Thursday, May 22, 2008

The Health Benefits Of The B12 Vitamin

By: Angela Epperley. Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

B12 is touted as a solution for everything from fatigue to a hangover – and those who promote it for these things are right. Vitamin B12 is a critical part of your body's cellular energy cycle, and when you don't get enough of it, you lose energy, your memory suffers, and you start to have mood problems, particularly with depression and irritability. Over the long term, B12 deficiencies can cause nerve damage and even death, though this is rare. Mostly, if you don't have enough B12, you lose a great deal of your quality of life.

In most people, vitamin B12 is produced in the gut, where a variety of friendly bacteria finish processing your digested food. However, as you age (or in some, when you have had liver damage), your lower intestines start suffering from a number of problems, and this decreases their ability to absorb vitamin B12 properly. Unfortunately, B12 supplements delivered orally cannot help either, as the only part of the digestive tract that absorbs them is the aging lower intestine.


Additionally, B12 surpluses are stored in the liver, where your body uses about 0.1% of a full supply each day. This doesn't seem like much, but as your stores of B12 start to drop, your liver function may also start degrading. If you have liver damage from alcohol, any disease, diabetes, smoking, or any of the myriad things that can cause liver problems, your store may be much smaller and its delivery to your body much reduced.

If you start taking a good B12 vitamin, you should notice a difference within a week or two. Your memory will improve, and so will your energy. Depression may disappear, and take a variety of cravings along with it. If you had any gastrointestinal issues with the lack of B12, those should clear up. In addition, you'll start feeling better overall, the opposite of that “general malaise” that is so often used to describe diseases. But it has to get into your bloodstream.

As you grow older, doctors may begin recommending vitamin B12 shots in order to get this vital substance to your blood, where it is badly needed. But B12, as a water-soluble vitamin, won't stay in your system very long, and your doctor is essentially repairing damage that has been done by a lack of vitamin B12. Compare that to a car leaking oil. If your car leaks oil consistently, even if you add oil regularly to it, it's going to see some damage and extra wear and tear, right? You can add oil to your car every day, but few people are willing to go to the doctor for a B12 shot frequently.

Sublingual B12 is a solution to this problem. Well-formulated B12 vitamins designed to dissolve under the tongue don't taste terrible (smell a bottle of B-complex vitamin if you don't know what I mean by that!) and they are not swallowed. Instead, they are absorbed by the complex of blood vessels under the tongue, and therefore enter directly into the bloodstream, bypassing the gut problem. No shots, no absorption problems, just a B12 supplement that works.

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Angela Epperley : A representative of Trivita, Angela Epperley knows all too well just how the B12 vitamin can help you. She is dedicated to helping people pursue healthy living. Visit her website to learn more about the B12 vitamin at www.trivitaproductsonline.com This article is free to use and reproduce anywhere provided this paragraph is reproduced intact with it.

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Protein Supplements And Foods

Proteins are the most important component which is required by the body in adequate proportions so that body can work and function properly. Major uses of proteins are:

• It is useful in producing amino acids which is needed by the body cells to repair the muscles and also to produce new proteins.
• It is helpful in mending the bones, blood, organs and skin.
• They are used by the body to heal wounds and cuts.
• Also helps in clotting of the blood.
• Proteins also help in producing the hormones. Besides this they also build enzymes and other antibodies which are required by the body to control many chemical processes.

So various kinds of sources of protein supplements and food that is needed by the body are:

1.) Amino acids are generated from the foods which are rich in proteins.

2.) Food items which contain protein amount in large amount are:

• Eggs

• Milk

• Meat

3.) Animal proteins are considered superior than the plant proteins as they can be easily digested by the body.

4.) Plant proteins are derived from grains and legumes. Others sources of proteins are:

• Cheese
• Soya milk
• Fish
• Red meat
• Nuts
• Yogurt
• Tofu
• Beans
• Peanut butter
• Lean meat
• Lentils

5.) Food items like pizza, cheese sandwich, macaroni and tuna fish sandwich are rich sources of proteins.

Daily requirement of protein supplements.

Proteins supplements are needed for the process 'Gluconeogenesis'. In this intake of food is less and body energy is needed to convert proteins to carbohydrates. An adult requires about 60 grams of proteins everyday at an average. But patients suffering from cancer, bariatric, renal, and who had undergone surgery need extra amount of proteins.

Protein supplements available in the form of protein powder contains good amount of amino acids and peptides and hence improves the digestion process. Whey proteins are produced from milk when it is converted to cheese. Proteins shakes can be made by mixing proteins powder with juice, fruits, ice and milk. 'Ben protein' is the best example of this.

Liquid proteins can be produced from collagen hydrolysate and fruit enzymes. This type of hydrolyzed protein can help in improving the absorption. This type of protein supplements can provide a high dose of proteins in a one dose. Some the examples of liquid proteins supplements are:

• Pro-stat
• Proteinex
• IsoPure
By: Franchis
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com