vitamins

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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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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.


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Vitamin D – what it does, why we need it and how we get it?

Sunshine - a great source of Vitamin D

Sunshine – a great source of Vitamin D

After a couple of days of London sun it is no surprise that a healthcare blogger’s thoughts turn to Vitamin D.

One of the first things to note about Vitamin D is that it is not strictly speaking actually a dietary vitamin.  This is because in theory humans can absorb Vitamin D from sunlight rather than diet.

So what does Vitamin D actually do?

Discovered by Edward Mellanby, a British physician, in 1922 who was looking for a cure for rickets or as it is formally known – Osteomalacia.  Because of this discovery rickets has been almost wiped out in the developing world.

One of its most important functions is to help the body absorb calcium.  It can also affect bone density causing osteoporosis or bone fractures.

P. Tuohimaaa, T. Keisalaa, A. Minasyana, J. Cachatc, A. Kalueffc  in their article ”Vitamin D, nervous system and aging”  published  in the  December 2009 edition of Psychoneuroendocrinology suggest

“Clinical data suggest that vitamin D3 insufficiency is associated with an increased risk of several CNS diseases, including multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, seasonal affective disorder and schizophrenia.”

As well as concluding that a lack of vitamin D could cause premature ageing.

So all in all it seems pretty important to keep up our levels of Vitamin D.  But how is it best to do so?

Obviously most people can get Vitamin D from sunlight.  But with over exposure to the sun comes risks of developing medical conditions such as skin cancer.   Indeed in Australia, with no shortage of sunlight, it has been suggested that nearly a third of the population are Vitamin D deficient.

Oily fish such as mackerel, sardines and salmon are a great dietary source of vitamin D.  Eggs are another good way of racking up Vitamin D.

Finally of course you can take supplements.  These are available from most supermarkets and pharmacies.

But it is recommend by the UK’s NHS  website that “If you take vitamin D supplements, do not take more than 25 micrograms (0.025mg) a day, as it could be harmful. However, taking less than this is unlikely to cause any harm.”  It is suggested that excess vitamin D increases absorption of calcium which in turn can cause kidney damage.

With that short Vitamin D round up it is now over to you.  We would love it if you could share you experiences with Vitamin D deficiency to help other readers.

Any part of your story is of interest but you may wish to consider the following questions:-

  1. Have you ever suffered from Vitamin D deficiency?
  2. What medical problems did this Vitamin D deficiency cause?
  3. How did you treat the Vitamin D deficiency?
  4. How do you ensure that you get enough Vitamin D?

Please feel free to tell your story using the comments box below.  Feel free to share any links which you think might be of interest to other readers.

Thanks very much in advance for you contributions.