnt matter how much fuel you put into the car so to speak, if theres no thiamine nothings gonna happen.
Which in turn means that all of the processes downstream of these thiamine-dependent enzymes wont work either, and the conversion of food energy into usable energy is reduced.
What you end up with is mitochondrial dysfunction, .
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Best Vitamin B Supplement For Stress Of 202: Review With Comparisons
- Pin
Getting enough B vitamins in your daily diet can be a challenge, and this is why pharmaceutical companies make supplements.
Finding good vitamin supplements is easier said than done, so we will get you started with reviews of the best vitamin B supplement for stress, cardiovascular health, energy metabolism, and more.
And I Think That Is Enough For Today
I really think vitamin B1 can be a game changer for some individuals struggling with anxiety.
Again its not a magic pill
But if you havent tried thiamine yet I would definitely recommend giving it a go. I think the combo of thiamine with carbohydrate and salt can be very effective for lowering stress hormones and reducing anxiety!
Let me know what your experience has been with using thiamine below in the comments
And definitely share this article with people who might need it!
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Targeted Prevention Of Vitamin B12 Deficiency In Stressful Situations
If due to a special living situation there is a higher need and an insufficient supply is already becoming apparent, you can consider possible supplementation. However, if the first deficiency symptoms are becoming noticeable, you should take a suitable medication to supplement vitamin B12 after consulting with your family physician. He can diagnose the presence of the deficiency and recommend possible vitamin supplementation. In this case, very high oral doses of vitamin B12 can be given at first. The vitamin diffuses through the intestinal wall thanks to the concentration gradient and the vitamin B12 level is carefully balanced once again and the body’s own reservoirs are filled up. The vitamin B12 that is not absorbed is naturally excreted without complications, making an oversupply impossible. The only known side effect is a rare form of acne, when the vitamin is directly injected in the muscle.
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Bring Balance Through Vitamins For Stress
There is a lot of stress in our society. We are living in a way that is just naturally stressful compared to the environments where our bodies evolved. This may lead to a lot of stress and anxiety in the average person. However, you can attempt to regain balance in your life by taking the right vitamins to reduce that stress. So, what vitamins are good for stress relief? Keep reading to find out.
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Eat Your Way To Better Skin
Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best ones. Following a diet rich in leafy green vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains a strategy long-touted as the best way to achieve good health is also an effective way to look as healthy as you feel and glow from the inside out. Evaluate your diet to see where you might need improvement, and speak with a nutritionist if you want help creating a personalized plan.
Want help improving your nutrition or evaluating your diet? Contact one of Tri-City Medical Centers registered dietitians today!
Stressed You May Need More B Vitamins
The research into the importance of B Vitamins for dealing with stress is well documented. One study coming out of Swinburne University in Melbourne found that participants taking a Vitamin B-Complex supplement reported a 20% reduction in work related stress. This is in contrast to the control group in the study, who were given a placebo and reported no significant change in stress levels.
Vitamin B is not one vitamin, rather it is a group of vitamins that can help support our bodies during stressful times. Lets look at each of the B Vitamins that can help support your body during stressful times, and why each is important.
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Vitamin A And Vitamin E
Vitamin A and Vitamin E play an important role in stress reduction by both fighting the bodys harmful hormonal and biochemical reactions to stress and by inhibiting toxins that make our body feel fatigued. Vitamin A is naturally found in milk, eggs, spinach, carrots, and apricots and vitamin E is naturally found in almonds, mangoes, broccoli, and corn oil. Vitamin A and E when combined with Selenium exhibit greater effectiveness.
Do Vitamins For Stress Really Work
Various vitamins have been shown to help with stress and anxiety because they have the ability to influence neurotransmitters in the brain. If you are looking for a way to reduce your stress, consider adding more vitamins into your daily diet.
For those who want to get their nutrients from food sources, try adding broccoli and Brazil nuts to your diet. Both of these are packed with vitamin B12, among other nutrients and vitamins.
Vitamins for stress is a very popular topic as many people want to find out if b12 vitamins really work. When we get stressed, we can experience b12 deficiencies due to the b12 being excreted in our urine. If b12 is low, it can lead to anemia and other vitamin b deficiencies.
B vitamins play a key role in promoting relaxation and b6 helps with focus. B6 also has anti-stress properties that help alleviate anxiety and depression. B complex vitamins are best because they contain b1 which can help with energy production so youre less tired and b5 which helps with skin by preventing dryness.
B12 is good for reducing the impact of stress. Vitamin b complex and b12 help to reduce levels of homocysteine, which can increase your risk of heart disease. Stress can also cause b vitamins such as b6, b9 and b12 to be used up at a higher rate. Vitamins C, A and E work together to protect b vitamins and b complex vitamins from oxidative damage.
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B Vitamins That Actually Work For Anxiety
- B-Vitamins are often marketed as a natural treatment for anxiety.
- These vitamins should not be confused for medicine. Anxiety medications are more effective.
- Only some B-vitamins may have an anxiolytic effect.
- Be careful about taking any supplements that have not been substantially researched.
- Other methods of reducing anxiety are likely far more effective.
Do Older Adults Need More Vitamin B
Older adults are in the age group thats most likely to be deficient in vitamin B-12. As you age, your digestive system doesnt produce as much acid. This reduces your bodys ability to absorb vitamin B-12.
The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found that more than 3 percent of adults over age 50 have seriously low levels of vitamin B-12. The survey also says that up to 20 percent of older adults may have borderline levels of vitamin B-12.
Evidence indicates that vitamin B-12 has many benefits for people as they age. It can:
- reduce your risk of a heart attack and stroke
- benefit your memory
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