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The Flavonoids Explained

July 11, 2011 By Leave a Comment
A selection of flavonoid rich foods.

WHAT ARE THE FLAVONOIDS? The flavonoids (also known as bioflavonoids, polyphenols or vitamin P) are probably the most well known group of phytonutrients (a group of chemical compounds which occur naturally in plants and have numerous health benefits but are not considered essential nutrients).  The flavonoid group is comprised of 9 separate sub-groups: - Anthocyanins (which include cyanidin, delphinidin, malvidin, pelargonidin, peonidin and petunidin). - Chalconoids. - Coumestans (which include coumestrol). - Flavanones (which include hesperidin, naringenin and silymarin). - … [Read more...]

Para-Amino Benzoic Acid (PABA / Vitamin Bx) Explained

February 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment
spinach2 (424 x 283)

WHAT IS PARA-AMINOBENZOIC ACID? Para-aminobenzoic acid (also known as PABA or vitamin Bx) is an unofficial water soluble, B complex vitamin.  Para-aminobenzoic acid is not considered a true vitamin because it is part of vitamin B9 and can be produced in the body by intestinal bacteria.  However, it is a powerful antioxidant (substances that protect the body from oxygen related damage) and also keeps the skin and hair healthy.  In this article I will be looking at para-aminobenzoic acid in greater detail. WHEN WAS PARA-AMINOBENZOIC ACID DISCOVERED? Para-aminobenzoic acid was … [Read more...]

Inositol (Myo-Inositol / Vitamin B8) Explained

February 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment
A chopped, red grapefruit.

WHAT IS INOSITOL? Inositol (also known as myo-inositol or vitamin B8) is an unofficial water soluble, B complex vitamin.  It is not officially classed as a vitamin because it can be produced by intestinal bacteria in the body.  Inositol works very closely with choline to maintain healthy cell membranes, metabolise fats and much more.  In this article I will be discussing inositol in greater detail. WHEN WAS INOSITOL DISCOVERED? Inositol was initially isolated in 1849 by Scherer.  In 1915 Wieland and Wishart became the first people to produce inositol and the full chemical … [Read more...]

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10 / Ubiquinone) Explained

February 10, 2011 By 4 Comments
A jug of canola oil next to a canola flower.

WHAT IS COENZYME Q10? Coenzyme Q10 (also known as CoQ10 or ubiquinone) is a vitamin like substance that has antioxidant properties.  Whilst coenzyme Q10 is not technically a vitamin (because it can be produced by the body in small amounts) it is unofficially classified as a fat soluble vitamin.  In this article I will be discussing coenzyme Q10 in greater detail. WHEN WAS COENZYME Q10 DISCOVERED? Coenzyme Q10 was first isolated from beef heart mitochondria in 1957 by Dr Frederick Crane of Wisconsin, USA.  Later that year Professor Morton of England managed to extract coenzyme Q10 from … [Read more...]

Choline Explained

July 25, 2010 By Leave a Comment
A selection of eggs in a nest.

WHAT IS CHOLINE? Choline is an essential nutrient that promotes good liver health and plays a key role in fat metabolism.  Whilst it is not technically a vitamin, it is often unofficially classified as a water soluble, B complex vitamin.  In this article I will be discussing choline in greater detail. WHEN WAS CHOLINE DISCOVERED? Choline was discovered by Adolph Strecker in 1862 and chemically synthesised in 1866.  In 1946 further research revealed that a diet lacking in choline caused liver cancer in rats.  However, it was not until 1998 that choline was classified as an … [Read more...]

From Vitamin A to Vitamin E: 40+ Vitamin Rich Foods

January 26, 2009 By 18 Comments
A selection of vegetables.

In my last few posts I have been discussing vitamins in greater detail.  I outlined how they were vital to your health and that without them you would suffer from a number of adverse effects.  I also discussed the dangers of overdosing on vitamins and said that it was very difficult to overdose on them from food alone.  Although I am not completely against the use of vitamin supplements I believe that you should try and get your vitamins from food sources where possible.  Today I am going to try and help you do just that by listing over 40 vitamin rich foods. 1) VITAMIN A:- Vitamin A can … [Read more...]

4 Factors that may make Vitamin Supplements Necessary

January 23, 2009 By 12 Comments
A selection of vitamin supplement pills.

In one of my recent articles I stated that I did not think multi vitamins were necessary.  I also said that it was very difficult to overdose on vitamins from food alone and that overdosing is normally the result of excessive vitamin supplement consumption.  After reading these articles you probably think I am completely against the consumption of vitamin supplements.  However, this is not the case.  Whilst I am generally against multi vitamin supplements (for the reasons discussed in my article) I do feel that other vitamin supplements are valuable tools in certain situations.  In this … [Read more...]

8 Adverse Effects of Vitamin Deficiency

January 20, 2009 By 10 Comments
An image of multiple red blood cells.

Recently I outlined how getting your vitamins can be very beneficial to your health.  I also discussed that you can go too far by overdosing on the various vitamins which can lead to a number of adverse effects.  Today I would like to discuss the other extreme – vitamin deficiency.  Just as getting too many vitamins can cause undesirable symptoms, not getting enough can also negatively impact your health.  In this article I will be discussing the adverse effects of not getting enough vitamins and outlining how you can make sure you get enough of each. 1) DIFFICULTY PERFORMING ESSENTIAL … [Read more...]

3 Reasons to Avoid Overdosing on Vitamins

January 17, 2009 By 19 Comments
A woman eating a spoon full of vitamin pills.

In my previous article I discussed the benefits of getting enough vitamins.  This article highlighted the importance of vitamins for good overall health.  They play a role in almost everything you can imagine from growth, to production of new cells, to wound healing, to protecting your body.  However, you can get too much of a good thing.  Whilst sticking to the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for each vitamin can provide you with countless benefits consuming high doses of certain vitamins can have the opposite effect causing pain, discomfort and even damage to your body's cells.  In … [Read more...]

12 Top Reasons to Get Your Vitamins

January 14, 2009 By 3 Comments
A selection of fruit in a basket.

In some of my previous blog posts I discussed each of the thirteen vitamins in detail.  Each vitamin is an essential nutrient that helps your body's cells perform an important function.  Together they provide you with a number of significant health benefits.  Today I would like to discuss this topic in greater detail and outline twelve of the top reasons for getting your vitamins. 1) HEALTHY VISION AND NIGHT VISION:- Vitamin A and B2 both promote healthy vision.  Not getting enough of these vitamins can lead to problems with your sight, particularly at night time.  In the worst cases … [Read more...]

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