Tag: b12

• Zinc, Selenium and the Immune System

  Zinc and selenium are important micronutrients required for the immune system to function effectively along with vitamins A, C, E, B6, B12, C, D, E and folic acid and the trace elements iron and copper.

  Both insufficient and excessive intakes of zinc and selenium can have negative consequences on the immune status.

  For the majority of people, low selenium intake is not a major issue. Whole-grains provide provide a more than adequate supply for vegans.

  A serum selenium test shows a short-term status of selenium whilst red blood cell selenium reflects a long-term status.

  Before consuming large amounts of selenium in foods or supplements, it is important to know the true status of your selenium.

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  6 August 2021

• Vitamin B12, Homocysteine and Methylmalonic Acid

  B12 is a group of cobalt-containing vitamins. Hydroxocobalamin and cyanocobalamin are synthetic forms of vitamin B12. The two forms of vitamin B12 naturally occurring in foods are methylcobalamin and adenosylcobalamin. These forms are biologically equivalent.

  B12 is produced by a number of different species of bacteria which is found in the soil, on the surface of some plants and some red and green algae.

  Lack of vitamin B12 can have serious consequences as does high levels of homocysteine. Determining the status of vitamin B12 and homocysteine can be difficult and can be determined by measuring serum vitamin B12, homocysteine and methylmalonic acid (MMA).

  A number of products contain riboflavin, pyridoxine, folate, B12 and methionine way in excess of dietary requirements in an attempt to resolve B12 metabolism problems.

  Many magnesium supplements contain pyridoxine which is usually unnecessary and possibly detrimental.

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  5 August 2021

• Men’s Shed Morpeth – 28 February 2014

  The transcript of a talk given at Morpeth Men's Shed on 28 February 2014.

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  27 February 2014

• What is a Heart Attack?

  Below is an overview of the mechanism that leads to cardiac myocardial infarctions (or heart attack). It took many decades for a basic understanding of this process.

  The consensus at the beginning of the 20th century was that heart disease is a normal part of aging. In 1913, a 28 year old pathologist, Nikolay Anitschkow (or Anichkov), working at the Military Medical Academy in St. Petersburg, showed that by feeding rabbits cholesterol dissolved in sunflower oil induced vascular lesions closely resembling those of human atherosclerosis, both grossly and microscopically. Controls fed only the sunflower oil showed no lesions.

  Another difficulty in understanding heart disease is that there are a number of factors involved. Researchers, practitioners and the public become attached to one aspect. Some argue passionately regarding one aspect of heart disease and become blind to other factors.

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  6 January 2014