The Most Variable of All Nutrients – The Increased Need For Shaklee B Complex

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Shaklee B-Complex is the natural way to fight life’s stresses and strains. It provides manageable doses of all eight essential B vitamins – including biotin, which is often left out of other formulations due to its high cost – in ratios consistently related to the amounts your body needs daily. Clinical research has shown the the B vitamins folic acid, B6, and B12 promote a healthy cardiovascular system by helping maintain low homocysteine levels in the blood.

 

Folic Acid in thws

In the 1950s and 1960s, scientists began to discover the biochemical mechanisms of action for folate. In 1960, experts first linked folate deficiency to neural tube defects. In the late 1990s, after 30 years of the March of Dimes encouraging more fresh fruits and vegetables for pregnant women, US scientists realized, despite the availability of folate in foods and in supplements, there was difficulty for people to meet their daily folate requirements.  Poor absorption of this key B vitamin inhibited the use of iron as well as  other B vitamins including B6 and B12.   This is why the US implemented the folate fortification program.

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Dr. Shaklee said,

In the 1980s, B vitamins became the rage with the emergence of devitalized processed fast foods.  We asked Dr. Shaklee if WE (requests from the field) could have a B complex.  He said, “They are already in Vita Lea.”   WE said, “Yes, but we want one to compete.”  He said Shaklee would only come up with one if he could make one better than anyone else.  Guess what?  He did!  After years of research it was 2002 when Shaklee scientists developed the first B complex to deliver 100% of labeled folic acid with their patented micro coating of the nutrient on the surface of the tablet.  Since then I have had no patients who have taken B Complex, Vitalizer and now the Life Strip who suffer with folic acid malabsorption. (see Debernardi D, et al. Enhancement of Folic Acid Dissolution in Solid Dosage Forms of Dietary

Supplements. ACS Symp Ser, 2002.)

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B vitamins are all different.

The 8 essential members of what’s known as the vitamin B complex of vitamins are critical nutrients for all things mind-related: mood, memory, even migraines can benefit from the B’s. In the right amounts, B Complex can stop anxiety, lift depression, ease PMS, and boost your energy. And absorbing them couldn’t be easier proven by Shaklee research and my own blood tests.  The B vitamins are an otherwise chemically unrelated family of nutrients that work as a team. Their mood-boosting and other health benefits (see chart below) result from intricate behind-the-scenes work in the body.

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Some B vitamins help cells burn fats and glucose for energy. Others help make neurotransmitters like serotonin. And some B’s assist with the production and repair of DNA.

Breaking down the B’s

The dosage ranges shown in the chart below are commonly used for prevention and treatment of specific conditions. Be sure to consult a nutritional trained physician and get a metabolic lab profile if you’re interested in taking B’s for your specific needs.

Thiamine (B1)
Requirements increase with diets high in carbs and sugars
10-100 mg

Riboflavin (B2)
Higher doses shown to reduce migraine headaches, may reduce cancer risk
10-400 mg

Niacinamide (B3)
Helps increase energy; needed for DNA repair;  the niacin form is used for lowering cholesterol synthesis and detoxification – can cause flushing
100-250 mg

Pyridoxine (B6)
Needed for protein metabolism, neurotransmitter production, such as serotonin; may relieve PMS
50 – 150 mg

Pantothenic Acid
Speeds wound healing and blunts the effects of stress –  high doses of panethine form can reduce cholesterol levels
50 – 200 mg

Folic Acid (B9)
Lowers risk of heart disease, stroke, and birth defects; colon-cancer prevention
200-800 mcg

Cyanocobalamin (B12)
May improve memory and reverse mental fogginess (need greatly increases after age 50)
50-1,000 mcg

Biotin
High dosages, combined with chromium, improve blood-sugar control
150-300 mcg

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Check your urine color.

To get the most benefits from any of the B’s, you need all of them at once, that is why Shaklee contains all 8 . With the right B complex as a foundation, I have used  larger amounts of individual B’s to meet the patient’s genetic needs.  Dr. Frank Painter has collected a number of excellent scientific articles on the benefits of having B complex in adequate amounts in your daily program.  Since they are water soluble, they must be provided daily to meet optimum demands.  The best way to assure adequate B complex is to check the color of your urine throughout the day.  It should always be slightly orange-yellow!

American deficiency is due to diet and stress

Forty five to 78% of us don’t get enough B’s; according to the USDA, deficiencies in folic acid, B12, and B6 are especially common. Ensuring that your diet contains plenty of B-rich foods — dark-green vegetables, protein from animal sources, and whole grains — is not always possible so supplementation during peak stress times of the day helps prevent sudden blood level dips.  But if your stress level is high or your mood feels off-kilter, or if your diet is restricted due to food sensitivities or allergies, you’ll benefit from the higher amounts than the daily average.                 

                                                                                 

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