FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Orthomolecular Medicine News Service, December 28, 2011

No Deaths from Vitamins
America’s Largest Database Confirms Supplement Safety

(OMNS, Dec 28, 2011) There was not even one death caused by a vitamin supplement in 2010, according to the most recent information collected by the U.S. National Poison Data System.

The new 203-page annual report of the American Association of Poison Control Centers, published online at http://www.aapcc.org/dnn/Portals/0/2010%20NPDS%20Annual%20Report.pdf, shows zero deaths from multiple vitamins; zero deaths from any of the B vitamins; zero deaths from vitamins A, C, D, or E; and zero deaths from any other vitamin.

Additionally, there were no deaths whatsoever from any amino acid or dietary mineral supplement.

Three people died from non-supplement mineral poisoning: two from medical use of sodium and one from non-supplemental iron. On page 131, the AAPCC report specifically indicates that the iron fatality was not from a nutritional supplement.

Fifty-seven poison centers provide coast-to-coast data for the National Poison Data System, “one of the few real-time national surveillance systems in existence, providing a model public health surveillance system for all types of exposures, public health event identification, resilience response and situational awareness tracking.”

Well over half of the U.S. population takes daily nutritional supplements. Even if each of those people took only one single tablet daily, that makes 165,000,000 individual doses per day, for a total of over 60 billion doses annually. Since many persons take far more than just one single vitamin or mineral tablet, actual consumption is considerably higher, and the safety of nutritional supplements is all the more remarkable.

Over 60 billion doses of vitamin and mineral supplements per year in the USA, and not a single fatality. Not one.

If vitamin and mineral supplements are allegedly so “dangerous,” as the FDA and news media so often claim, then where are the bodies?

Reference:

Bronstein AC, Spyker DA, Cantilena LR Jr, Green JL, Rumack BH, Dart RC. 2010 Annual Report of the American Association of Poison Control Centers’ National Poison Data System (NPDS): 28th Annual Report. The full text article is available for free download at http://www.aapcc.org/dnn/Portals/0/2010%20NPDS%20Annual%20Report.pdf

The data mentioned above are found in Table 22B. Mineral data on page 131; vitamin data on pages 137-139 .

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Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)

Thiamine deficiency is very common in psychiatric patients. It is associated with anxiety, depression, fearfulness, agitation, emotional instability, irritability, and night terrors. It is most common in alcoholics and patients that are malnourished. Agoraphobic patients and patients with anxiety disorders are often thiamine deficient.

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)

Riboflavin deficiencies can affect mood, behavior, sleep, memory, and concentration. Patients commonly are aggressive, depressed, anxious, and suffer from panic attacks and migraines. Reduced levels of riboflavin inhibit the body’s use of a lot of medications and oxidative stress is often a problem.

Vitamin B3 (Niacin)

Niacin deficiencies are noted in many cases of schizophrenia, chronic fatigue, insomnia and chronic headache. Memory problems are also common in patients with this deficiency.

Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid)

Vitamin B5 deficiency is rare. Sufferers may experience excessively hot feet, recurring upper respiratory infections, fatigue, insomnia, depression, irritability, vomiting, or stomach pains. Vitamin B5 is sometimes referred to as the “anti-stress” vitamin because of its regulatory effect on stress hormones.

Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 deficiency can cause irritability, severe PMS, fatigue, depression, anxiety and confusion. Many people have electric shock sensations, paresthesias (tingling, burning, pricking, or numbness), and extreme anxiety. About half of agoraphobic patients are usually B6 deficient.

Vitamin B7 (Biotin)

Deficiencies in biotin are most common in those taking anti-seizure medications, long-term antibiotics, or people with trouble absorbing nutrients. Symptoms include numbness, tingling, strange pain sensations (usually in extremities), weakness, fatigue, lethargy, and hallucinations.

Vitamin B9 (Folate)

Folate helps to regulate your pain response, mood, and sleep patterns. If it’s low, you may experience hostility, chronic headaches, paranoid behavior, panic, forgetfulness, irritability, and apathy. Folate deficiency is usually accompanied by low serotonin levels and depression. In contrast, high levels have been shown to sometimes induce mania in some patients with bipolar disorder, and can interfere with some mood stabilizing medications.

Vitamin B12

B12 deficiency usually starts with depression, and can be followed by psychosis, slow mental processes, mania, confusion, forgetfulness, and memory loss. Lower B12 levels are not always present in depressed patients, but are almost always present in depressed patients with psychosis.

Magnesium

Magnesium deficiency is often accompanied by low serotonin and dopamine levels. Symptoms of a deficiency can be apathy, irritability, anxiety, personality changes, and behavioral changes. Low magnesium levels are associated with an imbalance of lactate to pyruvate in the body, which is indicative of many psychiatric conditions, like schizophrenia. Studies show that most patients with chronic pain have low magnesium levels, and show that the most disturbed patients have either high or low magnesium levels.

Vitamin C (Sodium Ascorbate)

The first symptom of vitamin C deficiency is usually depression. Other symptoms may be fatigue, reduced arousal, apathy, and reduced motivation. Because vitamin C, or sodium ascorbate, is necessary to produce serotonin, people deficient in it may experience severe depression and extreme anxiety. Vitamin C calms the nervous system and helps to regulate the stress response of the body.

About the Author: Phil Le Breton is owner at Wholesale Nutrition. He has a strong interest in helping people achieve greater brain and body health with vitamins and supplements, with an emphasis on vitamin C powder. Wholesale Nutrition has provided the world with the best vitamin C and wholesale vitamins since 1970. Visit http://www.nutri.com to buy high-quality discount vitamins today!

Sources:

http://www.nutritional-healing.com.au/content/articles-content.php?

heading=The%20Role%20of%20Minerals%20and%20Vitamins%20in%20Mental%20Health

http://www.angelfire.com/home/bphoenix1/vitmin.html

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Besides not clogging pores, these oils actively heal skin and prevent future breakouts. They are highly absorbable and do not leave a shine or heavy oily film on the skin after application. Grapeseed oil, fractionated coconut oil and hazelnut oil have astringent properties and help to balance combination skin. Camellia oil prevents infection, heals acne and fades scars. Peach kernel oil, macadamia nut oil, avocado oil, emu oil, sweet almond oil, and even olive oil have great healing properties, absorb well into the skin and help to keep acne at bay.

Jojoba oil is wonderful for reducing sebum production because it so closely resembles natural human sebum. Many people like to use the lightest oils, like grapeseed or argan oil, as a “carrier” oil, or base for some of the other oils that may be heavier, but still have a lot of benefits for acne sufferers. If you plan on going this route, do some research first. Some oils cannot be used directly on the skin without a carrier oil. Some are very expensive and only need to be used in minute amounts to be effective, but may only have a shelf life of around six months. Make sure that you use new oils in a test area to check for allergies or sensitivities before applying them all over your face. With a little time and experimentation, you could find the perfect combination of natural oils for your skin.

Besides oils, you should avoid as many chemical products as possible. Choosing organic oils is best and using only mineral based cosmetics can be helpful in treating acne. Ask your doctor about doing a skin allergy test and a blood test before you start a regimen. Sometimes an allergy to an ingredient, like dimethicone, in a face or hair product that you are using is the culprit, not clogged pores and bacteria.

Deficiencies in B vitamins, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, chromium, selenium and/or zinc can cause skin to become unbalanced and acne can result. Zink aids in healing and regulates oil gland activity. Selenium inhibits the oxidation of fats and reduces inflammation. Chromium can be depleted by the intake of sugar and is needed to combat infections on the skin. Vitamin K is useful for fading scars and healing lesions. Vitamin E defends skin by preventing skin damage and repairing lesions.

B vitamins have a wide range of preventative and healing properties for the skin, including hormone balance, stress relief, circulation, the metabolization of proteins, sugars, carbohydrates and fats, moving nutrients and toxins into and out of the cells, removing waste products from skin cells, and enhancing the absorption of other vitamins.

Vitamin C, or sodium ascorbate, is unique. It removes toxins and free radicals from skin cells. It is necessary for new collagen and elastin to form, which is necessary for cells to be repaired. Vitamin C creates a protective barrier for cells so that they are less likely to be damaged. It also increases immune function, balances reactions to allergens, eliminates inflammation, increases absorption of vitamins and iron, reduces stress, and gives the skin an antibacterial layer.

Speak with your doctor about which options may be best for you.

About the Author: Phil Le Breton is owner at Wholesale Nutrition. He has a strong interest in helping people achieve greater brain and body health with vitamins and supplements, with an emphasis on vitamin C powder. Wholesale Nutrition has provided the world with the best vitamin C and wholesale vitamins since 1970. Visit http://www.nutri.com to buy high-quality discount vitamins today!

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If you feel like you’ve tried every product on the market without success, you’re not alone. Many people with acne have extremely sensitive skin, hence the inflammation and susceptibility to infection, and experience more problems when using harsh chemicals and acne treatments on their skin. Doctors routinely prescribe medications for acne, but they can take weeks to show any improvement at all and often times make skin more sensitive and intensify the problem. There are also a lot of unwanted side effects from these medications and antibiotics, such as skin and bowel blistering, extreme fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, headaches and more. Some even alter DNA, disrupt the endocrine system, and can cause long-term reproductive damage.

You may think that it will take an extreme drug or potent chemical to get rid of your stubborn acne, but you may find that the gentle, natural approach is what your skin has been craving all along. Getting to the root cause of your acne can help you best determine how to treat it. There are a few things that contribute to the condition. Vitamin deficiencies, over-production of skin sebum, and bacteria are the most common causes.

Acne generally sets in at puberty because the hormone changes bring about an increased production of skin oils and a wax referred to as sebum. These oils and waxes trap germs, dirt, and microscopic pieces of shedding skin to form a clogged pore or acne pustule. Most people automatically think that they need to rid the skin of the oil to get rid of the problem. This is somewhat true, because the oil traps a lot of dirt and toxins. Cleaning the skin with a very gentle cleanser two or three times a day is recommended. However, if you strip the skin of all oils and sebum, it will retaliate by producing a lot more oil and sebum.

Most people with oily or acne-prone skin avoid products that contain oil. Really, you need healthy oils on your skin. There are a few oils that do not clog pores, heal wounds, kill unwanted bacteria, fade scars, and control sebum production. You can also treat acne by checking on certain vitamin levels, like sodium ascorbate levels, with your doctor and supplementing to make sure that their levels are in check. In Part 2 of this series, we will discuss which vitamins help and why, as well as which natural products can help to finally rid your skin of acne, once and for all.

About the Author: Phil Le Breton is owner at Wholesale Nutrition. He has a strong interest in helping people achieve greater brain and body health with vitamins and supplements, with an emphasis on vitamin C powder. Wholesale Nutrition has provided the world with the best vitamin C and wholesale vitamins since 1970. Visit http://www.nutri.com to buy high-quality discount vitamins today!

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All of the underlying causes of neuralgia are not understood by the medical community. Here we will discuss the most widely accepted causes and possible natural treatments of your neuralgic pain.

Chemical Imbalance: In the case of chemical imbalance, a trigger, such as alcohol, caffeine, monosodium glutamate (MSG) exposure, even barometric pressure changes, sets off a release of neuropeptides that aggravate and inflame nerves. The nerves then send pain messages to the brain, which in turn, releases more neuropeptides. This continuous cycle is called a positive feedback loop, and is one of the reasons that neurologic pain can become excruciating. Triggers differ from person to person, so keeping a pain diary, which tracks your daily habits, can help you to determine what triggers you have. Common triggers include dyes, stress, aged cheeses, sulfites, nitrates, allergies, and illness. Some people even report certain sounds triggering migraine or neuralgia attacks. Muscle spasms and the build-up of lactic acid in the muscles can chemically trigger a positive feedback loop. Lowered serotonin levels are thought to trigger a release of neuropeptides as well, which is why your doctor may recommend antidepressant medications for preventing migraines or neuralgic pain.

Vessel Dilation and Constriction: In addition to inflammation of nerve tissues, medications or other triggers can cause blood vessel dilation. Rapid dilation or constriction causes nerves in the face and head to send pain messages to the brain, which in turn causes a rapid rebound effect, causing extreme pain. Think about how an ice cream headache or brain freeze occurs. Cold substances come into contact with the roof of your mouth, causing a quick constriction of the blood vessels there. This sends a pain signal to the brain, neuropeptides are released, and the vessels of the face quickly dilate. This causes extreme pain, usually near the forehead and/or sinuses. Although a brain freeze usually only lasts a few seconds, it is the same vascular mechanism that causes migraines and neuralgic pain.

Many people are interested in preventing neuralgia attacks naturally, instead of taking drugs with unwanted side effects. The most commonly prescribed migraine and neuralgia preventative is a seizure medication and has side effects such as birth defects, loss of short term memory, hair loss, fatigue, and other “cognitive-related dysfunctions”. In fact, the studies of these types of drugs only shows around a 30% reduction in attacks and almost 30% of users report unwanted or debilitating cognitive-related dysfunction.

Studies on the use of B vitamins to treat migraine and neuralgia pain, length and frequency showed around a 50% improvement for participants. Balanced B vitamin levels reduced homocysteine levels, markers for inflammation in the body, by 39%. Vitamin C, or sodium ascorbate, flushes chemicals out of the body while strengthening nerve fibers and blood vessel walls. Eliminating trigger foods and allergies from your diet combined with the appropriate vitamin levels for your body could help you to resolve the underlying issues that are contributing to your pain.

About the Author: Phil Le Breton is owner at Wholesale Nutrition. He has a strong interest in helping people achieve greater brain and body health with vitamins and supplements, with an emphasis on vitamin C powder. Wholesale Nutrition has provided the world with the best vitamin C and wholesale vitamins since 1970. Visit http://www.nutri.com to buy high-quality discount vitamins today!

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Sources:

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/trigeminal_neuralgia_facial_nerve_pain/article_em.htm

http://www.healthiertalk.com/solving-migraine-mystery-0857

http://www.nativeremedies.com/ailment/natural-neuralgia-treatments.html

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/trigeminal-neuralgia/DS00446

Normally, pain receptors must be excited to cause pain. However, with neuralgia, the nerve itself malfunctions. It becomes sensitive and begins to create tiny signals between the fibers of the nerve. Getting to the root of the problem by treating the nerve sensitivity and other underlying causes of neuralgia can be very beneficial. First we will discuss the types of neuralgia that are most commonly suffered, their possible causes, and then their natural treatments.

1) Atypical trigeminal neuralgia sufferers have a constant migraine-like headache combined with pain in the teeth, ears, sinuses, temples, jaw, cheeks, and/or around the eyes. Pain can also shoot to the back of the scalp and neck. This condition is sometimes called an “atypical” migraine. It occurs due to vascular compression of the trigeminal nerve, which can happen if the teeth or sinuses have a viral or bacterial infection, or trauma. It is characterized by an electric-type shock or sharp stabbing pain.

2) Glossopharyngeal neuralgia is characterized by the same type of pain, but more central in the head. Glossopharyngeal pain attacks the back of the tongue, throat, inside of the nostrils, and/or parts of the ears. The glossopharyngeal nerve controls the muscles of the throat and sends messages from the tongue, throat and tonsils to the brain. This condition can occur if an artery is abnormally positioned and compresses the nerve where it exits the brain stem. Sometimes this pain is caused by a brain or neck tumor.

3) Occipital neuralgia is sometimes called C2 neuralgia, cervicogenic headache, or Arnold’s neuralgia. This pain in the occipital nerve affects the back of the head, upper neck and behind the eyes. This condition stems from the top of the spinal column, where the upper cervical spinal cord nerves and trigeminal nerve converge. The spinal cord nerves send sensory signals up to the brain while the trigeminal nerve sends signals down from the face and eyes, and head.

Malfunctions in the muscles, soft tissues, bony structures, or vascular structures in the neck can lead to nerve sensitivity and misfirings. Because the nerve cluster here sends signals in opposite directions, you can have misfire crossover, creating a positive feedback loop that is very hard to treat. A positive feedback loop is a series of signals that activate each other. For example, muscle spasms or vessel dilation press on the occipital nerve at the base of the skull, sending pain signals to the brain. The trigeminal nerve is activated to send signals to the brain that pain in the face and head is present. The sensitivity of the nerves can cause them to send their signals down or up the wrong nerve in the wrong direction, causing more severe pain and even stroke-like symptoms, such as memory loss, confusion, and amnesia.

In Part 2: Natural Relief for Neuralgia, we will discuss how to get to the root causes of these types of pain using natural techniques, vitamins and supplements. While not everything is completely understood by the medical community about neuralgia, we can still work with what we do know. Sometimes something as simple as taking the best vitamin C, like sodium ascorbate or vitamin C powder, daily can help to strengthen nerve fibers, reduce overall inflammation, remove culprit toxins, and boost the immunity needed to combat triggers.

About the Author: Phil Le Breton is owner at Wholesale Nutrition. He has a strong interest in helping people achieve greater brain and body health with vitamins and supplements, with an emphasis on vitamin C powder. Wholesale Nutrition has provided the world with the best vitamin C and wholesale vitamins since 1970. Visit http://www.nutri.com to buy high-quality discount vitamins today!

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Sinus Irrigation

Sinus irrigation is used to flush out excess mucus and irritants. It also is a means of moistening the sinus membranes. It is a quick and easy way of delivering healing ingredients directly into the sinus cavity. A “neti pot” is used to irrigate the sinuses. If you’ve never done it, it may seem intimidating, but don’t worry. Just follow the directions that come in the package of the neti pot. Most will also come with a salt mixture to add to the water. This gives the water a slightly acidic pH, which acts as an anti-bacterial agent. Boil the water and sterilize the neti pot. Don’t skip this step! When the water is warm, you’ll be ready to irrigate. Make sure that your head is leaned over 90 degrees to keep the water from running into your mouth. Alternate sides and then blow the excess out.

Essential Oils

Essential oils can be used in a diffused form or as an inhalant to help relieve congestion and pain. You can add 1 teaspoon eucalyptus oil and/or tea tree oil to boiling water, reduce the heat, and then breathe in the vapors. Some people add essential oils to their humidifiers, but you should only do this if your humidifier is designed for oils. Otherwise, oils can possibly damage the machine.

Eucalyptus oil and tea tree oil are both safe to use directly on the skin in small amounts. You may like to put a drop on your upper lip to enjoy the sinus clearing fumes. You can also add 5 drops of each or 10 drops of either to your sinus irrigation mixture. These particular oils thin mucus and promote drainage. They also help to heal and calm delicate, inflamed tissues. Eucalyptus and tea tree oil are both anti-microbial and anti-bacterial, so they may help to clear or prevent infection in the sinuses.

Vitamins and Supplements

Many symptoms can be controlled by taking vitamins and supplements. If you start getting congested, remember “A B & C”. Vitamin A is a powerful antioxidant that helps protect you from the free radicals that cause infection in your sinuses. Vitamin B12 is great for treating the lethargy and lack of energy that are caused by sinus infection, sinus pressure, headache, and reduced oxygen levels associated with congested sinus cavities. Vitamin C is also helpful for increasing energy levels. It boosts your immune system so that it can more efficiently take care of the problem. Vitamin C also reduces inflammation, has an antihistamine quality, blocks histamines that are present, and protects the delicate lining of the sinuses from damage.

Make sure that you discuss any vitamins and supplements that you may be taking with your doctor to make sure that they will not interact with any of your current conditions or medications. Sinus drainage often causes an upset stomach, so make sure that you take a buffered form of vitamin C sodium ascorbate. Vitamin C powder is the best vitamin C because it is economical, quickly absorbed, and can be purchased in a non-irritating, non-acidic buffered form.

About the Author: Phil Le Breton is owner at Wholesale Nutrition. He has a strong interest in helping people achieve greater brain and body health with vitamins and supplements, with an emphasis on vitamin C powder. Wholesale Nutrition has provided the world with the best vitamin C and wholesale vitamins since 1970. Visit http://www.nutri.com to buy high-quality discount vitamins today!

Sources:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/347297-vitamins-for-sinus-problems-energy/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nasal_irrigation

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Vitamin E: Vitamin E improves heart function and helps to limit tissue damage during infection, injury, illness or surgery. Therefore, it is often recommended that supplementation with vitamin E be initiated before a planned surgery, unless you’ve had bleeding issues or a stroke. It can also be helpful after surgery, injury, infection or illness because during these events, oxygen rich blood is temporarily shut off from the damage site. When oxygen is restored to the damaged area, a flood of free radicals and toxins infest the area. Antioxidants such as vitamin E mop up these free radicals and prevent further damage from occurring.

Vitamin A: Vitamin A is necessary for cells to be able to “grow up” and mature. This is very important for tissues to completely heal. Vitamin A works with vitamin C and zinc to produce new tissues and collagen. Vitamin A also aids in creating new blood vessels to nourish newly formed tissues.

Vitamin C: Trauma, surgery, illness, and infection all quickly deplete your vitamin C stores. You may become deficient almost immediately. Vitamin C is a necessary nutrient for the production of collagen and elastin, which are necessary for healing to occur. Collagen makes up the structure of tissues, skin, bones, and blood vessels. Elastin gives the sites the flexibility that they need to withstand swelling, stretching, or future trauma. Vitamin C strengthens the immune system, gives each cell a protective barrier against free radicals, removes damaging free radicals from the body, and helps to prevent and control inflammation. Your doctor may recommend that you supplement with a non-acidic form of vitamin c, like sodium ascorbate vitamin c powder, before and after surgery.

Protein: Generating new tissues requires a lot of protein. Normal protein levels facilitate the formation of fibrous tissues. If there is not enough protein available to properly heal a wound, the body will produce fluid to protect the area while it heals. This leaves people more prone to infections, tissue breakdown and other post-operative complications.

Fiber: Urinary tract and bladder infections are very common after surgery. This is generally because the use of urinary catheters leaves this area open to infection. However, these types of infections can also occur when patients do not drink enough fluids after surgery. While the body is healing, its fluid requirements will be higher. If a high volume of fluid isn’t present, then toxins and bacteria can sit in the bladder too long.

Fiber keeps the bowels moving. This also helps to prevent dehydration and flushes the bladder out regularly. Fiber also helps to strengthen the immune system and reduces inflammation. If infection does occur, fiber can help you to recover faster.

Always remember to discuss any vitamins and supplements that you are taking, or plan to take, with your physician.

About the Author: Phil Le Breton is owner at Wholesale Nutrition. He has a strong interest in helping people achieve greater brain and body health with vitamins and supplements, with an emphasis on vitamin C powder. Wholesale Nutrition has provided the world with the best vitamin C and wholesale vitamins since 1970. Visit http://www.nutri.com to buy high-quality discount vitamins today!

Reprinting: This entire article may be reprinted free of charge provided that the “About the Author” section of the article, sources, and all links in the article are included. For shorter quotations, a clear link to the blog post or Wholesale Nutrition is sufficient.

Sources:

http://www.healthy-vitamin-choice.com/supplements-for-surgery.html

http://inhumanexperiment.blogspot.com/2009/08/protein-vitamins-and-wound-healing.html

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100302171531.htm

http://www.ajcn.org/content/68/2/447S.full.pdf

Autoimmune diseases are characterized by one common thing. They all arise from an overactive immune response to some sort of trigger. The body overreacts to small invaders or dysfunctions and attacks full force, even damaging healthy cells. The immune system can even mistake a normal cell for an invader and take it over. This is what makes autoimmune disorders so hard to treat. A lot of times, by the time they are noticed or diagnosed, healthy tissues have already been damaged.

Autoimmune disorders are normally treated with medications that suppress the immune response. These are called immunosuppression drugs. More than eighty different illnesses are classified as autoimmune diseases or are believed to be caused by autoimmunity, putting autoimmune disorder in the top ten list of leading causes of death among women in age groups up to 65 years of age.

Combating autoimmune diseases starts with creating a “good nutritional foundation over a long period of time”. This can greatly reduce the risk of developing diseases triggered by an autoimmune response. Patients with disorders such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis will usually have low serum levels of beta-carotene, vitamin E, and vitamin A.

Treatments involving inflammation reducing vitamins and supplements have been shown to delay or prevent the onset of autoimmune diseases. Antioxidant treatments can be used to treat symptoms of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases through their anti-inflammatory activity. Vitamin C is a great supplement for helping to create long-lasting protection against the effects of autoimmune disorders. Vitamin C helps cells to protect themselves from immune response attacks. It also helps to calm the immune system, making it more selective about what it considers a foreign pathogen.

Many people choose to prevent the diseases that their autoimmune dysfunction can cause, rather than wait for it to attack and damage healthy tissues. Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables along with supplementing with antioxidant vitamins can be a great, natural way to control inflammation and prevent disease. Speak with your doctor about monitoring blood serum levels of certain vitamins to make sure that you are getting enough of each. Daily recommendations can change based on the amount of inflammation in your body. Since people with autoimmune disorders generally carry more inflammation, it is important to monitor vitamin levels.

Ask your doctor which supplements will be best for you. Vitamin C is a great way to control inflammation. It is available in many forms, including sodium ascorbate, which is a more bioavailable form of vitamin C than ascorbic acid. It is generally recommended to patients who need to supplement daily because it is a non-acidic form of vitamin C. People with stomach problems or sensitivities to acids generally are more tolerant of sodium ascorbate than other forms of vitamin C. Working with your doctor will help ensure that you choose the best vitamin C for your heath situation.

About the Author: Phil Le Breton is owner at Wholesale Nutrition. He has a strong interest in helping people achieve greater brain and body health with vitamins and supplements, with an emphasis on vitamin C powder. Wholesale Nutrition has provided the world with the best vitamin C and wholesale vitamins since 1970. Visit http://www.nutri.com to buy high-quality discount vitamins today!

Sources:

http://www.lef.org/protocols/prtcl-017.shtml

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/51913.php

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This is important to note because it gives us a glimpse into how stress, cortisol, inflammation, and lowered vitamin D levels can lead to obesity and obesity-linked metabolic diseases. You see, obesity is more than just “eating too much”. It is actually an immune response to fat cells that is fed by inflammation and lowered vitamin D levels.

When our bodies are stressed and produce cortisol, our bodies start to pack fat around our organs to protect them from the onslaught of stress chemicals. Our immune system then has the fat cells release macrophages into the adipose tissues to create defenses against cellular debris and pathogens in this dense area. This immune reaction stimulates inflammation to set in so that the macrophages will have the energy and conditions that it needs to attack.

When macrophages are set into action, lymphocytes and other immune cells also respond to the inflammation, which creates even more inflammation, which in turn attracts more lymphocytes, and so on. This chain reaction of inflammation-causing immune responses is what makes obesity so dangerous. To make the situation more confusing, young fat cells can release extra macrophages and immune cells can be transformed into fat cells and some fat cells into immune cells.

All of these cells are intimately connected and they all create and react to hormones in our bodies. Fat is actually thought of as part of the immune system. When too much fat is present, the immune system goes to work trying to protect and manage itself. By doing so, it produces a vast amount of inflammatory chemicals which interfere with the use of insulin. The inflammation spreads through your body, causing muscle to deteriorate. It also causes your body to become resistant to the hormones that normally regulate weight, mood, appetite, digestion, and more.

Vitamin D has been found to prevent severe inflammatory reactions that lead to destruction all over the body. It is this same inflammation that is associated with metabolic disease, which shows us that there is a clear link between metabolism and the immune system. This is why illnesses like influenza are seen more prevalent in the winter months. It’s not that the flu isn’t around all year, it’s that people aren’t out in the sun during the winter months and aren’t producing enough vitamin D to have a healthy immune system.

Vitamin D increases production of antimicrobial peptides and prevents the immune system from releasing too many inflammatory cells. When enough vitamin D is produced, our immune system works more efficiently and correctly. It activates T-cells to fight off infections, invaders, viruses, and pathogens. These cells cannot do their jobs if not activated by vitamin D, and so the immune system will use macrophages and other types of less effective immune cells instead. This overproduction of ineffective immune cells contributes to the constant state of inflammation that obese people experience.

Vitamin D levels can be easily checked by your doctor. In general, people need more and more vitamin D as they get closer to obese. Once the threshold is crossed over and vitamin D is no longer produced, inflammation and obesity can be very hard to combat.

About the Author: Phil Le Breton is owner at Wholesale Nutrition. He has a strong interest in helping people achieve greater brain and body health with vitamins and supplements, with an emphasis on vitamin C powder. Wholesale Nutrition has provided the world with the best vitamin C and wholesale vitamins since 1970. Visit http://www.nutri.com to buy high-quality discount vitamins today!

Sources:

http://www.life-with-confidence.com/benefit-of-vitamin-d.html

http://www.nature.com/nri/focus/metabolism/index.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7379094/Vitamin-D-triggers-and-arms-the-immune-system.html

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/51913.php

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