Katharine Wroth of Grist was curious about her organic baby food options, so she took a look at several types of baby food.

She found that, among other results, Earth’s Best had an extensive selection, but also had high sodium levels. Gerber Organic was easy to find, but came in plastic containers. Organic Baby was from a good company, but was sometimes hard to find.

Plum Organics had BPA-free packaging, but a high price and limited flavor options. Happy Baby had the same advantages and the same problems. Little Lettice comes from a company that uses local ingredients and doesn’t ship outside the region, but that means it is only available in Massachusetts.

In the final analysis, the frozen baby foods tasted better than the jarred ones, but they would be prohibitively expensive if they were all you bought. However, they also noted that there is one option that is affordable, tasty, and healthy: making your own.

Obesity and arthritis that take root during early and middle age contribute to women's decreased quality of life during their senior years. In a study that included almost 6,000 people over 65, women suffered up to two and a half times more disabilities than men of the same age.

Higher rates of obesity and arthritis explained up to 48 percent of the gender gap in disability.

The study is the first to isolate the impact of specific chronic health conditions on the difference in disability rates between older men and women. The investigators were surprised to see the extent to which these conditions explained the gender difference in disability.

In addition to obesity and arthritis, the study found the women were more likely than men to experience fractures, vision problems and bronchitis. Men were more likely to have emphysema, coronary heart disease, congestive heart failure, stroke, diabetes and hearing problems.

Low blood levels of magnesium can increase your risk of stroke by 25 percent.

According to a new study, increasing levels of the mineral could decrease your risk of ischemic stroke. The effects are related to magnesium’s benefits on blood pressure and for diabetics.

Diet is known to have an impact on your risk of having a stroke, and in particular a connection has been made between sodium and hypertension. However, magnesium, potassium and calcium have all been inversely linked to hypertension in some studies.

Dietary sources of magnesium include green, leafy vegetables, meats, starches, grains, nuts, and milk. A large portion of adults do not meet the RDA for magnesium -- 320 mg per day for women and 420 mg per day for men.

U.S. government health officials have warned dieters and body builders to immediately stop using Hydroxycut, a widely sold diet supplement that has been linked to cases of serious liver damage and at least one death.

The company that makes the dietary supplement has agreed to recall 14 Hydroxycut products. Patients experienced symptoms ranging from jaundice to liver failure.

Dietary supplements aren't as tightly regulated as medications. Manufacturers have no need to prove to the FDA that their products are safe and effective before they can sell them. The FDA relies on voluntary reports to detect problems.

A group of endocrinologists have observed that very sick patients tend to have very low levels of vitamin D. The sicker they are, the lower the levels.

When they examined a cohort of 42 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients, 45 percent turned out to be vitamin D deficient.

Vitamin D gas roles in controlling sugar, calcium, heart function, gut integrity, immunity and defense against infection. Patients in ICU suffer from different degrees of inflammation, infection, heart dysfunction, diarrhea and metabolic dysregulation, so vitamin D deficiency may play a role in each of these common ICU conditions.

U.S. health officials have warned doctors and patients about potentially deadly risks of using the anti-wrinkle drug Botox and similar drugs to treat muscle spasms. The FDA said Botox and two other injections carry risks of rare botulism symptoms, particularly when given to children to help relax uncontrollable muscle movements.

Botox is best known for clearing wrinkles by paralyzing facial muscles, but the botulin-based drug also is widely used for muscle-spasm conditions. But the toxin can spread beyond the injection site to other parts of the body, paralyzing or weakening the muscles used for breathing and swallowing, a potentially fatal side effect.

Signs of botulism can appear just hours after injection and include difficulty swallowing or breathing, slurred speech and muscle weakness. Most of the hospitalizations and deaths related to Botox have been children with cerebral palsy taking the drugs for spasticity in their legs.

Drug company Merck invented a phony, but real sounding, peer reviewed journal -- The Australasian Journal of Bone and Joint Medicine -- solely in order to publish favorable looking data for its products. Merck paid Elsevier to publish the journal, which neither appears in MEDLINE or has a website.

These kinds of frauds are not possible without help. One such “helper” was an Australian rheumatologist named Peter Brooks, who served on the "honorary advisory board" of this "journal". In his entire time on the board he never received a single paper for peer-review.

If physicians would not lend their names or pens to these efforts, and publishers would not offer their presses, these publications could not exist. What doctors would have as available data would be peer-reviewed research and what pharmaceutical companies produce from their marketing departments would be considered advertisements.

By Dr. Mercola

There’s little doubt that a bra is an important support device, particularly for women with large breasts who may suffer serious discomfort and even pain otherwise.

However, wearing certain types of bras might not be in your best interest. In fact, if you’re in the habit of wearing the most popular styles, you may be setting yourself up for some potentially serious health problems.

Is Your Bra Helping or Harming Your Body?

There are several potential problems with bras. And while some types of bras are worse than others, simply wearing an ill-fitting bra could spell trouble.

Many physicians and researchers now agree that wearing a tight fitting bra can cut off lymph drainage, which can contribute to the development of breast cancer,[1] as your body will be less able to excrete all the toxins you’re exposed to on a daily basis. Aluminum from antiperspirants, for example, is one potentially dangerous source of toxins that can accumulate if your lymph drainage is impaired.

Says Dr. Michael Schacter, M.D. in his article, The Prevention and Complementary Treatment of Breast Cancer[2]:

"Over 85 percent of the lymph fluid flowing from the breast drains to the armpit lymph nodes. Most of the rest drains to the nodes along the breast bone. Bras and other external tight clothing can impede flow.

The nature of the bra, the tightness, and the length of time worn, will all influence the degree of blockage of lymphatic drainage. Thus, wearing a bra might contribute to the development of breast cancer as a result of cutting off lymphatic drainage, so that toxic chemicals are trapped in the breast."

Constricting bras have also been implicated in the rise of benign (non-cancerous) but often painful breast cysts and lumps. Says Dr. Dr. John McDougall, M.D., in his book titled The McDougall Program for a Healthy Heart:

"After repeated bouts of inflammation, the breasts develop scar tissue in many places, and some of the milk ducts become plugged, forming cysts. Fibrocystic breast disease, not surprisingly, is associated with a higher risk of breast cancer[3]."

You can avoid some of the improper drainage issues if you wear a bra that is properly fitted. Many, many women simply wear bras that do not fit. The website Linda’s Bra School offers plenty of guidance on proper bra fitting and can help you find a more appropriate bra style.

The Underwire Bra -- A Cancer-Causing Device?

But far worse for your health than tight or ill-fitting bras is the most popular type of all -- the underwire bra.

It’s important to realize that nearly all underwire bras contain metal underwires, coated with plastic. And it is the metal that could ruin your long-term health.

In his 1975 article, Chinese Lessons For Modern Chiropractors, Dr. George Goodheart – known as “the father of Applied Kinesiology” -- explained what he calls the "Antenna Effect."  Essentially, he discovered that by taping a small metal ball over an acupuncture point, you could achieve longer-term stimulation to that point in question. This discovery led to what are now known as AcuAids -- small magnetic patches that are used by thousands of doctors across the world.

However, just like a small metal ball, any metal constantly applied to any given energy channel or point on your body can have the same stimulating effect.

As described by John D. Andre, D.C., N.D.[4], below your breasts are two important neuro-lymphatic reflex points.  The one below your right breast corresponds to your Liver and Gallbladder. The one below your left breast goes to your Stomach.

He goes on to say:

“These reflexes, like all acupuncture points, follow the Law of Stimulation. In the beginning of stimulating a point, it is stimulated - often causing an increase in associated function. Later on, this continued stimulation causes sedation of that point and a subsequent decrease in its associated function. It's a mechanical thing. 

If a woman keeps the metal underwires on top of those reflex points, over time that WILL mess up the functioning of the associated circuits: Liver, Gall Bladder, and Stomach. 

Bottom Line: It will likely make her sick; slowly and quietly.”

In addition to that, the metal wire can also act as an antenna attracting electromagnetic fields, which can also increase your risk of breast cancer.

Bra Wearers May Face Up to 125-Fold Higher Cancer Risk

Medical anthropologists Sydney Singer and Soma Grismaijer -- authors of Dressed to Kill: The Link Between Breast Cancer and Bras -- conducted a study of over 4,000 women, and found that women who do not wear bras have a much lower risk of breast cancer.[5]

Their findings included:

• Women who wore their bras 24 hours per day had a 3 out of 4 chance of developing breast cancer
• Women who wore bras more than 12 hour per day, but not to bed, had a 1 out of 7 risk
• Women who wore their bras less than 12 hours per day had a 1 out of 52 risk
• Women who wore bras rarely or never had a 1 out of 168 chance of getting breast cancer

The overall difference between women who wore their bras 24-hours a day and those who did not wear bras at all was a 125-fold difference. Based on the results of this study, the link between bras and breast cancer is about three times greater than the link between cigarette smoking and cancer.

Singer and Grismaijer also found that about 90 percent of fibrocystic patients improve when they quit wearing bras.

I believe the results of this study are compelling, despite the fact that it was not a controlled study for other risk factors. There are few solid studies on bra wearing and breast cancer, but research showing links between the two is not entirely nonexistent.

For example, one 1991 study, published in the European Journal of Cancer, found that premenopausal women who did not wear bras had half the risk of breast cancer compared with bra users.[6]

Another group of Japanese researchers discovered that wearing a girdle or bra can lower your levels of melatonin by 60 percent.[7] The hormone melatonin is intimately involved with the regulation of your sleep cycles, and numerous studies have shown that melatonin has anti-cancer activities.[8] It’s also a powerful antioxidant, and can prevent DNA damage and bind to T-helper cells. Furthermore, researchers in Spain published a study detailing the possible use of melatonin in breast cancer prevention and treatment.[9]

Healthier Options are Available

Wearing metal on your body is something you generally want to avoid, and since many women wear their bras for the better part of the day, it would be sensible to find a healthier alternative to your metal underwire bras.

If you feel you need the underwire, please consider switching out the metal wire in your favorite bra for a plastic wire. You may be able to find them in your local fabric store, or you can purchase them online. BraMakersSupply.com is a great resource.

Simply replacing your metal underwires with plastic ones are your best alternative solution if you don’t want to forego the underwire entirely.

You can easily do this on your own simply by snipping a tiny hole in the fabric at the end of the underwire, on the inside of your bra. Slide the old wire out and replace it with the plastic wire, which can easily be cut to the correct length to fit. Then throw a few stitches across the hole to keep the wire from sliding out of the casing.

BraMakersSupply.com is one of the few companies that carry the whole range of plastic wire sizes and ship across the world. And at $2 per pair, protecting your long-term health couldn’t be much more affordable.

An even better option is to opt for a wireless style bra, which are now available in most brands, and for various levels of support. Sports bras and camisoles with a built-in shelf bra are other options that can work well, especially if your bust is on the smaller side.

A Healthy Life Depends on Healthy Choices

Life comes down to the choices you make, and then living with the results.  It’s important to remember that you almost always have options -- healthier options. Some require more work than others, but in this case it really won’t take much to make a meaningful change that can help you have a healthier body and life.

Switching out your bras won’t replace the need for an otherwise healthy lifestyle to avoid breast cancer. But it may be a very useful adjunct.

References

It used to be thought that dancing was unique to humans. But two separate studies have now shown that parrots have the ability to bob their heads and tap their feet to a number of different beats. One of the birds studied even has a favorite song ("Everybody" by the Backstreet Boys.)

The scientists theorized that the ability to dance evolved as a by-product in animals that are capable of complex vocal learning -- the process of converting a sound that they have heard into a behavior aimed at reproducing that sound. This process requires a tight integration of motor and auditory circuits in the brain.

Only a handful of animals are vocal learners, including humans, parrots, dolphins, elephants and seals.

The ultimate goal of the studies is to get a better understanding of the brain mechanisms behind dancing, which may have practical applications in understanding movement disorders like Parkinson's.

Scientists are reporting discovery of the secret behind the fabled healing power of turmeric, a spice revered in India as "holy powder."

Turmeric has been used for centuries in folk medicine to treat wounds, infections, and other health problems. Modern scientific research on the spice has burgeoned in recent years, but scientists until now did not know exactly how the main component of the spice, curcumin, works inside your body.

Using a high-tech instrument to perform solid-state NMR spectroscopy, the scientists discovered that molecules of curcumin insert themselves into cell membranes and make the membranes more stable and orderly. This increases your cells' resistance to infection by disease-causing microbes.

Some baby foods contain as much sugar and saturated fats as chocolate cookies or cheeseburgers.

A survey of more than 100 foods for babies and toddlers found examples that were 29 percent sugar, and others that contained trans fats, which have been linked to heart disease.

The Children's Food Campaign, part of food and farming campaign group Sustain, examined the nutritional content of 107 baby and toddler foods. Only half the products were low in saturated fat, salt and sugar.

After nine years of suffering, Anna Raisor started looking for alternative measures to treat the embarrassing side effects of incontinence. She was enrolled in a clinical trial using cognitive therapy to manage her overactive bladder.

Cognitive therapy employs deep-breathing and guided-imagery exercises that train the brain to control the bladder without medication or surgery.

The study revealed that cognitive therapy is an effective management strategy for urge incontinence. The average number of urge incontinence episodes per week decreased from 38 to 12.

Are humans sicker than ever before? Or are they better off than they used to be?

While humans as a whole do live longer than ever before, they now also suffer certain illnesses to a degree never seen in the past, including skyrocketing rates of diabetes and obesity, and also ailments such as hay fever. Among the possible causes for modern ills are too much hygiene, sedentary lifestyles, and a lack of stomach worms.

The modern era has brought a unique host of problems. The number of American children with chronic illnesses has quadrupled in the past 50 years. Child obesity rates have increased fourfold over the past thirty years, and asthma rates have doubled. This is in large part because people are more sedentary than before, and unhealthy fast food is more available.

The rise of allergies might be due to improvements in hygiene. For instance, many fewer people are infected with worms than before. As it turns out, worms are very potent at controlling immune reactions. Deworming the population may be one factor that led to the rise in immunological diseases.

By Dr. Mercola

Vitamin B12 is fittingly known as the energy vitamin, and your body requires it for a number of vital functions. Among them: energy production, blood formation, DNA synthesis, and myelin formation. Myelin is insulation that protects your nerve endings and allows them to communicate with one another.

If you know or suspect you’re vitamin B12 deficient, you’re not alone. Recent studies from the U.S. Framingham trial show one in four adults in the United States are deficient in this vitally important nutrient, and nearly half the population has suboptimal blood levels.

Why Vitamin B12 is So Important for Your Health

Vitamin B12, also known by the scientific name cobalamin, is water-soluble. Unlike other water-soluble vitamins, B12 doesn’t exit your body quickly in urine. It is stored in your liver, kidneys and other body tissues. As a result, a deficiency may not show itself for a number of years, depending on your diet and your body’s ability to efficiently absorb B12. This time lag is a serious concern, because after about seven years of B12 deficiency, irreversible brain damage can result.

Vitamin B12 is a powerhouse micronutrient for a whole host of reasons. Your body needs B12 for:

• proper digestion, food absorption, iron use, carbohydrate and fat metabolism
• healthy nervous system function
• promotion of normal nerve growth and development
• help with regulation of the formation of red blood cells
• cell formation and longevity
• proper circulation
• adrenal hormone production
• healthy immune system function
• support of female reproductive health and pregnancy
• feelings of well-being and mood regulation
• mental clarity, concentration, memory function
• physical, emotional and mental energy

As you can see from this list, your B12 level impacts a number of very important systems in your body -- everything from your DNA to how happy you feel. If you think you might be deficient in this vitamin, you need to take steps to get your B12 levels into the healthy range.

I’ll discuss the proper test to determine your B12 blood level as well as the latest information on what constitutes a healthy range a little later in this article.

Symptoms of Vitamin B12 Deficiency

If you don’t have adequate vitamin B12 levels in your bloodstream, you might notice some of the following warning signs:

1. mental fogginess
2. problems with your memory
3. mood swings
4. lack of motivation
5. feelings of apathy
6. fatigue and a lack energy
7. muscle weakness
8. tingling in your extremities 

One of the most important functions of vitamin B12 is building the myelin which insulates and protects your nerve endings and allows them to communicate with one another.

If you’re B12 deficient and your myelin is depleted, you can experience health problems as widespread as depression, dementia and even symptoms which mimic multiple sclerosis.

Depression

Depression is thought to be linked to a shortage of compounds called monoamines, which are manufactured by your central nervous system. Vitamin B12 helps your body make these compounds. There is also evidence high levels of homocysteine associated with B12 deficiency may promote depression.

Dementia and Alzheimer’s

Research also indicates a B12 deficiency may lead to cognitive problems and reversible dementia in the elderly. This type of treatable dementia differs from Alzheimer’s, however, B12 may play a role in this growing epidemic as well.

A study of over 100 senior volunteers showed older individuals with low levels of vitamin B12 are more apt to suffer from brain atrophy or shrinkage. Brain atrophy is a well-established characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease.

Anemia

A lack of vitamin B12 can result in a condition called pernicious anemia. Pernicious anemia is characterized by a lack of healthy red blood cells, and a larger size of existing cells.

Since vitamin B12 helps in the formation of red blood cells, a chronic lack of adequate B12 will naturally affect your body’s ability to create red blood cells, eventually leading to anemia. “Pernicious” was the adjective applied to the often fatal condition back in the days before it was understood to be caused by a lack of vitamin B12.

Left untreated, pernicious anemia can do permanent, serious damage to your body. It can increase your risk for heart problems and strokes. It can damage your nerve cells and affect everything from your balance to your sense of smell. It can also cause changes to the surface of your digestive tract, increasing your risk of stomach cancer.

Sleep Problems

If you have trouble sleeping, it could be due to a lack of melatonin in your system. If you’re a regular reader of my newsletter you know the importance I place on adequate good quality sleep for optimum health.

Melatonin is known as the “sleep hormone” and as you age, your body becomes less efficient at producing this chemical.

B12 plays a crucial role in melatonin production, which is another reason it is important to make sure you’re receiving an adequate amount of this vitamin into your blood.

Neurological and Neuropsychiatric Conditions

Inadequate vitamin B12 levels have been linked to many neurological conditions in addition to dementia and Alzheimer’s, including spinal cord disease and peripheral neuropathy.

Peripheral neuropathy is a disease or dysfunction of your peripheral nerves, and can include numbness and tremor, as well as opposite sensations like tingling, pain, itching and pins and needles. Your skin can become hypersensitive to the point where you can’t stand to have anything touching certain areas of your body – clothing and bedding actually cause pain. If your muscles are involved they may feel weak, tired or heavy, and you may experience muscle cramps, tremors, and soreness.

A lack of vitamin B12 might also be implicated in migraine headaches and Parkinson’s disease, both of which are neurological conditions.

Vitamin B12 deficiency has also been linked to psychiatric disorders, which are grouped into the following methods of expression:

1. Mood disturbances ... apathy, depression, eating abnormalities, and behavior disturbances which occur specifically at night
2. Hyperactivity ... agitation, euphoria, irritability, lack of inhibition, and motor disturbances
3. Psychosis ... hallucinations and delusions

Optic neuropathy is another outcome of vitamin B12 deficiency. Long-term, chronic B12 deficiency is known to cause deterioration of the optic nerves, resulting in blindness. This is an irreversible condition.

Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases

Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases have a common risk factor – increased homocysteine levels in the blood.

Studies show insufficient amounts of folic acid and vitamin B12 can elevate your homocysteine levels, potentially increasing your risk for heart disease and stroke.

Cancer

We know vitamin B12 plays an important role in DNA synthesis, and its presence in your cells, along with folic acid, helps to alleviate the wear and tear on your genetic material. Damage to DNA is a well-known risk factor for cancer.

Low levels of B12 are specifically linked to increased risk for breast and cervical cancer.

How B12 Deficiency Affects Fertility, Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

Elevated homocysteine levels which result from an inadequate intake of B12 are well-known markers for increased risk of heart problems and stroke. Less known is the fact high levels of homocysteine are also very dangerous during pregnancy and can lead to complications and birth defects.

Pregnant women with B12 deficiency carry an increased risk of having a baby born with neural tube defects, a class of birth defects affecting the infant’s brain and spinal cord. Spina bifida, which can cause paralysis, is a type of neural tube defect, as is anencephaly, which is fatal.

If you’re planning a pregnancy, it’s absolutely critical to attain a healthy level of vitamin B12 in your blood stream before you conceive. Neural tube defects develop within the first four weeks of fetal life, so if you wait until you’re pregnant to check your B12 levels, it could be too late.

If you’ve had trouble conceiving or lost pregnancies through miscarriage, you should have your vitamin B12 levels checked. A B12 deficiency has been linked to infertility and repeated miscarriages.

If your diet doesn’t include animal products and you’re breastfeeding, your baby could develop brain abnormalities due to a vitamin B12 deficiency.

How You Get Vitamin B12 Deficient

Vitamin B12 is present in natural form only in animal sources of food, which is one of the reasons I advise against being a strict vegetarian or vegan. There are many well-documented cases of blindness and brain abnormalities in strict vegetarians resulting from vitamin B12 deficiency. 

The older you get the more likely you are to have a vitamin B12 deficiency. The two ways you become deficient are through a lack of vitamin B12 in your diet, or through your inability to absorb it from the food you eat.

I recently visited India, which is primarily a vegetarian based culture. Current studies there show about 80 percent of adults are deficient in vitamin B12.

Vegans and Vegetarians

Vitamin B12 deficiency is extremely common in strict vegetarians and vegans. B12 is not readily available in plants, so if you do not eat meat or animal products you are at risk.

Vitamin B12 is found almost exclusively in animal tissues, including foods like beef and beef liver, lamb, snapper, venison, salmon, shrimp, scallops, poultry and eggs.

The few plant foods that are sources of B12 are actually B12 analogs. An analog is a substance that blocks the uptake of true B12, so your body’s need for the nutrient actually increases.

If you are not a vegan/vegetarian, are including food sources of B12 in your diet and are still deficient in the vitamin, it is likely due to one of the following reasons.

Age-Related Insufficient Production of Hydrochloric Acid

The older you get the more your digestive system breaks down, especially if you’ve been following the standard American diet. Specifically, the lining of your stomach gradually loses its ability to produce hydrochloric acid which releases vitamin B12 from your food.

If you’re over 50, it’s safe to assume you are not absorbing vitamin B12 at an optimal level.

Use of Antacids and Anti-Ulcer Drugs

The use of antacids or anti ulcer drugs will also lower your stomach acid secretion and decrease your ability to absorb vitamin B12.

Stomach acid (hydrochloric acid) is a crucial ingredient in your body’s ability to absorb B12. If you’re taking a medication specifically designed to reduce the amount of stomach acid you produce, your body’s ability to use vitamin B12 from the food you eat or the supplements you take will be significantly compromised.

Use of the Drug Metformin©

If you take Metformin© (brand names Glucophage, Glucophage XR, Fortamet, Riomet, Glumetza, and others) for diabetes, the drug may reduce your B12 absorption through interference with the metabolism of calcium in your body. Calcium is another necessary component in your body’s ability to absorb B12.

A recent study indicates that the longer a person with Type 2 diabetes takes Metformin© and the higher the dose, the greater the risk for vitamin B12 deficiency.

Use of Other Medications

Many prescription drugs have the potential to diminish the level of B12 in your system, including:

Coffee Drinkers

According to recent research, if you drink four or more cups of coffee a day you are likely to experience a 15 percent reduction in B vitamins compared to people who don’t drink coffee.

Bacterial Infection

Infection with Helicobacter pylori, a common contributor to stomach ulcers, can also result in vitamin B12 deficiency.

The H. pylori bacteria damage the cells of the stomach which produce intrinsic factor. Intrinsic factor is a crucial requirement for the absorption of vitamin B12 --I’ll discuss its importance in more detail shortly.

Weight Loss Surgery Patients

If you’ve had gastric bypass surgery, you may be B12 deficient. The surgery often disrupts the mechanisms which aid your body in absorbing vitamin B12 and other vitamins.

Exposure to Nitrous Oxide (Laughing Gas Anesthesia)

There is ample evidence to indicate exposure to nitrous oxide may destroy B12 reserves.

Nitrous oxide is used by dentists for pain management and in operating rooms as a form of anesthesia. Use of the gas can pose a significant risk to those with existing undiagnosed or untreated B12 deficiency.

Health care workers who are routinely exposed to nitrous oxide are also at risk. And of grave concern is the abuse of the gas by medical personnel, teenagers and young adults who use it for its euphoric effects. This practice can result in severe neurological damage.

Food-Cobalamin Malabsorption Syndrome

The main cause of vitamin B12 deficiency is a term researchers call food-cobalamin malabsorption syndrome. (Remember cobalamin is the scientific term for vitamin B12.)

This condition typically results when your stomach lining loses its ability to produce intrinsic factor, which is a protein that binds to vitamin B12 and allows your body to absorb it into your bloodstream at the end of your small intestine.

The Fundamental Role of Intrinsic Factor in Vitamin B12 Absorption

The key point to understand here is that if your body is not making intrinsic factor, you could swallow vitamin B12 till the cows come home and you simply won’t absorb it.

Part of the reason you require a binding protein like intrinsic factor is that vitamin B12 is a very large molecule. It is actually the largest vitamin we know of. In addition, the way it gets absorbed into your body involves a complex series of events.

Intrinsic factor is a molecule protein made by your stomach. It grabs onto the B12 molecule and together they move through your stomach to your small intestine. When they reach the end of your small intestine, the intrinsic factor is absorbed first, pulling the B12 with it into the cells of your large intestine, where they are absorbed for use by the rest of your body.

Cobalamin (cbl) absorption and metabolic pathway.

(A)      Structure of cobalamin (vitamin B₁₂) with a corrin ring bound to a central cobalt atom.

(B)      The metabolic journey of cbl from nutrient intake to its intestinal absorption. Endocytic receptors and proteins responsible for vitamin B₁₂ intestinal absorption include cubilin (CUBN), amnionless (AMN), receptor-associated protein (RAP) and megalin (LRP-2). The membrane megalin/transcobalamin II (TCII) receptor complex allows the cellular uptake of cbl. Lysosomal-mediated degradation of TCII and subsequent release of free cbl is essential for vitamin B₁₂ metabolic functions. MS: methonine synthase; THF: tetrahydrofolate; MTHFR: methyltetrahydrofolate reductase; MCM: methylmalonyl coA mutase.

(C)    Mutations in genes encoding the IF (GIF), CUBN, AMN, TCII or its receptor provoke defects in cbl absorption and/or cellular uptake which translates into functional cbl deficiency and its clinical manifestations.

If your body doesn’t produce enough stomach acid, then you’re not producing enough intrinsic factor either.

Indigestion, heartburn and gastric reflux disease (GERD) are conditions which normally develop later in life. While symptoms feel like your stomach is making too much acid, in the vast majority of cases, the reverse is true – too little stomach acid is being produced.

To make matters worse, the first thing many people do when they get symptoms of indigestion or heartburn is reach for an antacid, further compromising their ability to produce hydrochloric acid.

Lack of free acid in your stomach interferes with digestion and reduces the amount of nutrients you get from the food you eat.

Since a lack of stomach acid means a lack of intrinsic factor, and since the only way vitamin B12 can be absorbed into your system is through bonding with intrinsic factor molecules, it’s easy to understand why so many people are not getting adequate B12 into their bodies.

This is why vitamin B12 shots are so popular. They bypass absorption problems and put the vitamin directly into your bloodstream.

Testing for B12 Deficiency

Blood tests for vitamin B12 deficiency aren’t as clear cut or helpful as they are for other nutritional deficiencies. Standard tests to assess vitamin B12 concentrations are limited because the clinical severity of vitamin B12 deficiency is unrelated to vitamin B12 concentrations.

Researchers have established the following recommendations to screen for vitamin B12 deficiency:

• If your vitamin B12 concentration is less than 150 pmol/L, you are considered B12 deficient and you and your health care practitioner should take steps to determine the underlying cause(s) and treatment.
• If your B12 concentration is between 150 and 200 pmol/L, your serum MMA (Methylmalonic Acid) level should be determined to identify whether your situation requires more investigation and treatment. Research suggests elevated levels of MMA (a natural compound found in your body) are an indicator for vitamin B12 deficiency.

Getting your B12 and MMA serum levels lab tested is one way to go, especially if you have a compelling reason to have “official” test results.

However, it is probably a more practical approach if you suspect or are concerned you are vitamin B12 deficient, to simply supplement your diet with B12 and see if your symptoms improve.

Vitamin B12 supplementation is completely non-toxic and inexpensive, especially when compared to the cost of laboratory testing. In fact, the first treatment most doctors and other health care experts will suggest upon receiving B12 deficiency lab test results is supplementation with vitamin B12. So again, it is an entirely reasonable approach to try supplementation first to see if your symptoms improve.

Natural Sources of Vitamin B12

One of the best natural sources for vitamin B12 is certain types of seafood. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to buy commercially produced un-contaminated fish, and it is my firm belief the risks associated with mercury laden seafood outweigh its health benefits.

I do not recommend eating any commercially available fish, as it is just too difficult to determine its purity and safety. This is especially true if you’re pregnant or have a growing family, as methyl mercury is highly toxic to the developing brains and nervous systems of infants and children.

Beef and beef liver are also good sources of B12, but keep in mind grass-fed beef is highly preferable to the grain-fed variety.

Chicken is also a natural source of vitamin B12. Organic chicken is the way to go, as conventionally raised chickens may harbor antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria.

Pork is another source of vitamin B12. It is not a food I recommend, however. Pigs are scavengers and will eat almost anything, making them susceptible to retroviruses and parasites. These bugs have a high probability of making it into pork food supplies, and no amount of cooking can insure they have been killed.

If you must eat pork, your safest bet is to eat the meat of non farm-raised animals, fed organically. However, you should avoid all processed pork products like bacon and sausage.

Regardless of which meat you prefer, keep in mind -- how it is cooked can also mean the difference between a nutritious meal and an unhealthy one.

Drinking milk is another way to get vitamin B12. However, avoid pasteurized milk even if it’s organic. The only milk I recommend is raw milk. Look for Certified Grade A milk, produced under government supervision and guaranteed absolutely clean.

Eggs are another source of vitamin B12, and there’s a bonus: eggs are one of the healthiest all-around foods in the world.

Ideally you’ll be able to buy your eggs locally from a free-range pasture farm. Second choice would be to buy free-range organic from the grocery store. Don’t go for the omega-3 added eggs – they are actually less healthy for you than regular eggs.

As with all foods, how you prepare your eggs makes a big difference in their nutritional value. I recommend eating eggs raw, however, if you choose to cook them, soft-boiling is your next best option. Scrambling is the least desirable of all cooking methods, especially if you have high cholesterol.

A Word about Vitamin B12 Fortified Breakfast Cereals

In doing your research on food sources of vitamin B12, you’ll likely find vitamin fortified breakfast cereals on most mainstream lists. I completely disagree with this recommendation.

Vitamin fortified or not, cereals are not a healthy food. The highly processed grains in cereals quickly break down to sugar in your system, and stimulate insulin production. Infants and children also do not fare well eating cereal.

Supplementation: Science Develops a Better Way to Replenish Your B12 Stores

Part of the reason vitamin B12 is so difficult to absorb and requires an additional protein is because it is a massively large molecule when compared with the other vitamins. It is far larger than any other vitamin and requires extraordinary measures to actually push this molecule into your blood.

Since the primary challenge your body faces in absorbing vitamin B12 is the large size of the molecule, a B12 delivery system which shrinks the molecules makes perfect sense.

Science has recently developed a technology that can reduce the effective size of the vitamin B12 molecule and help you absorb this molecule into the fine capillaries under your tongue. The delivery system for these microscopic droplets of vitamin B12 is a fine mist you spray into your mouth.

This delivery system bypasses the intrinsic factor problem and is much easier, safer and less painful than a vitamin B12 shot.

Next Steps

Vitamin B12 deficiency is a potentially life-threatening condition. A best case scenario if you’re B12 deficient is you aren’t in optimal good health, which is always the goal.

To review, if you fall into one of the following categories, you should investigate whether you are B12 deficient:

• You are a vegan or vegetarian
• You are over 50
• You take antacids or anti-ulcer medication
• You take Metformin© for diabetes
• You take other prescription drugs known to deplete your B12 stores (see list above)
• You drink four or more cups a coffee a day
• You have or had an H. pylori bacterial infection
• You’ve had weight loss surgery
• You’ve been exposed to nitrous oxide (laughing gas)
• You suffer from indigestion, heartburn or GERD

Symptoms or warning signs of a possible B12 deficiency include:

1. Mental fogginess or problems with your memory
2. Mood swings, a feeling of apathy or lack of motivation
3. Fatigue, a lack of energy, muscle weakness, tingling in your arms or legs

If you aren’t getting sufficient B12 in your diet, or you suspect your body isn’t able to efficiently absorb the vitamin, I recommend you begin supplementation immediately with either an under-the-tongue fine mist spray or vitamin B12 injections.

Ensuring your body has adequate B12 can vastly improve the quality of your life today, and prevent debilitating, even life-threatening diseases which result from a deficiency of this all-important nutrient.

References:

• The Iowa Source, Vitamin B12 Deficiency, Dr. Nancy Lonsdorf, http://www.iowasource.com/health/2009_04_b12.html
• Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 89, No. 2, 693S-696S, February 2009, How Common Is Vitamin B-12 Deficiency?, Allen, Lindsay H., American http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/89/2/693S
• Canadian Family Physician, Vol. 54, No. 4, April 2008, pp.536 – 541, Vitamin B12 and Health, Ryan-Harshman, Milly, Aldoori, Walid, http://www.cfp.ca/cgi/content/abstract/54/4/536?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=vitamin+b12&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&volume=54&issue=4&resourcetype=HWCIT
• Quarterly Journal of Medicine 102(1):17-28; 2009, An Update on Cobalamin Deficiency in Adults, Dali-Youcef, N, Andres, E, http://qjmed.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/102/1/17
• Mercola.com, Vitamin B12 for Depression, http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2003/12/17/vitamin-b12-depression.aspx
• About.com: Alternative Medicine, Folate and Vitamin B12 and Depression, Cathy Wong, http://altmedicine.about.com/od/treatmentsfromatod/a/FolateB12.htm
• Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neurology, Vol. 18, No. 1, 33-38 (2005)
  DOI: 10.1177/0891988704272308, Neuropsychology of Vitamin B12 Deficiency in Elderly Dementia Patients and Control Subjects, Alicia Osimani, MD, et al, http://jgp.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/18/1/33
• U.S. News & World Report, Vitamin B12 Key to Aging Brain, Amanda Gardner, http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2008/09/08/vitamin-b12-key-to-aging-brain.html
• MedicineNet.com, Pernicious Anemia, http://www.medicinenet.com/pernicious_anemia/article.htm
• Wikipedia, Peripheral Neuropathy, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peripheral_neuropathy
• Mercola.com, Special Test Needed for B12 Deficiency, http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2004/11/24/vitamin-b12-deficiency-part-two.aspx
• The Journal of Neuropsychiatry, 19:50-56, February 2007, The Influence of Neuropsychological Functioning on Neuropsychiatric Problems in Dementia, Pauline Aalten, Ph.D., et al, http://neuro.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/19/1/50
• Mercola.com, Strict Vegetarians Can Develop Blindness and Brain Damage, http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2000/03/26/vegetarians-blindness.aspx
• The Weston A. Price Foundation, Vitamin B12: Vital Nutrient for Good Health, Sally Fallon and Mary G. Enig, Ph.D., http://www.westonaprice.org/basicnutrition/vitaminb12.html
• Mercola.com, Vegetarians/Vegans Have Higher Homocysteine/Lower B12, http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2000/11/05/vegetarian-homocysteine.aspx
• EurekaAlert!, Low Levels of Vitamin B12 May Increase Risk for Neural Tube Defects, http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-03/nioc-llo022509.php
• Reuters, Vitamin B12 Can Prevent Major Birth Defects, Will Dunham, http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE5210MT20090302
• Archives of Internal Medicine, Vol. 166 No. 18, October 9, 2006, Risk Factors of Vitamin B12 Deficiency in Patients Receiving Metformin, Rose Zhao-Wei Ting, MBBS, et al, http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/166/18/1975
• Mercola.com, Vitamin B12 Keeps Your Brain Young, http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/09/23/vitamin-b12-keeps-your-brain-young.aspx
• Mercola.com, Screening for Vitamin B12 Deficiency, http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2003/05/28/vitamin-b-12.aspx