Vitamin B Experiment

Vitamin B is essential for everyone and you need all of them in your diet but this dwells on only two.  Vitamin B 12 is essential for energy and Vitamin B 6 is needed by your nervous system.  I mention these two in particular because I had a unique experience with them and I want to try what I did for a while to see if they actually help or if I was having a particularly great day.

Yesterday, November 9, 2011, I drank a 5-hour Energy shot just to see what it would do.  Within 30 minutes I started to feel the boost in energy and shortly after that ALL of my fibromyalgia pain was GONE! Not only that, I felt great for the rest of the day.  It’s 8:00 a.m. on November 10, 2011 and I just drank another one.  We’ll see what happens today. These little shots contain a boat load of Vitamin B 12 and Vitamin B 6 as well as Folic Acid and Niacin.

Vitamin B comes in several forms.  Getting it from food is obviously the best way but not many of us can get enough from just eating.  Vitamin B shots from a doctor have been a popular way of getting these vitamins over the years but supplements are the most popular way.  Supplements come in tablet form (it’s best to purchase these from a health food store and make sure they are either cold pressed which is best, or chelated).  These tablets can be swallowed or buying a sublingual (under the tongue) form is good because it enters the blood stream faster.  Liquid Vitamin B is fantastic because it, too, enters the blood stream faster.  As an aside, the sublingual or liquid forms work great for people with ileostomies because a solid pill can come through without being digested.

Vitamin B 12 works to keep your blood cells and nerves healthy.  It helps reduce brain shrinkage, stress and depression. It converts carbohydrates to energy producing glucose.  It improves cholesterol levels, protects against high blood pressure and stroke. It is needed for cell production, renewal of skin cells and healthy nails, and hair. Vitamin B 12 protects against cancers like colon, prostate, breast, and lung. Foods like liver, meat, eggs, milk, cheese fish are good sources of Vitamin B 12.

Vitamin B 6 does all of the things that Vitamin B 12 does and many others.  Some of the others are metabolizing protein, aiding the absorption of Vitamin B 12, maintains the balance between sodium and potassium, important for normal brain function (I need lots of that),  boosts immunity, essential for normal growth and development and tissue repair, and red cell development. This vitamin comes in the same forms as B 12. Foods like chicken, turkey (chicken breast contains more than turkey breast), beef, pork, bell peppers, turnip greens, asparagus, yams, cashews, peanuts, whole grains, and beans are good sources of Vitamin B 6.

It is important to note that all of the Vitamin B’s work hand in hand.  If a person is deficient in one it could mean they are deficient in others too.  Equally important to note is that you can overdose on B vitamins.  If you notice numbness or tingling in your hands, feet or legs stop taking it.  Other signs of an overdose can be a stumbling gait or poor coordination.

With all of this in mind, my experiment will end today until I talk to my doctor.  I did something I always preach against.  I did not consult with him before trying this.  This is definitely a case of do as I say, not as I do.  It’s been almost an hour since I drank my little shot and I notice some difference but today it’s only negligible. I guess I’d have to chalk yesterday up to a very rare great day.  Sigh.

Keep smilin’,

Linda

 Vitamin B