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COMMON VITAMINS: INOSITOL AND VITAMIN B12
Inositol
A member of B-complex vitamin family.
Functions
Vital for hair growth and can prevent thinning hair and baldness. As a part of lecithin, participates in all of its activity. Important for healthy heart muscle. Can help reduce blood cholesterol. Has been used in the treatment of obesity and schizophrenia (as part of brain cell nutrition).
Deficiency symptoms
Deficiency may contribute to hair loss, constipation, eczema (dermatitis) eye abnormalities and high blood cholesterol.
Natural sources
Brewer\'s yeast, wheat germ, lecithin, unprocessed whole grains, especially oatmeal and corn, nuts, milk, crude unrefined molasses, citrus fruits and liver.
MDR (minimum daily requirement):
Not established, but most authorities recommend the same amounts of inositol as choline. More inositol is found in the human body than any other vitamin except niacin. One tablespoon of yeast provides approximately 40 milligrams each of choline and inositol. Therapeutic doses 500 to 1,000 mg. a day, if taken in tablet form.
Vitamin B12
Cobalamin. Cyanocobalamin. Also known as the \"Red-Vitamin.\" Usually measured in micrograms (mcg.).
Functions
Essential for the production and regeneration of red blood cells. Prevents anemia. Promotes growth in children. Involved in many vital metabolic and enzymatic processes.
Deficiency symptoms
Deficiency may cause nutritional and particularly pernicious anemia, poor appetite and growth in children, chronic fatigue, sore mouth, feelings of numbness or stiffness, loss of mental energy, difficulty in concentrating.
Natural sources
Milk, eggs, aged cheese such as Roquefort, liver, fortified brewer\'s yeast, sunflower seeds, comfrey leaves, kelp, bananas, peanuts, concord grapes, sunflower seeds, raw wheat germ and pollen.
MDR (minimum daily requirement):
1 to 5 mcg. Therapeutic doses up to 50 and 100 mcg. Because vitamin B12 is difficult to assimilate when taken by mouth, most doctors give it in the form of injection when used for therapeutic purpose. Since B12 is present in vegetable foods only in small amounts, vegetarians are advised to use milk and/or fortified brewer\'s yeast, or take vitamin Bi2 in a tablet form as a supplement.
*150/103/5*
GENERAL HEALTH
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