CCH Health Review
Ideas & Strategies to Improve Your Health
February 2005
Vitamin B12 and Aging
Vitamin B12 deficiency occurs in over 20% of elderly individuals and goes unrecognized because clinical manifestations are subtle, although they can be potentially serious.
Vitamin B12 is needed for normal nerve cell activity and DNA replication. It also involved in fat, carbohydrate and protein metabolism. As you can imagine, vitamin B12 is absolutely essential for good health. A B12 deficiency is a common but overlooked cause of fatigue and neurological problems. Many of the health problems of the elderly can be traced in part to a lack of vitamin B12.
As you get older, your digestive capacity greatly diminishes. However, B12 requires strong digestion if it is to optimally absorbed from your food into your bloodstream.
Vitamin B12 is found mostly in foods of animal origin, including dairy, eggs, meat, poultry and fish. If you're a vegetarian, you may not be getting enough B12. Besides the elderly and vegetarians, anyone with a bowel infection or inflammation may not be absorbing enough B12.
It's difficult to spot the early stages of a B12 deficiency. Many people have a gradually increasing B12 insufficiency that spans many years. By the time a B12 deficiency is usually identified, the problem has become serious.
One early warning flag for a possible B12 problem is a common blood test called a "complete blood count", or CBC. One of the items on a CBC can identify a possible vitamin B12 or folate insufficiency. (Folate is another B vitamin). If you have a CBC from another doctor, bring it with you on your next visit to our clinic. We'll check for possible B12 or folate problems.
You might be able to boost your B12 levels by taking a B12 supplement. However, if you are elderly or have a gastrointestinal disorder, you may not be able to absorb your supplement. In this case, B12 injections are appropriate. Injectionss are quite effective because they bypass the digestive process. Our clinic provides vitamin B12 injections if you need them.
Source: Andres E et al, Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin) Deficiency in Elderly Patients, CMAJ, August 3, 2004;171(3):251-259
Hate Your Hair? Blame Your Mother's Diet
In a study that demonstrates you are what you eat, scientists have reported they have changed the fur colors of baby mice simply by altering their mothers' diets.
They changed the color of baby mouse fur by feeding pregnant mice four nutritional supplements -- vitamin B12, folic acid, choline and betaine. Mice given the supplements gave birth to babies with predominantly brown coats. Pregnant mice not fed the supplements gave birth mostly to babies with yellow coats.
The study shows that common nutrients can influence which genes turn on and off in a developing fetus, and help explain some of the factors that decide which genes are expressed and which remain silent.
The researchers noted, "We have long known that maternal nutrition profoundly impacts disease susceptibility in their offspring, but we never understood the cause-and-effect link…For the first time ever, we have shown precisely how nutritional supplementation to the mother can permanently alter gene expression in her offspring without altering the genes themselves."
There is much support for the idea that nutrition can affect gene expression in people. Several studies have shown, for example, that women who eat a poor diet while pregnant have children who grow up with a tendency to diabetes and heart disease.
In this mouse study, the gene affected by the supplements was the Agouti gene. This gene affects more than fur color. Mice with overactive Agouti genes tend to be obese and susceptible to diabetes.
The supplements had the effect of turning the Agouti gene "off" so that it could not exert its influence on the embryonic mice. The result was that the baby mice had a different color fur for the rest of their lives. Turning off the Agouti gene during pregnancy also causes the mice offspring to be less prone to obesity and diabetes.
Bottom Line: 1. What you eat will profoundly influence your future health. 2. What your mother ate with you in her womb has profoundly influenced your past and present health -- and will influence your future health. 3. If you plan to become a mother, what you eat at conception and during early pregnancy will profoundly influence your child's future health.
We urge you to consult with one of our doctors about the dietary and environmental changes you need to make in order to get your genes to support your health and the health of your future children. Please understand that healthy genetic activity is under threat by our polluted world and the degraded, adulterated foods that we eat. Call today!
Source: Waterland RA et al, Transposable Elements: Targets for Early Nutritional Effects on Epigenetic Gene Regulation, Molecular and Cellular Biology, August 2003, 23(15):5293-5300
Answers for PCOS
Are you troubled by symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), such as infertility, hirsutism, acne or overweight? Or know a relative or friend who has PCOS?
If so, we recommend that you to review our discussion of PCOS. Not only do we give you all the details about the disorder, but we also give you a list of beneficial, natural therapies that may help.
