Do you wake up and feel alert in the morning?
Or do you hit the snooze alarm 8 times?
Is your ability to focus on one thing limited?
Do your friends think you have ADD?
Is your energy level approaching zero?
Are you envious of a tree sloth’s pace?
Do little noises bother you?
Are you waking up to tingling hands?
Are chapped lips a continual problem?
Addicted to Carmex?
Are you trying to cut back on sugar? ……………………………………..
Most of Americans are short on B vitamins.
Think of the B vitamins as “worker B’s”.
The B’s get things done!
B vitamins are crucial to energy metabolism.
Sugar, both natural and processed, depletes or simply uses up our B vitamin supply.
Most doctors and dieticians point to foods and say “get your B vitamins HERE”.
The problem is that foods cannot supply the amounts of B vitamins that we need for Optimal health.
B1 or Thiamin
Studies show that 50-100 mg of Thiamin [B1] per day is a good idea but the best food sources supply only a fraction of that amount.
B1 will improve mental function, it reduces noise hyper-sensitivity and alleviates pain syndromes in many cases.
In order to get 100mg of B1 using one of the richest sources of Thiamin – Wheat Germ – you’ll need to eat 10 pounds of it! [2.01 mg of B1 per 100grams of wheat germ]. WOW !!!
Many progressive doctors recommend 3,000 to 8,000mg of B1 in Alzheimer’s patients.
B12 or Cyanocobalamin
The RDA of B12 is 2 mcg per day – miserably low!!
B12 improves memory, energy levels and mood.
B12 helps us maintain blood pressure – low blood pressure will rise to normal in a few weeks with supplementation.
When patients are diagnosed with a B12 deficiency it is generally recommended that they should supplement with 2,000mcg per day for one month – then 1,000mcg per day as a maintenance dose.
Activated versions of B12 are available that are easier to absorb and utilize. Methylcobalamin is my favorite activated version – it is not usually necessary and is more expensive.
I have found taking higher doses of Cyanocobalamin – 5,000 to 10,000 mcg [once or twice a day for 30 days] will boost even the most resistant sufferer.
In order to get 1,000 mcg of B12 from one of the best sources of B12 – Lamb Liver – you’ll need about 2 pounds of liver. Again, WOW!!
Other B Vitamins
B2 or Riboflavin, B3 or Niacin, Pantothenic acid, B6 or Pyridoxine, Biotin, B9 or Folate, Choline, PABA and Inositol all have similar stories.
We cannot get enough B vitamins from foods alone.
The “RDA”
My observation – It seems that the RDA was “reverse engineered” from the average diet.
The thinking is “well, the average person does ok with these amounts”.
The problem is that the average person also has a lot of health issues, some mild while others are more severe.
Don’t shoot for Average – Aim Higher.
Finally –
I recommend taking a B complex supplement aka B100 or B150 [1 or 2 twice daily]
Taking additional B1 is advisable – 100mg of Thiamin [1 or 2 twice daily]
Extra B12 is helpful – 1,000mcg [1 or 2 twice daily is good – I take 3 twice daily]
Some need other individual B vitamins – most will do well with B complex, B1 and B12.
The B vitamins are Non-Toxic – Just don’t take B6 by itself to avoid a reversible numbness. Always take the B vitamins as a group for proper balance.
We must supplement our diets to get optimal nutrition.
Remember….
To achieve full spectrum nutrition we all need to supplement our diets.
Supplements to consider:
1) Get a good multiple vitamin/mineral product. Versions with “Chelated” minerals are best. I also like those with some plant based vitamins.
2) Take a quality Calcium product. Look for MCHA as the calcium source and one that includes Magnesium, vitamin D and some assorted trace minerals.
3) Take Omega 3 oils. Flax oil is the best to start. Adding Krill or fish oil later [BTW – Krill oil in the container has a distinctive odor – if you place 3-4 desiccant packs in the bottle and refrigerate it, the odor is gone in 12 hours]
4) Find a good Colloidal mineral product for trace minerals. Make sure it’s from Humic shale and NOT ionic minerals. Humic shale is the “fossilized” remains of the dinosaur days. Plant based colloidal minerals are 98% absorbed.
5) Vitamin E is difficult to get in sufficient amounts from foods. I advise people to supplement with at least 400 IU per day. Natural versions are best, look for “d-tocopherol” but avoid “d-l-tocopherol”- it’s the man-made version and is only 25% usable. Look for a vitamin E with mixed tocopherols that also contains selenium.
As always, feel free to comment or message questions or concerns.