Diet Information

Vitamin B5, also known as pantothenic acid is useful to the body through many ways. It is a member of the nutritionally elite group of eight vitamins collectively known as the Vitamin B complex. This powerful group of vitamins plays a big role nearly in almost every major body system and process. The Vitamin B complex serves to keep both body and mind functioning and to be perpetually in good health.

Vitamin B5 like all of the vitamins that make up the B complex is essential to the body’s ability to use the food that it takes in as fuel for it to able to perform the various tasks that it has lined-up every single day, great and small. It works in the regular maintenance and repair of all bodily tissues from the cellular level up. This makes it an essential part of the body’s efforts to fight the physical damage that excessive stress can cause us to have.

Vitamin B5 serves many important functions in the nervous system especially in terms of nerve function and health. Among the contributions that Vitamin B5 makes to the nervous system is the production of neurotransmitters which are important to the ability of the nerves to communicate properly and effectively.

Because of its important role in the growth and health of the hair and our high regard towards having healthy skin it is used frequently in a variety of cosmetic products. Vitamin B5 acting as a cofactor to other members of the Vitamin B complex and other nutrients has an important role in how the adrenal glands properly functions and also serves to promote normal growth of the body due to its big role in hormone production throughout the body.

Deficiency in Vitamin B5 can have a variety of negative consequences for the body as well as in one’s mind. Symptoms of physical malfunctions brought about by lack of Vitamin B5 include fatigue, headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, weakened immune system, abdominal pain, neurological disorders, muscle weakness and cramps, increased insulin sensitivity, acne, digestive problems and slow or retarded growth.

Symptoms of a break down in a person’s mental capabilities which can be brought about from a lack of Vitamin B5 include depression, personality disorders and change, sleep disturbances and insomnia - which if not attended to immediately and cured, can actually pose as a bigger problem since insomnia can actually cause far greater problems to a person who is already suffering from poor mental health. In general adults should have about 5mg of Vitamin B5 per day with women increasing their daily intake to 6mg to 7mg while they’re pregnant or breastfeeding. Children, depending on their size and weight should have about 2mg to 4mg of Vitamin B5 each day.

The importance of the Vitamin B complex to good physical health and proper mental functioning needs to be taught better to people so as to be able to educate them of what they’ve been neglecting for so long. For a person to be able to fully utilize not only his physical capabilities but the power of his or her own mind as well, including cognitive functions and emotional responses and stability the standard recommended daily intake levels of these vitamins should be met every single day. Because these are water-soluble vitamins they are washed away daily with the urine and thus the body’s supply of these essential nutrients must be renewed daily.

Nutritional supplements are a reliable and safe way to meet these important nutritional goals provided that proper attention is given to the accepted limits of dosage. Too much of any nutrient can be toxic and can often cause as much damage as having too little. The body is a delicately balanced system and that balance requires to be maintained to function at its best.

Note: This article may be freely reproduced as long as the AUTHOR’S resource box at the bottom of this article is included and and all links must be Active/Linkable with no syntax changes.

Charlene J. Nuble 2005. For up to date links and information about Vitamins, please go to: http://vitamins.besthealthlink.net/ or for updated links and information on all health related topics, go to: http://www.besthealthlink.net/

Share This

A naturally occurring compound, L-Glutathione (Tathion,) has demonstrated that it is effective in fighting cancer, environmental poisons, and even cataracts. Sound like snake oil? Well, that is what I thought until I started doing research. It turns out that L-Glutathione is one of the most effective antioxidants that our body produces. It works to protect our bodies from the thousands of daily hazards that we are exposed to such as pollution, second hand smoke, alcohol, and food chemicals and poisons. In fact, it is so effective that some researchers believe that it can actually slow down the aging process.

L-Glutathione is an antioxidant that our body produces from three basic amino acids that are found in our food. Our body makes it and uses it, along with the other vitamins that we ingest, as a hard line defense against all of the hazards that cause us to grow sick and old. This is important because research into this specific anti-oxidant has shown that it can actually cure disease, regenerate damaged tissue, minimize the side effects of chemotherapy, and treat cataracts.

It works by acting as a guardian to the toxic compounds that attack our cells. These compounds, typically called free radicals, are extremely aggressive and attack the molecules that make up the cells in our body. These free radicals change the chemical structure of the molecules in our cells and make them ineffective. This in turn either kills the cell, makes it ineffective, or turns it cancerous. L-Glutathione and other antioxidants attack the free radicals and destroy them before they have a chance to attack the cells.

Because it protects our cells by attacking the external poisons, the levels of L-Glutathione in our blood have the potential to significantly impact our overall health. Studies have demonstrated that administration of L-Glutathione is extremely effective in treated diseases such as Hepatitis. It has also been shown to be a key player in the regeneration of the liver, and to combat cirrhosis. The compound is useful in treating jaundice and protects the brain and body tissues in the event of poisoning. In addition, the level of tissue damage from Carbon Monoxide, Hydrogen Sulfide, heavy metals, pesticides, and environmental poisoning has been demonstrated to be significantly lower with adequate L-Glutathione in the blood stream. Finally, the side effects of chemotherapy and the growth of cataracts have been demonstrated to be significantly reduced with the addition of L-Glutathione.

So what does all of this mean? Essentially, it is time to supplement your diet with L-Glutathione or the proteins that help your body make more of this essential nutrient. Although L-Glutathione is readily made by your body, supplementation with it and its precursors may increase your overall level of protection. Glutathione and its precursors, Cysteine, Glycine and L-Glutamic Acid, are all readily available as food supplements in your local health food store. In addition to eating a healthy and balanced diet, supplementation with Glutathione and its constituents can only help to increase your overall level of health, and may even slow down the process of growing old.

About The Author

Barrett Niehus is a principal in IP Ware http://www.freetrainer.com and is a technical associate of Compound Solutions in Escondido, California.

Share This

Manganese is a metallic mineral that was discovered by a 17th century German chemist named Johann Glauber, though it was not isolated in a pure form until 1774, by Johan Gahn. It was Gahn’s associate, a Swedish chemist, Carl Scheele, who first determined that manganese was an element. Manganese, as a trace mineral element, is found in all forms of life. It is essential to the health and functioning of the human body and mind in many ways.

In terms of physical health, the mineral manganese is important to almost all of the body’s major systems. It works in the digestive system which is responsible for breaking down foods through digestion and transforming them into a form that the body can use. The primary function of manganese in the digestive system is acting as a cofactor in many of the enzymes responsible for releasing the energy in food making it accessible to both body and mind to fuel the essential and nonessential functions. This essential mineral is also needed to metabolize Thiamin Vitamin B1. The skeletal system requires manganese for the building of strong and healthy bones. Without it, the skeleton may not develop properly. Manganese also supports good muscular reflexes. It also serves the reproductive system having an important role in the production of sex hormones and sperm.

Manganese has vital antioxidant properties working as a cofactor in the production of the body’s most important antioxidant enzyme: the superoxide dismutase. Antioxidants perform a task that is essential to the body. It controls or stabilizes free radicals which are responsible for a great deal of damage within the body. Free radicals are destabilized by their lack of an electron and in seeking to stabilize themselves they assault other molecules in an effort to take what they need from them which then results in those molecules becoming destabilized as well. Accumulation of free radicals is dangerous for if it reaches a certain number cellular damage can occur thus leading to tissue damage. And as the free radicals roam, their population also up in number.

Manganese is also essential for the brain to function properly. It supports the nerves and also promotes memory and emotional stability. Researchers are studying the relationship between epilepsy and other seizure disorders and the influence manganese levels may have on seizure activity and severity. This mineral is also being investigated for its potentials in the treatment of severe mental disorders such as schizophrenia. If proven positive, this could be a big breakthrough is the field of medical science.

Deficiencies in manganese can contribute to convulsions, confusion, tremors, dizziness, paralysis, deafness and blindness in infants, adult hearing loss, digestive disorders, ataxia, bone malformation, general weakness, infertility, irregular pulse, and pancreatic damage.

Nutritional supplements offer a reliable and safe means of seeing to it that the diet contains adequate amounts of this essential trace mineral provided supplement dosage remains within the standard recommended daily intake levels. Too much of any nutrient can do physical harm to the body and thus it is important to be knowledgeable about the nutritional needs of your body and the supplement you are considering for use. It is therefore important to consult a doctor to avoid over dosage. Consultation with a licensed nutritionalist is also essential to aid you in planning a daily diet that can supplement the much needed healthy daily dosage of manganese

Note: This article may be freely reproduced as long as the AUTHOR’S resource box at the bottom of this article is included and and all links must be Active/Linkable with no syntax changes.

Charlene J. Nuble 2005. For up to date links and information about Vitamins, please go to: http://vitamins.besthealthlink.net/ or for updated links and information on all health related topics, go to: http://www.besthealthlink.net/

Share This