vitamin

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Vitamin C – health benefits and a great way to save money.


Vitamin C

Vitamin C

We have been running a set of blogs looking at Vitamins and their importance for our health.  To have a look at the previous blogs in the series please see the link below; https://patienttalk.org/?tag=vitamin

Today we wanted to have a closer look at Vitamin C.

The main purpose of Vitamin C is to protect the cells in our body.  It also helps to keep our connective tissues in good order.  This in turn helps our organs to function properly.

Another vital role of Vitamin C is to help wounds to heal.

It is well known that a lack of Vitamin C can cause scurvy.   The story of Royal Navy sailors being given limes, on board ship,  is well known as a preventive measure to fight scurvy.  What is, sadly less well known is the story of James Lind, a Scottish ships surgeon, who conducted the first ever scientific clinical trial.  This trail showed that citrus fruits were effective against scurvy.  It is a great story and you can read more about that clinical trial and James Lind here http://www.lindalliance.org/James_Lind_Alliance.asp.

Because the body is unable to manufacture (or indeed store) Vitamin C it is vital that we consume it in our diet on a daily basis.  The best sources are citrus fruits such as lemons and lines as well as potato skins, broccoli, strawberries and blackcurrants.

Adults need around 40mg of Vitamin C.  This is best gained by a varied diet.

So what about the money saving idea?  Well simple.  Many years ago my mother lived for a winter or two in a country very close to the Arctic Circle.  In those days Vitamin C rich foods were expensive and rare in that country.  But it was explained to her that buying a Vitamin C supplement was not the most cost effective way of obtaining the required dose.  Instead she was told to  look out for ascorbic acid.  This was because another name for Vitamin C is, in fact, ascorbic acid.  If you buy ascorbic acid power you will, I’m told even today, find it significantly cheaper than buying Vitamin C branded products.

PS.  As a word of caution it is recommended that you do not take more than 1000mg in a day.  Too much Vitamin C can result in Diarrhea as well as stomach pain and flatulence.


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Smoothies and Health Shakes – a great way to wellness!


VegtablesYes I know smoothies are all the rage and can be found in every café and supermarket in town.

But what actually are they and how can they help us with a healthy lifestyle?

Both smoothies and health shakes are based on the sample principle that whole fruits and vegetables are one of the best ways our bodies get nourishment.  One of the most effective ways to take these fruits and vegetables is to puree then consume in drinks.

As a point of interest the difference between health shakes and smoothies is pretty straight forward.  Smoothies tend to be more fruit based while health shakes major in vegetables.

Off the record they are a great way to consume a fruit or vegetable you might otherwise avoid because of the taste.  Oh yes and you can add vitamin supplements as well.

Nutritionists often tell us eating five or more portions of fruit and vegetable each day is a vital partof any health diet.  Smoothies are a great way achieving this wellness goal.

It is recommended that you make your own smoothies or health shakes.  The reason for this is simple – the fruit and veggies you use at home are most likely to be fresher and therefore more vitamin-packed than the smoothies you might get off the shelf.  Also there would be less change of preservatives and additives.  So maybe a more natural product altogether.

So where to get recipes for great smoothies and health shakes?  I’ve used this site over the last few weeks to great effect.  In fact they are not just smoothies and health shakes but a wide range of different dinks which may be of interest to you from Henry Dimbleby of Leon Restaurant and the UK’s Guardian newspaper http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/henry-dimbleby.

But what would be great if you could share your recipes for smoothies and health shakes.  If you have a favourite recipe please use the comments boxes below to let our readers know more.  If you have a link to a site of recipes please fell to add it.

Thanks very much in advance


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Pomegranates! What are the health benefits of pomegranates?


A few years ago Pomegranates and Pomegranate seeds were heralded as being the world’s greatest superfood.  So how can they actually be of benefit?

Please share this great picture which gives full information

pomegranetes

Including:-

We are trying to find the source of the above picture.  If you know who did it could you put a link to then in the comments box please?  We can link to their site.

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Vitamin B12 – uses, sources and the effect of deficiency


Vitamin b12Thanks for dropping round to the latest in our series on vitamins and their impact upon our health.  Currently we plan on adding a series on minerals which are vital to our health.  Some of these future articles may surprise you.  So please visit PatientTalk on a regular basis!

In this blog we will be looking in a bit more detail at Vitamin B12.   In particular problems associated with a deficiency.

What does Vitamin B12 do?  Well its primary purpose is to promote normal functioning in the brain and nervous system. It also helps with the formation of blood.  So pretty important!

It is normally found in animal products such as meat or cheese.  Especially liver (good news for pate lovers like me).  But this does mean that people on a vegan diet will need to use supplements.

But what happens when we do not get enough Vitamin B12?

If untreated Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause permanent damage to the nervous system.

Pernicious anemia (also known as Biermer’s anemia, Addison’s anaemia, or Addison–Biermer anemia) occurs when the body has difficulty absorbing vitamin B12.  Typical symptoms include:-

  • Fatigue.
  • Fevers.
  • Depression.
  • Neuropathic pain (for more information please see our recent blog https://patienttalk.org/?p=281).
  • Problems with the intestines which may present as diarrhoea and indigestion.
  • Brain fog may occur if the nervous system gets damaged.  ( Again we have a recent blog on brain fog which you might find useful https://patienttalk.org/?p=563).

As with any anemia there is a decrease in red blood cells.

If you are in anyway concerned about Vitamin B12 deficiency please visit a healthcare professional as soon as possible.

PS  Many yeast extracts such as Marmite contain Vitamin B12.  So you might want to consider spreading some on your breakfast toast!


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Vitamin A- what it is what it does and why we need it for health?


RAF Lady Poster WW2When I was at school we were told that during the Second World War British military intelligence put about the rumour that RAF pilots ate carrots to improve their eyesight.  This was the reason that the RAF was so successful during the Battle of Britain.  Whereas, of course, the real reason was the British had developed radar and did not want the Germans to find out.    But in fact carrots, it now seems, are good for the eyes (especially for night vision).  And this is because of because of vitamin A. In fact this is the second in our series of blogs about vitamins and their role in a healthy lifestyle.

Our first blog looked at vitamin D – you can read it at https://patienttalk.org/?p=300. Before we go into more detail it is worth saying that while Vitamin A has a wide variety of functions in our bodies that main danger of Vitamin A deficiency is to our vision.  It has been estimated that between 250,000-500,000 children may go blind because of a lack of Vitamin A.  A related feature of  Vitamin A deficiency is night blindness or Nyctalopia.  This means that the patient has difficulty adjusting their sight when darkness falls.

But there are many other things that Vitamin A brings to the health party than just improved vision.  Among many things it is used by our bodies to:-

a)      Form blood cells

b)      Treat acne and is generally good for the skin.

c)       Help foetal development during pregnancy and is good for breast milk production.

d)      Boost the immune system

e)      Has an antioxidant function.  For more information on antioxidants please have a look at our previous blog on the subject – https://patienttalk.org/?p=252

To make sure you get adequate Vitamin A there are a number of different foods to look out for:- a)      Carrots

b)      Green leafy vegetables such as kale and spinach.

c)       Milk and Eggs

d)      Liver but especially cod liver oil.

e)      Tomatoes

And good news for me is that Sweet potatoes come highly recommended. It is worth bearing in mind that carrots, if taken to excess, have an interesting side effect.  They can turn you orange.  Or so the old wives tale goes.