Essential elements for health - III

Hi Friends,

Let us discuss further about Vitamins.

Vitamin 'B1' (Thiamine):

This vitamin stimulates appetite. It activates the muscles and is antineurotic vitamin. It is essential for the metabolism and digestion of food. Experiments show that the deficiency of thiamine increases piruvic acid in the blood which reduces the working capacity and efficiency of the heart. The deficiency of this vitamin causes a disease called beri-beri.

Vitamin 'B1' is found in pulses (cereals), yeast, sprouted wheat, unpolished rice, soyabeans, milk, green leafy vegetables and fruits. This vitamin is destroyed when food articles are cooked in open air.

Vitamin 'B2' (Riboflavin):

This vitamin too is necessary for intracellular metabolism. It is necessary for growth, health, development of resistance-power and longvity. It preserves youthfulness and keeps old age away. It strenthens the muscles, increases the eye-sight and contributes to proper digestion. Its water solubility is moderate. It is destroyed when exposed to light.

Its deficiency deranges the working of the salivary and pituitary glands, and decreases metabolism. The prolonged deficiency of this vitamin causes diseases of the digestive system, weakness of the muscles and skin diseases.

This vitamin can be obtained from milk, yeast, soyabeans, sprouted wheat, papaya, banana, etc.

Niacin (Nicotinic acid and Nicotinamide):

This vitamin is necessary for appetite and mental health. It is found in foodgrains, milk, yeast, potatoes, etc. If bran is removed from the flour of food-grains most of niacin is lost. The body also produces this vitamin in very little quantity. Its deficiency causes a disease called pallagra. Besides, insomnia, headache and skin diseases also result from its deficiency.

Vitamin 'B6' (Pyridoxine):

It is a combination of three constituents and is believed to be necessary for the metabolism of proteins. It is found in sufficient quantities in milk, vegetables and husk of food grains. Its deficiency causes ailments of the skin, the liver, the blood vessels and the nervous system.

Vitamin 'B12':

The deficiency of tis vitamin adversely affects the production of DNA, a very valuable element of the cells of the body. Its deficiency causes one type of anemia and degenerative changes of the spinal column.

Folate:

This vitamin is found in green leafy vegetables. Its deficiency causes anemia and malfunctioning of the digestive system.

The above mentioned constituent vitamins of vitamin 'B' complex are more effective collectively. They can tolerate moderate heat but are destroyed if exposed to heat for a prolonged time. Soda used in cooking also leads to their desctrution.

Vitamin 'E':

This is an antisterility vitamin. It is claimed that conception cannot occur without an adequate quantity of vitamin 'E'. Its deficiency causes repeated abortions. This vitamin is useful for the metabolism of fats. It is believed that this vitamin controls catabolism. It prevents heart disease, diabetes, asthma, thrombosis, diseases of the blood-vessels and degenerative changes of the spine.

It will be procured from sprouted wheat, vegetables, dried fruits etc.

We will continue learning about the essential elements for health in our next posts.

Best Regards,
Team- Knowledgeishealing