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Many with migraines may have vitamin deficiencies, says study

Posted by Health Naturals · June 19, 2016

A high percentage of children, teens and young adults with migraines appear to have mild deficiencies in vitamin D riboflavin and coenzyme Q10 - a vitamin-like substance found in every cell of the body that is used to produce energy for cell growth and maintenance.

These deficiencies may be involved in patients who experience migraines, but that is unclear based on existing studies.

"Further studies are needed to elucidate whether vitamin supplementation is effective in migraine patients in general, and whether patients with mild deficiency are more likely to benefit from supplementation," says Suzanne Hagler, MD, a Headache Medicine fellow in the division of Neurology at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and lead author of the study.

Dr. Hagler and colleagues at Cincinnati Children's conducted the study among patients at the Cincinnati Children's Headache Center. She presented her findings at the 58th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Headache Society in San Diego.

Dr. Hagler's study drew from a database that included patients with migraines who, according to Headache Center practice, had baseline blood levels checked for vitamin D, riboflavin, coenzyme Q10 and folate, all of which were implicated in migraines, to some degree, by previous and sometimes conflicting studies. Many were put on preventive migraine medications and received vitamin supplementation, if levels were low. Because few received vitamins alone, the researchers were unable to determine vitamin effectiveness in preventing migraines.

She found that girls and young woman were more likely than boys and young men to have coenzyme Q10 deficiencies at baseline. Boys and young men were more likely to have vitamin D deficiency. It was unclear whether there were folate deficiencies. Patients with chronic migraines were more likely to have coenzyme Q10 and riboflavin deficiencies than those with episodic migraines.

Previous studies have indicated that certain vitamins and vitamin deficiencies may be important in the migraine process. Studies using vitamins to prevent migraines, however, have had conflicting success.

Source: Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center

What to look for in a Probiotic

Posted by Health Naturals · April 22, 2016

Having a healthy balance of good intestinal flora is one of the most important aspects of health. If the ratio of bad bacteria in the gut begins to outnumber the good bacteria it can lead to a host of health problems.

Many take probiotics on a daily basis for general health. If you have been on antibiotics to knock out a bug it is important to remember antibiotics also wipe out much of the good bacteria. After antibiotics is a time probiotics are often used to replenish the good bacteria.

When shopping for Acidophilus / Probiotics it is important to make sure they are stored in the refrigerator at the store where they are bought to ensure potency. A good dose of probiotics would be 8 billion to 50 billion.

It is also important to look at the amount of probiotic strains in the product. One rule of thumb is to look for a broad variety of strains. 4 different strains would be on the low side while 10 different strains would be optimal.

Why Vitamin D deficiencies are so prevalent in our modern world

Posted by Health Naturals · April 06, 2016

Sunlight through windows such as in the office or in your car filters out most of UVB radiation, what you get is UVA radiation which decreases vitamin D. What you want is direct sunlight UVB to increase D, UVA is more responsible for skin cancers without the UVB.

Roughly half the population are D deficient. If you've not already had it tested ask for a 25(OH)D or 25-hydroxy vitamin D blood test. If you are deficient supplement with D-3 not D-2.

Anyone taking D3 and or calcium should be taking K2 as well. It is a co-factor of D3, working with it to tell the body where to deposit calcium so it doesn't end up in places like joints, blood vessels, and organs.

Vitamin K2 helps calcium to go to the right places. It directs calcium to go into your bones and teeth instead of your arteries.

Deficiency in K2 causes calcium build up in the arteries and valves. It also attaches to plaque. This can cause hardening of the arteries, heart attacks and strokes.

MK-7 is a type of K2 and is the most biologically active form of K2 to buy for health.

------What's the deal with B-12-----?

Posted by Health Naturals · March 13, 2016

Cyanocobalamin vs. Methylcobalamin

Cyanocobalamin:

Cyanocobalamin is the most common form of B12 supplement available. The popularity of this synthetic option is based primarily on its affordability. It is the primary B12 found in mass market retail stores. By offering a synthetic B12 supplement, it can better be massed produced. This increases the manufacturer’s profit and may or may not lower the actual price paid by consumers.

It is not found in nature, but is a cheap, synthetic chemical produced in a laboratory. As such, it is not found in plants or animals and is not at all naturally occurring, as often claimed.

Since Cyancobalamin is not found naturally, your body has no need for the cyano compound and must process it first in order to filter out the unnecessary compound- one that is also found in the poison cyanide. This means it must be filtered through your liver so that the compound is not absorbed. For smokers or those with liver problems, this can be troublesome and can cause unnecessary additional damage.

While the cyanide absorbed during the process is not in quantities large enough to do significant damage, it is not a risk that should be taken lightly. The process of converting the Cyancobalamin into a useable form of B12 requires extra work by the body, further diminishing its positive effects.

Methylcobalamin:

Unlike its synthetic counterpart, Methylcobalamin is found in nature. Its prefix “methyl” indicates that it can be put to use immediately by your body. Because it is natural there is no need to filter out poisonous chemical compounds. Not only does this ease of absorption result in higher levels of B12, it also ensures that the body uses the vitamin more effectively and retains it longer.

It is also important to note that Methylcobalamin is the specific vitamin required by the nervous system to maintain health. Whereas Cyancobalamin is ineffective at treating nervous system symptoms of Vitamin B12 deficiency, including vision problems, Methylcobalamin is successful.

The benefits of taking Methylcobalamin as opposed to Cyancobalamin do not extend only to neurological health, but to all other traditional benefits associated with Vitamin B12. The difference in effectiveness comes down to the ease in which it’s absorbed, which makes sense since many B12 deficiencies are not a result of lack of exposure, but the body’s ability to properly absorb it. Methylcobalamin circumvents this problem.