(Source: SaluGenecists, Inc.) Discovered in 1957, coenzyme Q is so important to health, especially the health of the heart and blood vessels, that nearly 5,000 research studies have been published on it in less than the 50 years since its discovery. In many living creatures, coenzyme Q is synthesized through…
Background Vitamin D is found in many foods, including fish, eggs, fortified milk, and cod liver oil. The sun also adds to the body's daily production of vitamin D, and as little as 10 minutes of exposure is thought to prevent deficiency. The term "vitamin D" refers to several different…
Background Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is a water-soluble vitamin, which is needed by the body to form collagen in bones, cartilage, muscle, and blood vessels. Dietary sources of vitamin C include fruits and vegetables, particularly citrus fruits such as oranges. Severe deficiency of vitamin C causes scurvy. Although rare, scurvy…
Background Vitamin B6 is also called pyridoxine. It is involved in the process of making serotonin and norepinephrine, which are chemicals that transmit signals in the brain. Vitamin B6 is also involved in the formation of myelin, a protein layer that forms around nerve cells. Vitamin B6 deficiency in adults…
Background Pantothenic acid, or vitamin B5, is important to all forms of life. It is part of a molecule called coenzyme A, which is needed for many chemical reactions in cells. Vitamin B5 is needed for the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. It is also involved in the creation…
Background Vitamin B12 is an essential water-soluble vitamin that is commonly found in a variety of foods, such as fish, shellfish, meat, eggs, and dairy products. Vitamin B12 is frequently used in combination with other B vitamins in a vitamin B complex formulation. Vitamin B12 is important in DNA synthesis.…
Background Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that comes from two sources: preformed retinoids and provitamin carotenoids. Retinoids, such as retinal and retinoic acid, are found in animal sources such as liver, kidney, eggs, and dairy products. Carotenoids, such as beta-carotene (which has the highest vitamin A activity), are found…
Background Thiamine (also spelled "thiamin") is a vitamin, formerly known as vitamin B1. Thiamine was one of the first compounds recognized as a vitamin. Thiamine is involved in many body functions, including nervous system and muscle function, the flow of electrolytes in and out of nerve and muscle cells, digestion,…
Background Zinc is a trace mineral that is needed for many important functions in the body. The human body contains approximately 2-3 grams of zinc, mostly in the skeletal muscles and bones. Zinc is also found in the kidney, pancreas, retina, teeth, hair, skin, liver, blood cells, prostate, and testes.…
Background The name "vitamin K" refers to a group of chemically similar fat-soluble compounds called naphthoquinones. Vitamin K1 (phytonadione) is the natural form of vitamin K, which is found in plants and provides the primary source of vitamin K to humans through dietary consumption. Vitamin K2 compounds (menaquinones) are made…
(Source: SaluGenecists, Inc.) Vitamin B3 is also commonly referred to as niacin. A member of the B-complex vitamin family, niacins discovery was related to work done by the U.S. Public Health Service in the early 1900s. During this time, pellagra, a disease characterized by cracked, scaly, discolored skin, digestive problems…
(Source: SaluGenecists, Inc.) Vitamin B2 is commonly known as riboflavin, a term derived from the Latin word flavus that means yellow. Anyone who has every consumed high level vitamin B2 supplementation will be familiar with the relationship between this vitamin and the color that serves as the root of its…
