Vitamin A Night blindness, dry eyes, rough dry skin and hair, acne, allergies, poor immunity, poor sense of taste and smell. Vitamin B1 Depression, irritability, poor concentration, memory problems, confusion, numbness and tingling in the hands and feet, loss of appetite, muscle weakness, sleep disturbances, fatigue, abdominal and chest pains, shortness of breath, rapid pulse, ankle swelling. Vitamin B2 Soreness and burning of the lips and tongue, cracking and peeling of the lips, red greasy and scaly skin on the face, eye irritation, blurred vision, sensitivity to light, watering eyes, burning feet. Vitamin B3 Irritability, headache, loss of memory, emotional instability, dementia, fatigue, scaly dermatitis in sun-exposed areas of skin, sore, painful or fissured tongue, diarrhea, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, indigestion, muscle weakness, insomnia. Vitamin B6 Irritability, insomnia, weakness, confusion, red scaly and greasy dermatitis of the skin around the nose, eyes and mouth, acne-like rash especially on the forehead, sore tongue, loss of appetite, weight loss, cracking at the corners of the mouth, anaemia, low blood sugar, pre-menstrual syndrome, nerve damage.
Vitamin B12 Anaemia causing fatigue, shortness of breath and pallor, numbness and tingling in the hands and feet, clumsiness and difficulty walking especially at night in the dark, confusion, depression, double vision, sore and/or pale smooth tongue, fatigue, poor appetite, weight loss. Folic acid Anaemia causing tiredness, pallor and shortness of breath, painful sore tongue with a smooth appearance, depression, peripheral nerve damage, diarrhea. Vitamin C Dry scaly skin, hair loss, skin cancer, increased risk of cancer, increased risk of heart attacks and strokes, reduced immune function, increased risk of SIDS, easy bruising, bleeding swollen gums, fatigue, increased susceptibility to many types of infection, depression. Vitamin D Rickets in children causing poor growth and skeletal deformities, osteomalacia in adults causing muscle weakness and bone pain and tenderness, insomnia, nervousness. Vitamin E Gait disturbances, muscle wasting, chronic liver disease, poor immunity.
Vitamin K Bleeding disorders, hemorrhages, bone abnormalities, decreased vitality, premature aging. Essential fatty acids Dry skin, dandruff, hair loss, eczema-like skin lesions, poor wound healing, depigmentation of the skin, excessive thirst, kidney failure, reproductive failure (especially in men), withering of salivary, tear and pancreas glands, fragile capillaries, impaired growth, visual clouding, mental disturbances, diarrhea, impaired immune response, respiratory tract infections, gallstones. When to Take Nutritional Supplements Iron supplements are the most commonly taken supplements by women and are often very poorly absorbed, producing black colored bowel actions, stomach cramps and constipation. We recommend you take only organic iron supplements such as amino acid chelates of iron. To greatly improve absorption and tolerance, take your iron supplement with fresh citrus fruits and swallow it with a small glass of water containing one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar.
Do not take your iron supplement with cereal fiber and indeed iron supplements are best taken away from meal times (eg. one hour before or after meals). Iron absorption is decreased by high intakes of tannin in tea and coffee and antacids like ‘Mylanta’. Calcium will work best if you take it with vitamin D and oils such as fatty fish (eg salmon, tuna, sardines) or essential fatty acids such as evening primrose oil and cod liver oil. Adequate gastric acid is required to absorb calcium and in perimenopausal women it is a good idea to take your calcium supplement with a small glass of water containing one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to increase absorption. Zinc supplements are best taken at the beginning of meals, as if they are taken on an empty stomach they may cause nausea. Do not take zinc tablets with iron or calcium, as absorption of all three may be reduced. The fat soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E, K) are best taken at the beginning of meals that contain some fat eg meat, chicken, eggs or vegetable oils.
The water soluble vitamins (vitamin B-complex and vitamin C) are generally absorbed with or without food. The B vitamins enhance absorption of zinc, and vitamin C enhances absorption of iron. In those with pernicious anaemia vitamin B12 can only be absorbed by injection. Multi-vitamins usually contain a mixture of many different vitamins, minerals and herbs all compressed into a large tablet. To improve absorption take them at the beginning of meals and swallow them with a small glass of water containing one to two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar. For those with weak digestive systems there are liquid forms of vitamins known as Micelles, containing tiny water soluble micronized vitamin particles and these are better absorbed. They are however more expensive, but are good for sufferers of irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease or malabsorption problems. Essential fatty acid supplements (evening primrose oil, star flower oil, fish oils) are generally best taken at the beginning of meals.
Those with gallbladder or liver disease will need to take smaller doses of essential fatty acids, as higher doses may cause nausea, abdominal cramping or diarrhea. Alternatively, if fatty acid supplements upset you, you can get them in your diet through eating fish and by grinding linseeds, sunflower seeds and almonds into a fine powder. Sprinkle 2 to 3 tablespoons onto your food every day and this should not cause any digestive upsets. Garlic capsules or cloves are best taken at the beginning of meals, as this will reduce the chances of bad breath and gastric irritation. Spirulina and other food supplements such as royal jelly, lecithin, amino acid complex, barley and wheatgrass extracts, brewer’s yeast and kelp are best taken at the beginning of meals. Herbal tinctures and capsules are also best taken with at least a small amount of food. What are the symptoms and consequences of selenium deficiency? Frequent colds and flu Increased susceptibility to infections of all types
Increased risk of auto-immune disease Increased incidence of inflammatory problems Increased risk of thyroid disease, including thyroid cancer Higher mortality rates from HIV (AIDS) Higher morbidity rates from chronic viral hepatitis (types B & C) Increased incidence of many different types of cancer, especially breast, prostate, colon and lung Selenium can protect your health in three significant ways: 1) Selenium and your immune system 2) Selenium and cancer 3) Selenium and your thyroid gland A healthy thyroid gland contains more selenium per gram than any other tissue in the body. How to get enough selenium for good health Can selenium become toxic? Recommended Dietary Intake for Selenium Tolerable Upper Intake Level for Selenium Vitamins – Mega II daily Take daily to give your body additional strength and protection with this mega multi vitamin. Selenium Complete or Selenomune Designer Energy Powder