Vitamin Information Center

adzuki bean

admin — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 21:24:47 +0000

adzuki bean
adzuki bean, azuki bean noun a small, slightly sweet, reddish-brown bean from Japan
and China, used as a pulse or ground into flour (NOTE: Its botanical name is Phaseolus
angularis.)

Tags: adzuki bean, azuki bean, botanical name, China, flour, japan

aerate

admin — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 21:23:06 +0000

aerate verb to allow air to enter a substance, especially soil or water

Tags: soil

Advisory Committee on Microbiological Safety of Food

admin — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 21:19:14 +0000

Advisory Committee on Microbiological Safety of Food
Advisory Committee on Microbiological Safety of Food noun a statutory
committee that provides advice to the government on matters of food safety. Abbreviation
ACMSF

Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)

admin — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 03:02:19 +0000

Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)
•Required for nerve function, synthesis of DNA and RNA, metabolism of energy,
enzyme reactions, and production of red blood cells.
•Used therapeutically for heart health (lowers homocysteine), male infertility, pre-
vention of neural tube defects, asthma, and cancer prevention.
•Deﬁ ciency is common among the elderly and those with poor diets, pernicious ane-
mia, depression, Alzheimer’s, or malabsorption conditions (celiac disease).
•Deﬁ ciency symptoms: anemia, appetite loss, constipation, numbness and tingling
in the extremities, and confusion. Pregnant women with deﬁ ciency have increased
risk of giving birth to a child with neural tube defects.
•Drugs that deplete B12: acid-lowering drugs (omeprazole, lansoprazole, ranitidine),
oral contraceptives, antibiotics, cholestyramine, and metformin.
•Supplements are recommended for those over age 50, vegetarians, women planning
to become pregnant, those with poor diets, and those at risk of heart disease.

Tags: cancer prevention, celiac disease, cholestyramine, dna and rna, energy enzyme, lansoprazole, male infertility, nerve function, neural tube defects, omeprazole, oral contraceptives, poor diets, production of red blood cells, ranitidine, red blood cells, risk of heart disease, rna metabolism

Vitamin B3 (Niacin)

admin — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 03:01:42 +0000

Vitamin B3 (Niacin) •Required for energy metabolism, enzyme reactions, skin and nerve health, and digestion. •High doses of nicotinic acid (3 g daily) can lower cholesterol (reduce LDL and tri- glycerides and increase HDL) and reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke; high dosages should be supervised by a physician. •Deﬁ ciency causes pellagra, the symptoms of which are skin rash, diarrhea, demen- tia, and death. •Deﬁ ciency may be caused by poor diet, malabsorption diseases, dialysis, and HIV. •Drugs that deplete vitamin B3: antibiotics, isoniazid, and 5-Fluorouracil (chemo- therapy). •High-dose niacin, taken along with statin drugs (i.e., lovastatin), may increase the risk of rhabdomyolysis (muscle degeneration and kidney disease). •Most people get adequate niacin from diet and/or a multivitamin; supplements may be recommended for those with high cholesterol.

Tags: diarrhea, energy metabolism, increase hdl, isoniazid, kidney disease, lovastatin, multivitamin, multivitamin supplements, muscle degeneration, pellagra, poor diet, risk of heart attack, skin rash, tri glycerides

Vitamin B2 (Riboﬂavin)

admin — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 03:00:21 +0000

Vitamin B2 (Riboﬂavin)
•Required for energy metabolism, enzyme reactions, vision, and skin/hair/nail
health; functions as an antioxidant; activates vitamin B6, niacin, and folate.
•May play a role in preventing migraine headaches and cataracts.
•Deﬁ ciency occurs in alcoholics, the elderly, and those with poor diets.
•Symptoms of deﬁ ciency include sore throat; redness/swelling of the mouth, throat,
tongue, lips, and skin; decreased red blood cell count; and blood vessel growth over
the eyes. Deﬁ ciency may impair iron absorption and increase risk of pre-eclampsia
in pregnant women.
•Drugs that deplete vitamin B2: antibiotics, chlorpromazine, amitriptyline, adriamy-
cin, and phenobarbitol.
•Most people get adequate riboﬂ avin from diet and/or a multivitamin.

Tags: alcoholics, amitriptyline, blood vessel growth, cataracts, chlorpromazine, energy metabolism, health functions, iron absorption, migraine headaches, multivitamin, nail health, Niacin, poor diets, pre eclampsia, red blood cell, red blood cell count, sore throat, vitamin b2, vitamin b6

Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)

admin — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 02:59:42 +0000

Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)
•Drugs that deplete vitamin B1: furosemide, antibiotics, oral contraceptives, and
phenytoin.
•Most people get adequate thiamine from diet and/or a multivitamin.Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)
•Required for energy production, nerve and muscle function, enzyme reactions, and
fatty acid production.
•Deﬁ ciency causes beriberi, a disease that affects cardiovascular, nervous, muscular,
and gastrointestinal systems.
•Deﬁ ciency is common in developing countries; in North America it occurs in alco-
holics, those with kidney disease, malabsorption syndromes (celiac disease), and
in those with poor diets.
•Drugs that deplete vitamin B1: furosemide, antibiotics, oral contraceptives, and
phenytoin.
•Most people get adequate thiamine from diet and/or a multivitamin

Tags: acid production, alco, antibiotics, beriberi, celiac disease, countries in north america, developing countries, diet, furosemide, gastrointestinal, gastrointestinal systems, kidney disease, muscle function, nerve and muscle, oral contraceptives, poor diets, Thiamine, vitamin b1

Vitamin A

admin — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 02:58:24 +0000

Vitamin A
•Found in animal foods and converted from beta-carotene in plant foods.
•Required for vision, gene expression, reproduction, embryonic development, red
blood cell production, and immune function.
•Prescription vitamin A derivatives are used to treat skin conditions (acne) and reti-
nitis pigmentosa (genetic eye disease).
•Deﬁ ciency is rare in Canada, but common in developing countries due to malnutri-
tion. It causes night blindness, dry eyes and skin, and impaired growth.
•Drugs that deplete vitamin A: cholestyramine, colestipol, mineral oil, and neomycin.
•Supplements should be avoided by those at risk of lung cancer (smokers) or liver
toxicity (alcoholics, liver disease).
•Doses greater than 10,000 IU daily should be avoided by pregnant women due to the
risk of birth defects. Most prenatal vitamins provide 5,000 IU.
•Doses greater than 5,000 IU may increase risk of osteoporosis.
•Supplements of vitamin A beyond what is provided in a multivitamin are not rec-
ommended due to risk of toxicity. To avoid this risk, choose a multivitamin that
contains beta-carotene, which is converted to vitamin A in the liver, but is not as-
sociated with health risks.

Tags: animal foods, Beta Carotene, blood cell production, cholestyramine, colestipol, dry eyes, embryonic development, gene expression, genetic eye disease, health risks, immune function, liver disease, liver toxicity, mineral oil, multivitamin, neomycin, night blindness, prenatal vitamins, red blood cell, skin conditions

TRIGLYCERIDES

admin — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 02:57:42 +0000

TRIGLYCERIDES
Triglycerides (TG) are the chemical form in which most fats exist in food (both animal
and plant fats). They are also present in the blood along with cholesterol.
A diet that is high in fat, sugar, reﬁ ned carbohydrates, and alcohol can elevate
TGs. Overeating also raises TG because excess calories are converted to fat in the
liver and then into TG to be transported in the blood. High levels of triglycerides are
associated with heart disease and diabetes. It is possible for triglycerides to be high
even when blood cholesterol is normal, so get your levels checked regularly. In most
cases, TG levels can be effectively managed with diet and exercise.
SUMMARY
In this section we learned that our bodies need a balance of quality protein, carbo-
hydrates, and fats. These macronutrients provide us with the energy and nutrients
needed for proper growth, development, and many body processes. In a later chapter
I will outline principles for a healthy diet—my top recommendations for a nutritional
plan for optimal health and disease prevention.

Tags: blood cholesterol, body processes, carbohydrates, excess calories, fat in the liver, healthy diet, heart disease, heart disease and diabetes, hydrates, macronutrients, overeating, plant fats, quality protein, tg, triglycerides

CHOLESTEROL

admin — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 02:57:11 +0000

CHOLESTEROL
Cholesterol is a waxy substance found in the fats (lipids) in our blood. It is manu-
factured in the liver and also obtained from consuming saturated and trans fats.
Cholesterol is not all bad—the body requires it to produce sex hormones, maintain
cell membranes, and for a healthy nervous system. 12 | Chapter 1
Aside from diet, cholesterol levels can be elevated by family history, lack of ac-
tivity, and liver disorders, and cholesterol consumption increases the risk of heart
disease.
As with fats, there is good and bad when it comes to cholesterol. The good
cholesterol is HDL (high-density lipoproteins) and the bad is LDL (low-density li-
poproteins). LDL cholesterol can build up in the artery walls of the brain and heart,
narrowing the passageways for blood ﬂ ow, a process known as atherosclerosis, the
precursor to heart disease and stroke.
HDL cholesterol is called good cholesterol because it picks up the LDL deposited
in the arteries and transports it to the liver to be broken down and eliminated.
To lower LDL and raise HDL levels, exercise regularly, minimize saturated fats,
avoid trans fats, and don’t smoke (smoking lowers HDL).

Tags: arteries, artery walls, cell membranes, cholesterol levels, good cholesterol, hdl cholesterol, hdl levels, high density lipoproteins, ldl cholesterol, lipids, liver disorders, low density, passageways, risk of heart disease, saturated fats, sex hormones, tivity, trans fats, waxy substance

Vitamin Information Center

adzuki bean

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