The B vitamins
Called ‘the nerve vitamins’, this complex consists of more than twenty vitamins which are essential for maintaining a healthy nervous system and for counteracting the harmful effects of stress. The B vitamins affect the immune system, which protects us from infection and other forms of disease.
All the vitamins work together and are best obtained as a complex. They include thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pyridoxine (B6) – which helps to strengthen collagen and increase resistance to pain – folic acid (B9) – which acts as an analgesic (pain reliever) – and cyanocobalamin (B12).
The B vitamins may be obtained from brewer’s yeast, eggs, fresh fruits, green leafy vegetables, liver, milk, nuts, pulses (dried peas, beans and lentils), seeds, wheat germ and whole grains and cereals. They are also synthesized (changed into usable form) by intestinal bacteria.
Vitamin C
This water-soluble vitamin is needed for healthy tissues, to promote healing and to reinforce resistance to disease. It must be supplied daily since it is not stored in the body.
Vitamin C is essential for the formation and maintenance of collagen, the strong cement-like material that holds cells together. As pointed out in chapter one (here), much of the protective connective tissue in the back is composed of collagen, which is formed largely of protein. Connective tissue plays an important role in the transport of nutrients to various structures (such as bones, tendons and muscles) and in the elimination of waste matter from them.
Vitamin C also contributes to the utilization of oxygen and to the maintenance of a healthy blood circulation. It is, in addition, an anti-stress vitamin and, like vitamins A and E, an antioxidant which helps to slow down the destructive effects of oxygen and other substances.
The best sources of vitamin C include: fresh fruits such as apricots, blackberries, cantaloupe melons, cherries, elderberries, gooseberries, grapefruit, guavas, honeydew melons, kiwi fruit, kumquats, lemons, limes, oranges, papayas, rosehips (the seed-pods of wild roses), strawberries and tangerines; fresh vegetables such as cabbage, dandelion leaves, green and red peppers, kohlrabi, mustard and cress and turnip tops.
Vitamin D
This nutrient is needed to help in absorbing the mineral calcium from the small intestine. It is also required for the assimilation of the mineral phosphorus. The action of sunlight on the skin’s oils promotes its formation, and it is then absorbed through the skin back into the body. Significant reserves of vitamin D are stored in the liver, spleen, brain and bones.
Probably the most reliable source of this nutrient is vitamin D-enriched milk. Other sources include: butter, eggs, fatty fish (such as mackerel and salmon, with the skin) and fish liver oils.
Some plant foods and green leafy vegetables contain vitamin D presurcors (substances preceding other substances) known as ergosterols. Of these, parsley is a particularly rich source.
Vitamin E
Considered an anti-stress nutrient, vitamin E is also an antioxidant. In addition, it has pain-relieving properties and it helps to improve circulation.
Vitamin E plays an important role in the absorption and storage of vitamin A and it protects against environmental influences, such as radiation, which can destroy certain nutrients.
Good vitamin E sources include: almonds and other nuts (preferably eaten fresh from the shell), broccoli, Brussels sprouts, eggs, fresh fruits, green leafy vegetables, pulses, seeds, unrefined vegetable oils, wheat germ and whole grains.
Vitamin K
Known as ‘the blood vitamin’, this nutrient promotes proper blood clotting and so helps to prevent excessive bleeding. It is also needed for the production of the protein matrix upon which calcium is deposited to form bone. (A matrix is the basic substance from which something develops or is made.)
In addition, vitamin K is necessary for the production of osteocalcin, which helps calcium to crystallize in the bones, and speeds up the healing of fractures by stimulating bone growth. It is also of value in preventing osteoporosis.
A varied, wholesome diet usually provides enough vitamin K for normal requirements. Rich food sources include: alfalfa sprouts, cow’s milk, egg yolk, fish liver oils, green leafy vegetables and kelp (a type of seaweed). Other vitamin K sources are sunflower, soya bean and other unrefined vegetable oils.
Vitamin K is also synthesized in the intestine by friendly bacteria.
Minerals
Boron
Boron helps to safeguard calcium in the body. It also appears necessary for activating vitamin D and certain hormones, such as oestrogen, which is important in preventing bone loss in women as they age.
The safest way to increase your intake of this mineral is to include boron-rich foods in your diet. These include: fresh fruits and vegetables such as alfalfa sprouts, cabbage, lettuce, peas, snap beans, apples and grapes. Other sources of boron are: almonds, dates, dried fruits, hazelnuts, peanuts, prunes, raisins, and soya beans.
Calcium
Calcium is the dominant element in human bone. The body of a healthy adult contains about three pounds of calcium (1.4 kilogrammes).
Every day you lose calcium in your urine and faeces. If you do not replace what you lose, your bones will suffer in time.
Calcium is also essential for good tone and action of the skeletal muscles (those covering the body’s bony framework). It is also required for the proper functioning of nervous tissue and for normal blood clotting.
Calcium is known to relieve muscle cramps and also to promote sound sleep, which many sufferers of backache find elusive.
The best food sources of calcium include: blackstrap molasses, carob powder, citrus fruits, dried beans, dried figs, fish, green leafy vegetables (such as bok choy and spring greens, or collards), milk and milk products, peanuts, sardines, sesame seeds, soya beans and by-products such as tofu (soya bean curd), sunflower seeds, walnuts and watercress.
Milk and milk products
From the standpoint of bone health, milk has several points in its favour:
it usually contains vitamin D, which helps the body to absorb calcium;
it has the ideal two-to-one balance of calcium and phosphorus;
it is a rich source of lactase, the enzyme that is needed to digest milk sugar.
If you are concerned about your fat intake, your best choices of milk are: fluid skimmed or low-fat milk; reconstituted non-fat milk powder; evaporated skimmed or low-fat milk, skimmed milk yoghurt, and buttermilk (unless you are on a low-salt diet).
Lactose intolerance
Some people cannot tolerate milk, cheese and other dairy foods because of lactose (milk sugar) intolerance. For these individuals, there are certain products on the market, such as LactAid, which, when added to milk, break down the lactose, making the milk acceptable to the digestive system.
Supplements