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Vitamins: substances derived from plants and animals that are needed in small amounts in the body. These micronutrients are not a source of energy to the body but some are heavily involved in converting macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein, fats) into usable forms of energy. They are necessary for the normal growth, maintenance and repair of the body. Vitamins can also function as coenzymes in the body. That means they help enzymes do their job of promoting all of the body's biochemical reactions. Enzymes are so essential that out of the trillions of chemical activities occurring in your body, none would be possible without them. Enzymes are especially critical in nerve transmission, blood formation, muscle contraction, protein metabolism and energy production. In addition, vitamins are so necessary that every organ in the body won't be able to function without them. In general, the body can't make vitamins and so it is extremely important they are obtained from your diet or vitamin supplements. There are two exceptions however; vitamin D, which can be obtained through sunlight and niacin (B3), which can be made inefficiently from an amino acid (l-tryptophan). Vitamins can be broken down into two groups; fat-soluble (A, D, E and K) and water-soluble. Fat soluble vitamins are absorbed with the assistance of dietary fats and are stored in the body's tissues. The fact that they are stored in the body is significant because toxic levels can accumulate if some vitamins are consumed consistently and in high amounts. The ones to watch out for in particular are A, D and K, too much can be problematic. The water-soluble vitamins on the other hand, are excreted by the body through urination and perspiration and are unlikely to buildup in the body. This again is significant because that means that we need to make sure that we are consuming these vitamins on a regular basis. This is especially true for Vitamins B and C.
(http://healthfitness.com.au/vitamin/vitamins_minerals.htm)
Minerals: there are two kinds of minerals: macrominerals and trace minerals. Macro means "large" in Greek (and your body needs larger amounts of macrominerals than trace minerals). The macromineral group is made up of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chloride, and sulfur. A trace of something means that there is only a little of it. So even though your body needs trace minerals, it needs just a tiny bit of each one. Scientists aren't even sure how much of these minerals you need each day. Trace minerals includes iron, manganese, copper, iodine, zinc, cobalt, fluoride, and selenium.
(www.kidshealth.org/kid/stay_healthy/food/minerals.html)
Chlorine: a naturally-occurring chemical element, chlorine is one of the basic building blocks of matter. Scattered throughout the rocks of Earth’s continents and concentrated in its salty oceans, chlorine is an essential nutrient for plants and animals. Without sodium chloride (salt), there would be no life. Life began in the ocean, a largest repository of salt which is derived from the weathering of the continents. Sodium chloride literally keeps our bodies from drying up, moves our muscles, makes our meals matter, and attacks germs to keep us healthy. Our body's cells exist in a sea of fluid. This extracellular body fluid is mostly water, along with the charged atoms (ions) of sodium and chloride. Chloride plays an essential role in a delicate balancing act: providing for the electrical neutrality and the correct pressure of body fluids, and keeping the acid-base balance of the body. One result of this balancing act is that the amount of water we retain and concentrations of salt in our bodies remain relatively constant over time. We don't dry up nor do we bloat uncontrollably. When changes occur, the balance reasserts itself. For example, after heavy exercise and perspiration the body requires salt; and we are usually thirsty after eating salty food.
(www.americanchemistry.com/s_chlorine/sec_content.asp?CID=1166&DID=4477&CTYPEID=109)
CoQ10: also called Coenzyme Q10, Co Q10, Ubiquinone, and Vitamin Q. It is a naturally-occuring compound found in every cell in the body. Co q10's alternate name, ubiquinone, comes from the word ubiquitous, which means "found everywhere." Co q10 plays a key role in producing energy in the mitochondria, the part of a cell responsible for the production of energy in the form of ATP.
(http://altmedicine.about.com/cs/supplements/a/CoenzymeQ10.htm)
Coral Calcium: a salt of calcium derived from fossilized coral reefs. Because living coral reefs are endangered and cannot be harvested without severe damage to the ecosystem, coral calcium is harvested by grinding up above-ground limestone deposits that were once part of a coral reef. Coral calcium itself is composed primarily of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) with small amounts of magnesium and other trace minerals. Chemically, calcium carbonate from coral sources is no different than from other sources of calcium, despite the claims otherwise by some companies. However, the addition of trace minerals, which may be dietary deficient in a person, could explain why some claim benefits of coral calcium over more refined sources of calcium supplements. The benefit of Coral Calcium isn't entirely clear. While there are numerous stories from people who have experienced significant health benefits from taking coral calcium, it has not been proven, or disproven, that this was due to the calcium, the other trace minerals or some other dietary deficiency which was improved through the intake of the coral calcium or some other supplement being taken as well. Because of this, the claims of Coral Calcium benefits should be viewed objectively and hype of both proponents and opponents should be factored as extreme opinions while searching for a middle ground and objective context of your own due diligence.
(www.aboutcalcium.net/What_Is_Coral_Calcium.html)
Folate: a form of a water-soluble B vitamin. Folate occurs naturally in food. Folate is necessary for the production and maintenance of new cells. This is especially important during periods of rapid cell division and growth such as infancy and pregnancy. Folate is needed to make DNA and RNA, the building blocks of cells. It also helps prevent changes to DNA that may lead to cancer. Both adults and children need folate to make normal red blood cells and prevent anemia. Leafy greens such as spinach and turnip greens, dry beans and peas, fortified cereals and grain products, and some fruits and vegetables are rich food sources of folate.
(http://healthlink.mcw.edu/article/984001430.html)
Folic Acid: the synthetic form of folate (vitamin B) that is found in supplements and fortified foods.
(http://healthlink.mcw.edu/article/984001430.html)
Iodine: a non-metallic trace element, is required by humans for the synthesis of thyroid hormones. Iodine deficiency is an important health problem throughout much of the world. Most of the earth's iodine is found in oceans, and iodine content in the soil varies with region. The older an exposed soil surface, the more likely the iodine has been leached away by erosion. Mountainous regions, such as the Himalayas, the Andes, and the Alps, and flooded river valleys, such as the Ganges, are among the most severely iodine-deficient areas in the world . Its function in the body is spedific to the thyroid. Iodine is an essential component of the thyroid hormones, triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4), and is therefore essential for normal thyroid function. To meet the body's demand for thyroid hormones, the thyroid gland traps iodine from the blood and incorporates it into thyroid hormones that are stored and released into the circulation when needed.
(http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/minerals/iodine/)
Magnesium: the fourth most abundant mineral in the body, and essential to good health. Approximately 50% of total body magnesium is found in bone. The other half is found predominantly inside cells of body tissues and organs. Only 1% of magnesium is found in blood, but the body works very hard to keep blood levels of magnesium constant. Magnesium is needed for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body. It helps maintain normal muscle and nerve function, keeps heart rhythm steady, supports a healthy immune system, and keeps bones strong. Magnesium also helps regulate blood sugar levels, promotes normal blood pressure, and is known to be involved in energy metabolism and protein synthesis. There is an increased interest in the role of magnesium in preventing and managing disorders such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Dietary magnesium is absorbed in the small intestines. Magnesium is excreted through the kidneys . Green vegetables such as spinach are good sources of magnesium because the center of the chlorophyll molecule (which gives green vegetables their color) contains magnesium. Some legumes (beans and peas), nuts and seeds, and whole, unrefined grains are also good sources of magnesium.
(http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/magnesium.asp)
Potassium: an electrolyte that helps nerves and muscles communicate. It also helps move nutrients into cells and waste products out of cells. Potassium levels in the body are mainly controlled by the hormone aldosterone.
(www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003484.htm)
Salt: sodium chloride or common salt is the chemical compound NaCl, and is composed of the elements sodium and chloride. Salt occurs naturally in many parts of the world as the mineral halite and as mixed evaporites in salt lakes. Seawater has lots of salt; it contains an average of 2.7% (by weight) NaCl, or 78 million metric tons per cubic kilometer, an inexhaustible supply. It's believed there are more than 14,000 uses of salt. Many of these uses were for simple things around the home before the advent of modern chemicals and cleaners. However, many uses are still valid today and a lot cheaper than using more sophisticated products. For health and beauty here are few uses of salt: Gargling - Stir 1/2 teaspoon salt in an 8-ounce glass of warm water for use as a gargle for sore throats. Cleaning teeth - Mix one part salt to two parts baking soda after pulverizing the salt in a blender or rolling it on a kitchen board with a tumbler before mixing. It whitens teeth, helps remove plaque and it is healthy for the gums. Washing mouth - Mix equal parts of salt and baking soda as a mouth wash that sweetens the breath. Bathing eyes - Mix 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a pint of water and use the solution to bathe tired eyes. Reducing eye puffiness - Mix one teaspoon of salt in a pint of hot water and apply pads soaked in the solution on the puffy areas. Relieving tired feet - Soak aching feet in warm water to which a handful of salt has been added. Rinse in cool water. Relieving bee stings - If stung, immediately wet the spot and cover with salt to relieve the pain. Treating mosquito and chigger bites - Soak in saltwater, then apply a mixture of lard and salt.
(www.saltinstitute.org)
Selenium: a trace element that is essential in small amounts but can be toxic in larger amounts. Humans and animals require selenium for the function of a number of selenium-dependent enzymes, also known as selenoproteins. During selenoprotein synthesis, selenocysteine is incorporated into a very specific location in the amino acid sequence in order to form a functional protein.
(http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/minerals/selenium)
Sodium: an essential element for animal life. The level of sodium in your blood is a balance between the sodium in the food and drinks you consume and the amount in urine. In addition, a small percent is lost through stool and sweat. Many factors affect sodium levels, including the hormone aldosterone, which reduces sodium loss in the urine (aldosterone test.) ANP (atrial natriuretic protein), a hormone secreted from the heart, increases sodium loss from the body. Despite the tight relationship between sodium and water, the body can controls each one separately. The normal range of sodium is 135 to 145 mEq/L (milliequivalents per liter). Higher-than-normal sodium levels may indicate many different conditions.
(http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003481.htm)
Sulfur: the average human body contains about 1 teaspoon of sulfur. You may know sulfur as the mineral that gives rotten eggs their distinctive smell. Sulfur is necessary for the formation of hair, nails, cartilage and tissue. It is needed for metabolism and a healthy nervous system, plus it aids bile secretion in the liver. Sulfur deficiency is only found in conjunction with protein deficiency, and can be alleviated by increasing protein consumption. Excess sulfur is excreted in urine, so it is essentially non-toxic. It is found naturally in dried beans, cabbage, clams, eggs, fish, garlic, legumes, meat, milk, onions, poultry, wheat germ.
(www.vitamin-insight.com/minerals/sulfur.aspx)
Vitamin A: a group of compounds that play an important role in vision, bone growth, reproduction, cell division, and cell differentiation (in which a cell becomes part of the brain, muscle, lungs, blood, or other specialized tissue.) Vitamin A helps regulate the immune system, which helps prevent or fight off infections by making white blood cells that destroy harmful bacteria and viruses. Vitamin A also may help lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell) fight infections more effectively. Vitamin A promotes healthy surface linings of the eyes and the respiratory, urinary, and intestinal tracts. When those linings break down, it becomes easier for bacteria to enter the body and cause infection. Vitamin A also helps the skin and mucous membranes function as a barrier to bacteria and viruses. In general, there are two categories of vitamin A, depending on whether the food source is an animal or a plant.
(http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamina.asp)
Vitamin B complex: a group of eight individual vitamins, often referred to as the B-complex vitamins. These include: thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), pyridoxine (B6), cyanocobalamin (B12), folic acid, and biotin. These vitamins are essential for: The breakdown of carbohydrates into glucose (this provides energy for the body), the breakdown of fats and proteins (which aids the normal functioning of the nervous system), muscle tone in the stomach and intestinal tract, skin, hair, eyes, mouth, and liver. Some doctors and nutritionists suggest taking the B-complex vitamins as a group for overall good health. However, most agree that the best way to get our B vitamins is naturally -- through the foods we eat.
(http://health.howstuffworks.com/vitamin-b.htm)
Vitamin B-12: stored in the liver, it is a co-factor for two coenzymes. Methyl-cobalamin catalyzes methyl group transfer from a folic acid co-factor to form methionine. The unmethylated folate co-factor then participates in single carbon reactions for nucleic acid synthesis. Thus some symptoms of vitamin B-12 and folic deficiencies are similar. The B-12 coenzyme deoxyadenosylcobalamin catalyzes amino and fatty acid breakdown.
(www.eagle-min.com/faq/faq115.htm)
Vitamin B-2: an easily absorbed, water-soluble micronutrient with a key role in maintaining human health. Riboflavin is an orange powder, and water solutions have intense greenish yellow fluorescence. Vitamin B2 is a water-soluble vitamin, one that cannot be stored by the body except in insignificant amounts. It must be replenished daily. Like the other B vitamins, it supports energy production by aiding in the metabolising of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. Vitamin B2 is also required for red blood cell formation and respiration, antibody production, and for regulating human growth and reproduction. It is essential for healthy skin, nails, hair growth and general good health, including regulating thyroid activity. Riboflavin or vitamin B2 is an essential nutrient in human nutrition and plays a key role in the production of energy. Vitamin B2 is needed to process amino acids and fats, activate vitamin B6 and folic acid, and help convert carbohydrates into the fuel the body runs on. Under some conditions, vitamin B2 can act as an antioxidant. Vitamin B2 is an intermediary the transfer of electrons in the cellular oxidation-reduction reactions which generate energy from protein, carbohydrate and fat. The riboflavin coenzymes are also important for the transformation of vitamin B6 and folic acid into their respective active forms, and for the conversion of tryptophan into niacin. Riboflavin is involved in energy production as part of the electron transport chain that produces cellular energy.
(www.vitamins-supplements.org/vitamin-B2-riboflavin.php)
Vitamin B-5: Pantothenic acid, also called vitamin B5, is an antioxidant water-soluble vitamin needed to break down carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Pantothenic acid comes in three forms, and it is alternately known as vitamin B5, panthenol and calcium pantothenate. Pantothenic acid is integral to many of the activities of enzymes in the human body. The body uses pantothenic acid to break down carbohydrates, proteins and fats for energy. Pantothenic acid functions as a component of coenzyme A and phosphopantetheine, which are involved in fatty acid metabolism. This vitamin also produces numerous enzymes and helps maintain precise communication between the central nervous system and the brain. Pantothenic acid is vital to the synthesis and maintenance of coenzyme A (CoA), a cofactor and acyl group carrier for many enzymatic processes, and acyl carrier protein, a component of the fatty acid synthase complex. Pantothenic acid is metabolized to coenzyme A via a sequence of steps. Coenzyme A is a precursor of acyl carrier protein. Coenzyme A (CoA) is involved in the metabolic release of energy from macronutrients – especially fats – from the TCA cycle, metabolism of drugs and toxins in the liver, and the synthesis of lipids, acetylcholine, steroid hormones, porphyrins, hemoglobin, and melatonin. Because of the wide variety of roles CoA plays in the body, the utilities of supplemental pantothenic acid are many. Pantothenic acid is a water-soluble vitamin, which means that it cannot be stored by the body and must be replenished every day. Pantothenic acid is virtually ubiquitous. It is present in foods as diverse as poultry, soybeans, yogurt, and sweet potatoes. Pantothenic acid comes in two forms: calcium pantothenate and pantethine. The former is widely used for treating ailments from stress to heartburn, while pantethine is mainly recommended for lowering blood cholesterol levels in those who don't respond to other natural treatments. The principal supplemental form of pantothenic acid is calcium D-pantothenate (D-calcium pantothenate). Dexpanthenol, the corresponding alcohol of pantothenic acid is also available. Dexpanthenol is used topically to promote wound healing.
(www.vitamins-supplements.org/pantothenic-acid.php)
Vitamin B-6: a water-soluble vitamin that exists in three major chemical forms: pyridoxine, pyridoxal, and pyridoxamine. It performs a wide variety of functions in your body and is essential for your good health. For example, vitamin B6 is needed for more than 100 enzymes involved in protein metabolism. It is also essential for red blood cell metabolism. The nervous and immune systems need vitamin B6 to function efficiently, and it is also needed for the conversion of tryptophan (an amino acid) to niacin (a vitamin). Your body needs vitamin B6 to make hemoglobin (which carries oxygen from red blood cells to tissues). Vitamin B6 also helps increase the amount of oxygen carried by hemoglobin. A vitamin B6 deficiency can result in a form of anemia that is similar to iron deficiency anemia. Vitamin B6, through its involvement in protein metabolism and cellular growth, is important to the immune system. It helps maintain the health of lymphoid organs (thymus, spleen, and lymph nodes) that make your white blood cells. Animal studies show that a vitamin B6 deficiency can decrease your antibody production and suppress your immune response. Vitamin B6 also helps maintain your blood glucose (sugar) within a normal range. When caloric intake is low your body needs vitamin B6 to help convert stored carbohydrate or other nutrients to glucose to maintain normal blood sugar levels. While a shortage of vitamin B6 will limit these functions, supplements of this vitamin do not enhance them in well-nourished individuals.
(http://health.allrefer.com/alternative-medicine/vitamin-b-six-1.html)
Vitamin B-Complex: a group of eight vitamins, which include thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), pyridoxine (B6), cyanocobalamin (B12), folic acid, and biotin. These vitamins are essential for the breakdown of carbohydrates into glucose (this provides energy for the body), the breakdown of fats and proteins (which aids the normal functioning of the nervous system), muscle tone in the stomach and intestinal tract, skin, hair, eyes, mouth, and liver. Some doctors and nutritionists suggest taking the B-complex vitamins as a group for overall good health. However, most agree that the best way to get our B vitamins is naturally – through the foods we eat.
(http://home.howstuffworks.com/vitamin-b.htm)
Vitamin C: a dietary supplement of asboric acid. Unlike most mammals, humans do not have the ability to make their own vitamin C. Therefore, we must obtain vitamin C through our diet. Vitamin C is required for the synthesis of collagen, an important structural component of blood vessels, tendons, ligaments, and bone. Vitamin C also plays an important role in the synthesis of the neurotransmitter, norepinephrine. Neurotransmitters are critical to brain function and are known to affect mood. In addition, vitamin C is required for the synthesis of carnitine, a small molecule that is essential for the transport of fat to cellular organelles called mitochondria, for conversion to energy. Recent research also suggests that vitamin C is involved in the metabolism of cholesterol to bile acids, which may have implications for blood cholesterol levels and the incidence of gallstones .Vitamin C is also a highly effective antioxidant. Even in small amounts vitamin C can protect indispensable molecules in the body, such as proteins, lipids (fats), carbohydrates, and nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) from damage by free radicals and reactive oxygen species that can be generated during normal metabolism as well as through exposure to toxins and pollutants (e.g. smoking). Vitamin C may also be able to regenerate other antioxidants such as vitamin E.
(http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminC)
Vitamin E: a fat-soluble vitamin that exists in eight different forms. Each form has its own biological activity, which is the measure of potency or functional use in the body. Alpha-tocopherol (α-tocopherol) is the name of the most active form of vitamin E in humans. It is also a powerful biological antioxidant. Vitamin E in supplements is usually sold as alpha-tocopheryl acetate, a form of alpha-tocopherol that protects its ability to function as an antioxidant. The synthetic form is labeled "D, L" while the natural form is labeled "D". The synthetic form is only half as active as the natural form. Antioxidants such as vitamin E act to protect your cells against the effects of free radicals, which are potentially damaging by-products of energy metabolism. Free radicals can damage cells and may contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Studies are underway to determine whether vitamin E, through its ability to limit production of free radicals, might help prevent or delay the development of those chronic diseases. Vitamin E has also been shown to play a role in immune function, in DNA repair, and other metabolic processes.
(http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamine.asp)
Vitamin K: a fat-soluble vitamin. The "K" is derived from the German word "koagulation". Coagulation refers to blood clotting, because vitamin K is essential for the functioning of several proteins involved in blood clotting. The only known biological role of vitamin K is that of the required coenzyme for a vitamin K-dependent carboxylase that catalyzes the carboxylation of the amino acid, glutamic acid, resulting in its conversion to gamma-carboxyglutamic acid (Gla). Although vitamin K-dependent gamma-carboxylation occurs only on specific glutamic acid residues in a small number of proteins, it is critical to the calcium-binding function of those proteins.
(http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminK)
Vitamin T: a dietary supplement found in sesame seeds as well egg yolks and very little is known and available on this ingredient and therefore information is very sketchy. It is thought to strengthen the red blood cells.
(www.anyvitamins.com/vitamin-t-info.htm)
Zinc: an essential mineral that is found in almost every cell. It stimulates the activity of approximately 100 enzymes, which are substances that promote biochemical reactions in your body. Zinc supports a healthy immune system, is needed for wound healing, helps maintain your sense of taste and smell, and is needed for DNA synthesis. Zinc also supports normal growth and development during pregnancy, childhood, and adolescence. Zinc is found in a wide variety of foods. Oysters contain more zinc per serving than any other food, but red meat and poultry provide the majority of zinc in the American diet. Other good food sources include beans, nuts, certain seafood, whole grains, fortified breakfast cereals, and dairy products. Zinc absorption is greater from a diet high in animal protein than a diet rich in plant proteins. Phytates, which are found in whole grain breads, cereals, legumes and other products, can decrease zinc absorption.
(http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/cc/zinc.html#what)
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