LifeCare Chiropractic

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B vitamins

Supplementation of Atherogenic Diet with B vitamins – (03-01-01)

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Supplementation of Atherogenic Diet with B vitamins

This study was done in monkeys to determine whether the addition of B vitamins to an atherogenic diet (one promoting hardening of the arteries) to lower homocysteine levels would change the level of plaguing that occurs. The B vitamins did not change the outcome in regards to vascular health. Before we come to the erroneous conclusion that B vitamins will not lower our risk of heart disease, we need to consider a few things. These monkeys were fed a very unhealthy diet that raised their cholesterol levels almost 5x the baseline readings. Is it surprising that these poor creatures continued to have poor vascular health??? And remember, treating and preventing vascular disease is a global approach, and adding B vitamins (preferably by adding whole grains) is just one aspect of this approach.

Circulation — Abstracts: Lentz et al. 103 (7): 1006

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FDA OKs Limited Heart Disease Claim for B vitamins – (12-14-00)

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FDA OKs Limited Heart Disease Claim for B vitamins

No known side effects at reasonable levels. Cheap. Helps with liver detoxification. Helps with nervous function. On and on. Any physician who plans on waiting for the FDA to determine the necessity and safety of B vitamins in lowering rates of heart disease via homocysteine would do well to remember that it took near to four DECADES to make the recommendation for folic acid and neural tube defects.

(article) The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said late on Tuesday that foods and dietary supplements containing vitamins B6, B12 and folic acid will be permitted to carry a claim that the vitamins may reduce the risk of heart disease. However, the claim must note that the scientific evidence is not conclusive, the agency said. The FDA said that an acceptable claim would run along the lines of: “Studies in the general population have generally found that these vitamins lower homocysteine, an amino acid found in the blood. It is not known whether elevated levels of homocysteine may cause vascular disease or whether high homocysteine levels are caused by other factors.” Earlier this month, the FDA said that it would allow a limited claim for the association between omega-3 fatty acids and heart disease. The agency said scientific evidence that these compounds could reduce the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) was not conclusive. vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) is found in fortified foods such as cereals and grains. vitamin B12 (cobalamin) is found in meat, fish and poultry, as well as fortified milk and breakfast cereals. Folate, or folic acid, is found in many fruits and vegetables and in fortified foods.

Soybean Extract Found Protective in Alcoholic Liver Disease – (11-29-00)

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Soybean Extract Found Protective in Alcoholic Liver Disease

Liver disease is a disorder that is managed poorly by Western medicine. Many patients who have been diagnosed with liver disease are basically given a “watch and wait” therapy plan. Luckily, the liver is a primary focus of functional/alternative medicine. Milk thistle, B vitamins, SAMe and N-acetyl cysteine are all well known and researched for their hepato-protective properties. Now we have another tool to use–soybeans. And remember, the liver can actually begin to destroy itself if the two phases of detoxification are not in harmony (termed metabolic activation), and a detox liver profile (NOT the supposed “liver function tests” commonly run–these check for actual structural liver damage, NOT function) can help identify areas that need work.

(article) An extract from soybeans has been found to halt, or perhaps even reverse, progression of liver fibrosis in alcoholics in a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled trial. Eighteen alcoholic patients were randomized to receive either placebo or the extract polyenylphosphatidylcholine (PPC). Five of the nine on placebo showed fibrotic progression on liver biopsies 2 years later. For the nine on PPC, liver histology was unchanged or slightly improved, reported Dr. Charles S. Lieber, of the VA Medical Center and Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Bronx, New York. Dr. Lieber described his group’s study at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. There is a need for an effective therapy in these patients because their current prognosis is dismal. “In patients with alcoholic cirrhosis who are over 60 years old, there is a 50% mortality at 1 year,” Dr. Lieber said. “Much of this toxicity is because alcohol is metabolized preferentially in the liver.” The extract PPC is a 95% pure mixture of polyunsaturated phosphatidylcholines, about half of which is dilinoleoylphosphatidylcholine (DLPC). Dr. Lieber’s earlier work in nonhuman primates suggested that DLPC opposes oxidative stress, one of several mechanisms thought responsible for alcohol’s hepatotoxicity. Patients who were taking PPC had higher plasma levels of DLPC than controls, further suggesting that DLPC may be the active, antioxidant ingredient, he said.

Additional reading: Entrez-PubMed

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IMPLICATIONS FOR IMPROVING MENTAL HEALTH AMONG WOMEN – (12-12-05)

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Nutrition and Depression: Implications for Improving Mental Health Among Childbearing-Aged Women

This is one area that is vehemently ignored by mental health professionals I have come across. They are not willing to entertain the idea that depression may have a physiological cause that could be treated or at least reduced, with proper attention to diet and supplementation. There have been numerous studies linking improved depression and fish oil as well as certain B vitamins. Given their safety, and the major side effects of anti-depressant medications, this is an aspect that should absolutely be addressed in all mental health patients.

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