Vitamins

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• Vitamin A
• Vitamin B
• Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)
• Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
• Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
• Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)
• Vitamin B9 (Folic Acid)
• Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)
• Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)
• Vitamins C and E
• Vitamin D
• Vitamin E
• Vitamin K

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Vitamins

NIH - Vitamins (Medical Encyclopedia) “Vitamins are grouped into two categories: • Fat-soluble vitamins are stored in the body's fatty tissue. • Water-soluble vitamins must be used by the body right away. Any left over water-soluble vitamins leave the body through the urine. Vitamin B12 is the only water-soluble vitamin that can be stored in the liver for many years. Function Return to top Each vitamin has specific functions. You can develop health problems (deficiency disease) if you do not get enough of a particular vitamin. Vitamin A helps in the formation and maintenance of healthy teeth, bones, soft tissue, mucous membranes, and skin. Vitamin B6 is also known as pyridoxine. The more protein a person eats, the more vitamin B6 is needed to help the body use the protein. Vitamin B6 helps form red blood cells and maintain brain function, among other things. Vitamin B12, like the other B vitamins, is important for metabolism. It also helps form red blood cells and maintain the central nervous system. Vitamin C, also called ascorbic acid, is an antioxidant that promotes healthy teeth and gums. It helps the body absorb iron and maintain healthy tissue. It also promotes wound healing. Vitamin D is also known as the "sunshine vitamin," since it is made by the body after being in the sun. Ten to 15 minutes of sunshine three times per week is enough to produce the body's requirement of vitamin D. This vitamin promotes the body's absorption of calcium, which is essential for the normal development and maintenance of healthy teeth and bones. It also helps maintain proper blood levels of calcium and phosphorus. Vitamin E is an antioxidant also known as tocopherol. It plays a role in the formation of red blood cells and helps the body use vitamin K. Vitamin K is not listed among the essential vitamins, but without it blood would not stick together (coagulate). Some studies suggest that it helps promote strong bones in the elderly. Biotin is essential for the metabolism of proteins and carbohydrates, and in the production of hormones and cholesterol. Niacin is a B vitamin that helps maintain healthy skin and nerves. It is also has cholesterol-lowering effects. Folate works with vitamin B12 to help form red blood cells. It is necessary for the production of DNA, which controls tissue growth and cell function. Any woman who is pregnant should be sure to get enough folate. Low levels of folate are linked to birth defects such as spina bifida. Many foods are now fortified with folic acid. Pantothenic acid is essential for the metabolism of food. It is also plays a role in the production of hormones and cholesterol. Riboflavin (B2) works with the other B vitamins. It is important for body growth and the production of red blood cells. Thiamine (B1) helps the body cells change carbohydrates into energy. It is also essential for heart function and healthy nerve cells. Food Sources Return to top FAT-SOLUBLE VITAMINS Vitamin A: • Eggs • Meat • Milk • Cheese • Cream • Liver • Kidney • Cod • Halibut fish oil Vitamin D: • Cheese • Butter • Margarine • Cream • Fortified milk • Fish • Oysters • Cereals Vitamin E: • Wheat germ • Corn • Nuts • Seeds • Olives • Spinach and other green leafy vegetables • Asparagus • Vegetable oils and products made from vegetable oils, such as margarine Vitamin K: • Cabbage • Cauliflower • Spinach • Soybeans • Cereals WATER-SOLUBLE VITAMINS Folate: • Green, leafy vegetables • Fortified foods Niacin (B3): • Dairy products • Poultry • Fish • Lean meats • Nuts • Eggs • Legumes • Enriched breads and cereals Pantothenic acid and biotin • Eggs • Fish • Dairy products • Whole-grain cereals • Legumes • Yeast • Broccoli and other vegetables in the cabbage family • White and sweet potatoes • Lean beef Thiamine (B1): • Fortified breads, cereals, and pasta • Whole grains • Lean meats • Fish • Dried beans • Peas • Soybeans • Dairy products • Fruits and vegetables Vitamin B12: • Meat • Eggs • Poultry • Shellfish • Milk and milk products Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) • Citrus fruits and juices • Strawberries • Tomatoes • Broccoli • Turnip and other greens • Sweet and white potatoes • Cantaloupe Most other fruits and vegetables contain some vitamin C; fish and milk contain small amounts. “

Highlighted Articles

Supplement Your Knowledge of Vitamin D (2008) “How much vitamin D do I need? The current recommended daily dose of vitamin D is 200 IU for people up to age 50, 400 IU for people aged 51 to 70, and 600 IU for people over age 70. That's not enough, Boston University vitamin D expert Michael Holick, MD, PhD, tells WebMD. Holick recommends a dose of 1,000 IU a day of vitamin D for both infants and adults -- unless they're getting plenty of safe sun exposure. In 2008, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that breastfed infants receive 400 IU of vitamin D every day until they are weaned and drink at least 1 liter of vitamin D-fortified formula or whole milk each day. The AAP also recommends 400 IU/day of vitamin D for children and teens who drink less than a liter of vitamin D-fortified milk per day. The Vitamin D Council recommends that healthy adults take 2,000 IU of vitamin D daily -- more if they get little or no sun exposure.”

Vitamin D and multiple sclerosis. (J Cell Biochem. 2008) “Vitamin D is a principal regulator of calcium homeostasis. However, recent evidence has indicated that vitamin D can have numerous other physiological functions including inhibition of proliferation of a number of malignant cells including breast and prostate cancer cells and protection against certain immune mediated disorders including multiple sclerosis (MS). The geographic incidence of MS indicates an increase in MS with a decrease in sunlight exposure. Since vitamin D is produced in the skin by solar or UV irradiation and high serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) have been reported to correlate with a reduced risk of MS, a protective role of vitamin D is suggested.”

Greater intake of vitamins B6 and B12 spares gray matter in healthy elderly: A voxel-based morphometry study. (Brain Res. 2008) “In the VBM analysis, we found that adults with greater vitamin B6 intake had greater gray matter volume along the medial wall, anterior cingulate cortex, medial parietal cortex, middle temporal gyrus, and superior frontal gyrus, whereas people with greater B12 intake had greater volume in the left and right superior parietal sulcus. These effects were driven by vitamin supplementation and were negated when only examining vitamin intake from diet. Folate had no effect on brain volume. Furthermore, there was no relationship between vitamins B6, B12, or folate intake on global brain volume measures, indicating that VBM methods are more sensitive for detecting localized differences in gray matter volume than global measures. These results are discussed in relation to a growing literature on vitamin intake on age-related neurocognitive deterioration.”

Inflammation in the vascular bed: Importance of vitamin C. (Pharmacol Ther. 2008) “For endothelial cells, ascorbate helps to prevent endothelial dysfunction, stimulates type IV collagen synthesis, and enhances cell proliferation. For vascular smooth muscle cells, ascorbate inhibits dedifferentiation, recruitment, and proliferation in areas of vascular damage. For macrophages, ascorbate decreases oxidant stress related to their activation, decreases uptake and degradation of oxidized LDL in some studies, and enhances several aspects of their function. Although further studies of ascorbate function in these cell types and in novel animal models are needed, available evidence generally supports a salutary role for this vitamin in ameliorating the earliest stages of atherosclerosis.”

Vitamin B12 deficiency in the aged: a population-based study (Age and Ageing 2007) "Conclusion: undiagnosed vitamin B12 deficiency is remarkably common in the aged, but no specific risk group for screening can be identified. Thus, biochemical screening of unselected aged population is justified. General practitioners play a key role in diagnosing early vitamin B12 deficiency."

Internet Sites

NIH - Vitamins

NHS - Vital vitamins

FDA - Fortify Your Knowledge About Vitamins

NHS - How much is five a day? (Video)

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Vitamins

Vitamin D

NEWS:

D Is for Discord: Not All Studies Support Vitamin-D--CVD Link

Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium and Vitamin D

Insufficient Vitamin D Levels in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Patients Linked to Cancer Progression and Death “In the Mayo Clinic study, published online in the journal Blood, the researchers found that patients with insufficient levels of vitamin D when their leukemia was diagnosed progressed much faster and were about twice as likely to die as were patients with adequate levels of vitamin D. They also found solid trends: increasing vitamin D levels across patients matched longer survival times and decreasing levels matched shortening intervals between diagnosis and cancer progression. “

Low Levels of Vitamin D Linked to Muscle Fat, Decreased Strength in Young People “While study results may inspire some people to start taking Vitamin D supplements, Dr. Kremer recommends caution. "Obviously this subject requires more study," he says. "We don't yet know whether Vitamin D supplementation would actually result in less accumulation of fat in the muscles or increase muscle strength. We need more research before we can recommend interventions. We need to take things one step at a time."”

Low Vitamin D Levels Tied to Incontinence “Not getting enough vitamin D may cause women problems in the bathroom as well as with their bones. A new study suggests vitamin D deficiency may contribute to pelvic floor disorders like urinary and fecal incontinence. “Higher vitamin D levels were associated with a decreased risk of any pelvic floor disorder in all women,” write researcher Samuel Badalian, MD, PhD, of SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, N.Y., and colleagues in Obstetrics & Gynecology. “Given the increase in the number of patients with pelvic floor disorders, further evaluation of the role of vitamin D is warranted.” Researchers say one in four women suffers from at least one type of pelvic floor disorder, such as urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, and fecal incontinence, and the risks of developing these disorders increase with age. They say the results suggest that treatment of vitamin D deficiency in women could improve pelvic muscle strength and reduce the risk of pelvic floor disorders, especially incontinence. “

Report Questions Need for 2 Diet Supplements “Over the past few years, the idea that nearly everyone needs extra calcium and vitamin D — especially vitamin D — has swept the nation. With calcium, adolescent girls may be the only group that is getting too little, the panel found. Older women, on the other hand, may take too much, putting themselves at risk for kidney stones. And there is evidence that excess calcium can increase the risk of heart disease, the group wrote. As for vitamin D, some prominent doctors have said that most people need supplements or they will be at increased risk for a wide variety of illnesses, including heart disease, cancer and autoimmune diseases. And these days more and more people know their vitamin D levels because they are being tested for it as part of routine physical exams. “The number of vitamin D tests has exploded,” said Dennis Black, a reviewer of the report who is a professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of California, San Francisco. … But Andrew Shao, an executive vice president at the Council for Responsible Nutrition, a trade group, said the panel was being overly cautious, especially in its recommendations about vitamin D. He said there was no convincing evidence that people were being harmed by taking supplements, and he said higher levels of vitamin D, in particular, could be beneficial. Such claims “are not supported by the available evidence,” the committee wrote. They were based on studies that observed populations and concluded that people with lower levels of the vitamin had more of various diseases. Such studies have been misleading and most scientists agree that they cannot determine cause and effect. It is not clear how or why the claims for high vitamin D levels started, medical experts say. First there were two studies, which turned out to be incorrect, that said people needed 30 nanograms of vitamin D per milliliter of blood, the upper end of what the committee says is a normal range. They were followed by articles and claims and books saying much higher levels — 40 to 50 nanograms or even higher — were needed. After reviewing the data, the committee concluded that the evidence for the benefits of high levels of vitamin D was “inconsistent and/or conflicting and did not demonstrate causality.” Evidence also suggests that high levels of vitamin D can increase the risks for fractures and the overall death rate and can raise the risk for other diseases. While those studies are not conclusive, any risk looms large when there is no demonstrable benefit. Those hints of risk are “challenging the concept that ‘more is better,’ ” the committee wrote. That is what surprised Dr. Black. “We thought that probably higher is better,” he said. He has changed his mind, and expects others will too: “I think this report will make people more cautious.” “

Study finds low vitamin-d levels in northern California residents with metabolic syndrome “"In spite of our great sun exposure in Northern California, 30 percent of patients with metabolic syndrome have vitamin-D deficiency, and even many subjects in the control group had inadequate levels," said Ishwarlal Jialal, the study's principal investigator and professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at the UC Davis Health System. "Considering our climate and healthy lifestyles here, these findings were unexpected."”

The Truth About Vitamin D: Can You Get Too Much Vitamin D?

Vitamin D Best Taken With Largest Meal of Day, Study Finds “"This is an important finding for patients being treated for vitamin D deficiency," study senior author Dr. Angelo Licata said in a news release from the Cleveland Clinic. "By doing something as simple as changing when you take your vitamin D supplement, you can improve the level in your blood by over 50 percent." “

Vitamin D Crucial to Activating Immune Defenses “Scientists at the University of Copenhagen have discovered that Vitamin D is crucial to activating our immune defenses and that without sufficient intake of the vitamin, the killer cells of the immune system -- T cells -- will not be able to react to and fight off serious infections in the body.”

Vitamin D Deficiency Linked to Arterial Stiffness in Black Teens “"Our study is the first clinical trial of vitamin D intervention to use 2,000 IU in black subjects and to include cardiovascular risk factors as outcomes in youth," said Dong. "Our study indicates that the current recommendations for vitamin D intake in black teenagers may need to be revised upward."”

Vitamin D Levels Have Different Effects on Atherosclerosis in Blacks and Whites, Study Finds

Vitamin D Lifts Mood During Cold Weather Months “"There is evidence to suggest that vitamin D supplementation may decrease insulin resistance," said Dr. Penckofer. "If we can stabilize insulin levels, we may be able to simply and cost effectively improve blood sugar control and reduce symptoms of depression for these women." “

Vit D linked to cancer, autoimmune disease genes

Vitamin D Linked to Lower Heart Risk “Vitamin D supplements may not only help your bones, they may help protect your heart. A new review of research on vitamin D and calcium supplements shows that people who take moderate to high doses of vitamin D have a lower risk of heart disease. Calcium supplements seemed to have little effect on heart disease risk. Vitamin D is produced by the body in response to exposure to sunlight but is also commonly found in fortified dairy products and supplements. It is already known to play a critical role in calcium absorption and bone health, but a growing number of studies suggest that vitamin D supplementation may also lower the risk of heart disease.”

Vitamin D May Cut Risk of Flu “Sabetta says vitamin D has known effects on the immune system, and the study reinforces the association between vitamin D deficiency and susceptibility to infections of the respiratory tract.”

Vitamin D May Treat Or Prevent Allergy To Common Mold

Vitamain D might fight Crohn's disease, says new study “"Our data suggests for the first time that Vitamin D deficiency can contribute to Crohn's disease," said John White, an endocrinologist at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre. White noted that people who live in northern climates -- which receive less sunshine that is essential for the fabrication of Vitamin D by the human body -- are especially vulnerable to Crohn's disease. White and his colleagues treated cancer cells in the lab with Vitamin D, and then carried out a micro-array or genetic analysis of those cells. They found that Vitamin D switched on two genes that are important in preventing or fighting Crohn's disease.”

Vitamin D Shortage Not Tied to Stroke Deaths in Blacks: Study “New research suggests that vitamin D deficiency does not boost stroke death rates among black patients, even though it appears to double the risk for whites. The authors expressed some surprise at the findings, given that prior research has revealed that blacks are overall more prone to vitamin D deficiency and more likely to experience a stroke, compared with white patients. Blacks also have a 60 percent higher risk of dying from a stroke than whites, they added.”

Vitamin D3 Supplements in Winter May Help Protect Against Influenza A

Vitamin D Status is Not Associated with Risk for Less Common Cancers “"In this pooled analysis of cohort data, vitamin D was not associated with lower risk for these less common cancers, despite well-established benefits for bone health," concluded Albanes.”

Vitamin D toxicity: What if you get too much?

What the new vitamin D advice means

ARTICLES:

How to Choose a Vitamin D Supplement

NGC - Recommendations for the diagnosis and management of vitamin D deficiency in adults. (2009)

The Truth About Vitamin D

Vitamin D and Women's Health

Vitamin D Benefits

JOURNAL ARTICLES:

Does Vitamin D Affect Risk of Developing Autoimmune Disease?: A Systematic Review. (Semin Arthritis Rheum. 2010)

Effects of Vitamin D Supplementation on Blood Pressure (Southern Medical Journal 2010) “Oral vitamin D supplementation may lead to a reduction in systolic blood pressure but not diastolic blood pressure.”

Extraskeletal effects of vitamin D in older adults: Cardiovascular disease, mortality, mood, and cognition. (Am J Geriatr Pharmacother. 2010)

Health benefits of higher serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in The Netherlands. (J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2010)

High prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes. (Swiss Med Wkly. 2010)

Sunlight exposure or vitamin D supplementation for vitamin D-deficient non-western immigrants: a randomized clinical trial. (Osteoporos Int. 2010) “Vitamin D supplementation is more effective than advised sunlight exposure for treating vitamin D deficiency in non-western immigrants.”

The seasonality of pandemic and non-pandemic influenzas: the roles of solar radiation and vitamin D. (Int J Infect Dis. 2010)

Vitamin D and Risk of Cognitive Decline in Elderly Persons (Arch Intern Med. 2010) “Conclusion Low levels of vitamin D were associated with substantial cognitive decline in the elderly population studied over a 6-year period, which raises important new possibilities for treatment and prevention.”

Vitamin D insufficiency in pregnant and nonpregnant women of childbearing age in the United States.(Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2010) “CONCLUSION: Adolescent and adult women of childbearing age have a high prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency. Current prenatal multivitamins (400 IU vitamin D) helped to raise serum 25(OH)D levels, but higher doses and longer duration may be required.”

Vitamin D status in a sunny country: Where has the sun gone? (Clinical Nutrition 2010) “In São Paulo, at the end of winter, we observed a high prevalence of hypovitaminosis D and secondary hyperparathyroidism in healthy adults. s25(OH)D was dependent on age and skin color. After summer, we observed a decrease in the prevalence of hypovitaminosis D. This unexpected finding emphasizes the need for a strong recommendation to monitor s25(OH)D, even in a sunny country such as Brazil.”

Vitamin D Supplementation Can Reduce Falls in Nursing Care Facilities

Vitamin D Supplements Could Fight Crohn's Disease

Vitamin D, innate immunity and upper respiratory tract infection. (J Laryngol Otol. 2010)

INTERNET SITES:

NIH - Fact Sheet: Vitamin D

NIH - Medical Encyclopedia 25-hydroxy vitamin D

NIH - Medical Encyclopedia Rickets

NIH - Medical Encyclopedia Vitamin D

NIH - Medical Encyclopedia Vitamin D benefit

NIH - Medical Encyclopedia Vitamin D source

NIH - Vitamin D and Related Compounds (Systemic)

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