408 Nutrients for Diabetic Neuropathy [21 Feb 2017]

Tingling, numbness or pain in the hands and feet are symptoms that affect 60-70% of people with diabetes. This condition is called diabetic neuropathy and is caused by excess sugar in the blood and cells.

Sugar molecules combine with protein and fat in our cells in a process called glycation. This is the same process that occurs when you toast bread or caramelize onions. The resulting sugar-protein compounds are called Advanced Glycation End Products (AGES). These AGES attack the myelin sheath that surrounds nerves and the nerves themselves, and also trigger an inflammatory response. The result is numbness, tingling and pain. The peripheral nerves in our hands and feet are the longest and thinnest so are the most affected.

There is much you can do to prevent and even reverse diabetic neuropathy naturally. The most important thing is to control blood sugar levels; avoiding refined carbs. Other helpful lifestyle choices are to keep blood pressure under control, stay active, manage stress, and don’t smoke. Supplements that have shown promise include:

• Benfotiamine, the fat soluble form of B1, has been shown to reduce the production of AGES, improve nerve function and peripheral sensation, and reduce nerve pain
• Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) is an antioxidant that inhibits glycation by converting more glucose into energy (which most of us could use!), improves blood flow to nerve cells, and reverses nerve dysfunction caused by high sugar levels (see #89 Nov 2010)
• Acetyl L-Carnitine, an amino acid, improves nerve function relieves diabetic pain and promotes nerve regeneration (see #239 Oct 2013)
• Methylcobalamine, the active form of vitamin B12, helps rebuild the myelin sheath and peripheral nerves and protect them from further damage (see #339 Oct 2015)
• Vitamin B6 promotes the synthesis of neurotransmitters necessary for healthy nerve function
• Omega 3 (fish oil) and GLA (evening primrose oil) are anti-inflammatory and reduce numbness, tingling and pain (see #388 Sept 2016)
• Capsaicin cream applied topically may temporarily relieve pain

Be patient - it often takes several weeks to see improvements as the nerves heal.

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

390 The B Vitamins [10 Oct 2016]

The B’s are a group of eight water soluble vitamins with many important roles in the body. In writing about the function of mitochondria in the cells (columns #301 & #302) I discussed the roles of several of the B vitamins.

We normally get most of our B vitamins from our diet with some, like biotin and folic acid, produced by bacteria in our gut. Being water soluble, some B vitamin content of food is lost in processing, and dysbiosis (unhealthy gut flora) can reduce vitamin production in the intestines.

B vitamins are available as supplements as singles or all together in what is known as a “B Complex”. In choosing a B complex look for the right amounts and the right forms. Standard B complex formulas will have the same amount of each vitamin, for example 50 mg of most and 50 mcg of a few. It’s highly unlikely that we need exactly the same amounts, by weight, of each vitamin. Better formulas will have what appears to be random amounts but which are based on a more scientifically determined ratio of our body’s needs.

The form of the vitamins is even more important. The B vitamins come in several forms and the most active is often more expensive to produce. Here are the B vitamins with the biologically active or preferred form in brackets:
• B1 Thiamine (benfotiamine)
• B2 Riboflavin (riboflavin-5-phosphate)
• B3 Niacin (inositol hexanicotinate)
• B5 Pantothenic Acid (calcium d-pantothenate)
• B6 Pyridoxine (pyridoxal-5’-phosphate or P5P)
• B7 Biotin
• B9 Folic Acid or Folate (calcium L-5-MTHF)
• B12 Cobalamin (methylcobalamin)

Though not classified as true B vitamins, a good complex will also include three other related coenzymes:
• PABA Para-aminobenzoic acid (sometimes called B10)
• Choline
• Inositol

Keep this in mind when shopping for a B complex supplement.

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

339 Vitamin B12 – the Cobalamins [5 Oct 2015]

B12 is the most structurally complex of the vitamins and the only one which contains a trace mineral – cobalt – which gives it its scientific name cobalamin. That’s the reason cattle are given cobalt, usually in the form of blue salt blocks, so their gut bacteria can synthesize B12 for them. Human gut bacteria may produce some B12 but rarely enough. Thus we need to obtain B12 from our diet.

In order to be absorbed in the small intestine, B12 from our food requires a special enzyme, called “intrinsic factor”, which is produced in the stomach. Some people do not produce enough intrinsic factor, resulting in a B12 deficiency called pernicious anemia. This is overcome with a special sublingual form that is absorbed directly in your mouth, bypassing the digestive tract.

There are three forms of B12 found in supplements.

• Cyanocobalamin is the cheapest form so the most common in multi vitamins. It contains a toxic cyanide group which the body must dispose of after converting it to methylcobalamin. It is safe at normal doses but is not recommended for high dose supplementation.

• Methylcobalamin is the biologically active form which protects nerve cells from degenerative damage in neurological disorders such as MS, Alzheimer’s and glaucoma. It is better absorbed and retained than cyanocobalamin and is non-toxic so is safe even at high doses. A quick test for the quality of a multivitamin or B complex is to check the form of B12 in it!

• Hydroxocobalamin is a special form that is well absorbed and is easily converted to the active forms. It is sometimes used in cases of cyanide poisoning to help detoxify and excrete cyanide – by IV for acute toxicity and by supplementation for chronic low-level toxicity. Cyanocobalamin is first converted into hydroxocobalamin and then into either of the active forms – methylcobalamin or adenosylcobalamin. Adenosylcobalamin is readily stored (in the liver) and is the form used in mitochondria for energy production.

B12 plays many roles in our metabolism some of which involve the TCA cycle of energy production in our mitochondria which I wrote about in January 2015 (#302). In March of 2014 (#257) I wrote about B12 deficiency symptoms and the importance of supplementation for brain health.

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

257 Vitamin B12 & Your Brain [3 March 2014]

Do you ever suffer from low energy, brain fog, or moodiness, have trouble sleeping or just feel “yucky”, there’s a good chance you have a vitamin B12 deficiency.

A Tufts university study found that B12 deficiency occurred in nearly 25% of people over 26 and about 50% of people over age 50. Symptoms of B12 deficiency include:
• low energy and weakness
• confusion or “brain fog”
• cognitive decline & memory loss
• sleep problems
• hearing and vision loss
• tingling in the fingers and toes
• dizziness
• irritability or depression
• weak immune system
• severe deficiency can lead to dementia.

An important role that B12 plays is to reduce levels of homocysteine which:
• damages arteries increasing risk of heart disease
• weakens bones
• can cause vision and hearing loss.

Factors contributing to B12 deficiency include:
• Over age 45
• Low stomach acid or use of antacids
• Vegetarianism (best food source of B12 is red meat)
• Consumption of alcohol.

The best form of B12 to take is sublingual (dissolves under the tongue) methylcobalamin. Many experts recommend 1,000 mcg daily for maintenance and up to 15,000 to restore optimum levels. B12 is very safe with no drug interactions or adverse effects, even at very high doses. If you want to think more clearly enjoy more energy, and just plain feel better, try supplementing with methylcobalamin.

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner. See this article on my website for links to sources and further reading.