B Vitamins - The B Doesn’t Stand For Boring; It Stands For Beneficial.

 

Most people don’t realize just how beneficial the B vitamins are. They are part of good nutrition and are easy to get through green veggies, pure whole grains, dairy and especially meats. B vitamins promote so many healthful things in the body that it is difficult to know where to start.

The big daddy of the B vitamins that many have heard about and can tell almost immediately that your low in is B12. It is huge in our lives because it does so much when it comes to your DNA, your nervous system, and your blood, specifically your red blood cells. 

Signs Of Low B12 Levels

It can be confusing when your B12 levels are low. Some symptoms of low B12 levels might include:

• ‘dead’ tired
• confused
• weak 
• sore 

Other signs include:

• pins and needles in the extremities, often mistaken for neuropathy or carpal tunnel
• poor balance
• a sore tongue 
• bleeding gums or mouth tissue 
• mistaken signs of depression 
• mistaken signs of dementia. 

Additionally, stroke potential is heightened because of this deficiency due to increased tendency of blood clotting issues.

 

What Causes B12 Deficiency?

There are a few main ways that Vitamin B12 can become deficient in the body. Poor diet is at the top of the list. Since B12 is in green vegetables, whole grains, animal fats and quality dairy products, when a diet consists of mostly processed foods, it can be difficult to get enough B12 in the diet through food alone.

Some heartburn medication can contribute to lower B12 levels in the body, as can a diet that is void of many animal fats like vegan diets or some vegetarian diets. In this case, it is important to supplement with B12 vitamins in addition to a quality diet.

Red blood cells carry oxygen and B12 is one of the big work horses of red blood cell formation and function. If the body isn’t carrying oxygen well, it can become hypoxic, meaning your body is very slowly acting as if it is suffocating.

Other factors in low B12 levels include alcoholism, pernicious anemia, as well as many digestive disorders like ulcers, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. These disorders can create low blood levels from the irritation or ulcers in the gut. When this happens, blood can enter the digestive tract causing bloody stool and therefore depleting the body of life-giving contents of blood.

Simple B12 supplementation can contribute to the healing of the gut and the restoration of proper blood health.

Another Problem With Low B12 Levels

Besides all of the signs and symptoms of low B12 levels listed above, there is the issue of DNA production and replication. Without B12, another important thing is that your DNA doesn’t get produced and your nerve function is seriously in jeopardy. Improper replication of DNA can create disease. The poorest of our genetic histories can be brought to light. In other words, a genetic predisposition to something like cancer or heart disease could potentially be avoided through proper nutrition, including proper B12 supplementation.

“Whenever I have a patient that is having nerve pain, often referred to as neuropathy, or pain alone, I always look to B Vitamin deficiency as the first issue. B12,6,3 and alpha lipoic acid are all essential for nerve pain treatment.” -Dr. Kenna Venekamp, DC

This vitamin is so important that it is available as an injection, as a nasal spray and as a supplement. So many forms so that you can be sure you can get it.

 

Vitamins B6 & B9

B6 or pyridoxine, as it is known by in scientific circles, is next on the list. It is very significant because it works towards the vitality of the brain and its proper development, as well as contributing to the proper function of the immune system. Chicken and fish are wonderful suppliers of this essential nutrient.

B6 is essential because of its similar oxygen influencing function to vitamin B12. Without it, red blood cells do not develop properly. When red blood cells do not carry oxygen to the tissues of the body, symptoms begin to occur. Things like confusion, feeling really down, or anxiety, depression or extreme moodiness are signs of low B6 in the system affecting the red blood cell development. 

Alongside these symptoms, vitamin B6 can really affect the potential for constantly getting a cold or contracting a virus. When the immune system is down, the body is much more susceptible to becoming overrun and ill. 

B9 (often in the form of folate) is a man’s best friend when he’s feeling down and out. This can have an immediate effect on how one manages their feelings or mood. A great starting place when feelings of depression begin would be B9 supplementation along with adding foods like green leafy veggies, beans (green or any kind) and citrus fruits.

This vitamin is so important that it is always recommended to pregnant women to prevent malformations of the baby’s spinal column as it develops. Things like spina bifida occulta or lack of proper brain formation can be the result of not getting enough folate or folic acid(synthetic). Consuming adequate levels of B vitamins before pregnancy occurs is extremely important because the first few weeks of the baby’s brain and spinal column and cord development is determined then.

B12, B6, and B9 are some of the most dynamic B vitamins. They are important for metabolism and rebuilding the DNA of the cell, building and protecting the nervous system and proper development of the crucial oxygen-carrying red blood cells.

Skinny Up!® Has B Vitamins

Highly absorbable B vitamins are included in the Skinny Up!® product line to keep you feeling healthy and upbeat during the weight loss and detoxification process. The Skinny Up!® protocol is simple and easy to follow, providing high amounts of nutrition, but would be extremely difficult to follow without the support of the Skinny Up!® products. 

The goal of returning you to experiencing a life of happiness, fulfillment, health through proper weight management, increased energy, alertness and pleasure starts with getting the body to reset its metabolism with the proper foundational building blocks.

 

Article Written by Dr. Venekamp
Dr. Kenna D. Venekamp graduated from Palmer College of Chiropractic, in 1988 with a degree as a Chiropractitioner. Dr. Venekamp’s interests are in the natural methods of helping the body heal without the judicious use of medications or surgery. Over the years, he has worked with experts in the field of nutrition and biology to create Skinny Up!®’s line of weight loss supplements.