As a vegan, making sure you get adequate nutrition is very important. Since many vitamins and minerals are more readily available from animal sources, it’s important to know how taking certain supplements could affect your health. Fortunately, a vegan diet can be quite nutritious and contain most of the essential nutrients you need. Still, there are some minerals and vitamins you may be missing. Here are just a few of the best supplements every vegan (and non-vegan) should know about. (more…)
Next to water and air, food is the most necessary thing in our lives. But beyond its status as a necessity, food can be comforting, nourishing, and supportive. It can bring people together and even provide a sense of community. I say "can" because the quality of your food matters and is what makes it either a potent, health-supportive tool or the slowest form of poison... not just for your physical health but your mental health, too. (more…)
Cobalamin is another name for vitamin B12, an essential nutrient necessary for proper metabolism and energy production. Hydroxocobalamin is a chemical compound with a similar structure to vitamin B12. Even though the human body doesn't produce hydroxocobalamin, bacteria in the digestive tract can convert it into a usable form. Commercial and pharmaceutical versions of hydroxocobalamin also use bacteria to create large volumes of the compound for therapeutic purposes. (more…)
Vitamin B12 is a lot like a key, opening up doorways that lead to an array of metabolic, cellular processes. Like a key, vitamin B12 is unique among all other vitamins in both structure and function. Plants, animals, and fungi do not create it, unlike most dietary nutrients. While bacteria in the gut can create B12, the production is inadequate. Without this important nutrient, cellular function would cease, and our energy would plummet. Considering that B12 contributes to the production of ATP — the molecule that provides energy to every […]
Vitamin D is one of the most important and most misunderstood vitamin of our time, and many people simply aren't receiving enough. Most people are deficient in vitamin D due to lack of sunlight exposure. We're modern-day cavemen, trapped in our offices and homes, rarely ever exposing our skin to the life-giving energy of the sun. Vitamin D supplementation is perhaps the most viable alternative, but many people are concerned over taking too much, fearing that excess vitamin D can lead to toxicity. While it's true you should have your […]
