Category Archives: Vitamin B

Does Vitamin C Interact with Vitamin B12?

Posted on August 26, 2015 by Robert Barrington

The main cobalamins with vitamin B12 activity in human nutrition are adenosylcobalamin, methylcobalamin, aquacobalamin and the conjugate base of aquacobalamin, hydroxocobalamin. Cyanocobalamin is a synthetic vitamin B12 analogue that can be converted in animals to active vitamin B12. It has … Continue reading →

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Oysters: Nutrient Dense Seafood

Posted on July 12, 2015 by Robert Barrington

Edible oysters belong to two different genera. The Ostrea and Crassostrea differ in appearance but have similar tastes. While the Ostrea have round and scalloped shells, the Crassostrea have shells that are long and asymmetrical. Crassostrea virginica and Crassostrea gigas … Continue reading →

Posted in Copper, Docosahexaenoic Acid, Eicosapentaenoic Acid, Iron, Oysters, Selenium, Vitamin B, Zinc | Comments Off on Oysters: Nutrient Dense Seafood

Poor Pregnancy Outcomes with Low Vitamin Intakes: This Time Vitamin B6

Posted on July 9, 2015 by Robert Barrington

It has been shown that vitamin and mineral requirements increase during pregnancy. The reason for this is the obvious one, in that the growing foetus has a large requirements for essential nutrients and these can only be derived from the … Continue reading →

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On The Bioavailability of B Vitamins

Posted on June 3, 2015 by Robert Barrington

Food tables and labels provide information on the quantities of nutrients in foods. It is often assumed that eating the food will provide the individual with the listed nutrients. However the value provided on the labels may not be representative … Continue reading →

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Does Alcohol Affect Thiamine Metabolism?

Posted on May 20, 2015 by Robert Barrington

Alcoholics have poor nutritional status. In particular alcoholics are often deficient in a number of B vitamins, including thiamine. Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome is a cluster of neurological disorders associated with alcohol induced thiamine deficiency that includes palsies, ataxia of gait, nystagmus … Continue reading →

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Alfalfa: Nutrient Dense Herb

Posted on April 12, 2015 by Robert Barrington

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) is perennial herb that belongs to the Fabaceae or legume family of plants. Alfalfa grows to around one metre in height and possesses leaves that look similar to trilobed clover leaves. Alfalfa produced purple flowers which mature … Continue reading →

Posted in Alfalfa, Antioxidant, Courmarins, Daidzein, Flavonoids, Genistein, Isoflavones, Pulses / Legumes, Saponins, Vitamin A, Vitamin B, Vitamin C, Vitamin K | Comments Off on Alfalfa: Nutrient Dense Herb

Are Multivitamin and Mineral Supplements Effective?

Posted on April 2, 2015 by Robert Barrington

Evidence in the scientific literature suggests that certain minerals and vitamin intakes are deficient in large proportions of Western populations. Essential nutrients that are of particular concern include vitamin D, chromium, calcium and magnesium. The main reason for low intake … Continue reading →

Posted in Calcium, Exercise, Macrominerals, Magnesium, Micronutrients, Multivitamin Multimineral, Trace Minerals, Vitamin A, Vitamin B, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Zinc | Comments Off on Are Multivitamin and Mineral Supplements Effective?

Folic Acid Deficiency: The Cardiovascular Disease Link

Posted on March 5, 2015 by Robert Barrington

Homocysteine is a product of cellular methionine metabolism. Evidence suggests that high levels of plasma homocysteine are a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Homocysteine may interfere with endothelial physiology through inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis, inducing endothelial dysfunction possibly via … Continue reading →

Posted in Cobalamin, Endothelial Dysfunction, Folate, Homocysteine, Nitric Oxide, Oxidative Stress, Pyridoxine, Vitamin B | Comments Off on Folic Acid Deficiency: The Cardiovascular Disease Link

B Vitamin Status of Hypercholesterolaemic Men

Posted on March 2, 2015 by Robert Barrington

Elevated levels of plasma homocysteine are an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease because homocysteine can cause damage to the endothelial linings of arteries. Homocysteine in humans can be metabolised to a number of different compounds and these metabolic steps … Continue reading →

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When is A Vitamin Not A Vitamin?

Posted on March 1, 2015 by Robert Barrington

Vitamins are essential organic compounds needed in small amounts for normal metabolic regulation, usually as cofactors to enzymes. They are characterised in their own group because they cannot be synthesised in the body and so must be obtained from the … Continue reading →

Posted in Beta Carotene, Carotenoids, Cholecalciferol, Ergocalciferol, Niacin, Vitamin A, Vitamin B, Vitamin D, Vitamin K | Comments Off on When is A Vitamin Not A Vitamin?