Although vitamin deficiency is encountered infrequently in developed countries, inadequate intake of several vitamins is associated with chronic disease. Objective: To review the clinically important vitamins with regard to their biological effects, food sources, deficiency syndromes, potential for toxicity, and relationship to chronic disease. Data Sources and Study Selection: We searched MEDLINE for English-language articles about vitamins in relation to chronic diseases and their references published from 1966 through January 11, 2002.

Data Extraction: We reviewed articles jointly for the most clinically important information, emphasizing randomized trials where available. Data Synthesis: Our review of 9 vitamins showed that elderly people, vegans, alcohol-dependent individuals, and patients with malabsorption are at higher risk of inadequate intake or absorption of several vitamins. Excessive doses of vitamin A during early pregnancy and fat-soluble vitamins taken anytime may result in adverse outcomes. Inadequate folate status is associated with neural tube defect and some cancers. Folate and vitamins B6 and B12 are required for homocysteine metabolism and are associated with coronary heart disease risk.

Vitamin E and lycopene may decrease the risk of prostate cancer. Vitamin D is associated with decreased occurrence of fractures when taken with calcium. Conclusions: Some groups of patients are at higher risk for vitamin deficiency and suboptimal vitamin status. Many physicians may be unaware of common food sources of vitamins or unsure which vitamins they should recommend for their patients. Vitamin excess is possible with supplementation, particularly for fat-soluble vitamins. Inadequate intake of several vitamins has been linked tochronic diseases, including coronary heart disease, cancer, and osteoporosis.

I would like to hear from people who have tried vitamins in conjunction with their seizure medications to finally get control of their seizures. I have started taking a battery of vitamins (not going to try them one at a time like a doc might prescribe) hoping to hit upon a magic combination. So far the effects have all been positive. It would be great, yet ashame at the same time, if after more than 35 yrs of trying different meds, the answer to my seizure problem was within my grasp the whole time in the vitamin section of my local pharmacy! I would like to hear from people who have tried vitamins in conjunction with their seizure medications to finally get control of their seizures.

I have started taking a battery of vitamins (not going to try them one at a time like a doc might prescribe) hoping to hit upon a magic combination. So far the effects have all been positive. It would be great, yet ashame at the same time, if after more than 35 yrs of trying different meds, the answer to my seizure problem was within my grasp the whole time in the vitamin section of my local pharmacy! Ah forgive me, but I can not understand what in heaven or hell vitamins should influence by Epilepsie ? Before I start rumbling I shall introduce myself. I m Frank 25 years old, student of special education specialized on disabled and learning disabled. In addition I m working in a shelter for disabled people.

There I have to deal with Epilepsie, too. I m pretty well informed about Epilepsie (trough studying) and therefore very curious about vitamins influencing the neuron-fire or hightening the attack-level. So if there is some kind of medical eplanation on the net or in papers/ books please point me at it. To be honest I deep heartly doubt any influence of vitamins on epilepsie. Do convince of the opposite, please. as far as I know the epilepsy medications will – as a side effect – reduce the vitamin level of your body. If this is true you either have to eat more food with vitamins or add some vitamin pills (IMHO B type vitamins) to stay in good condition. Stress or bad condition will be a higher risk for seizures. How about that explanation ?

The present studies demonstrate that spinal application as well as intraperitoneal injection of vitamin B1, B6, B12 their combination can produce short- and long-term inhibition of hyperalgesia following chronic compression of dorsal root ganglion neurons produced by artificial intervertebral foramen stenosis. Both severity and duration of hyperalgesia are significantly reduced. These results strongly support clinical use of B-vitamins in aiding in treatment of chronic pain and/or other diseases due to similar injuries to the nervous system. The data also show that vitamin B1 induced-inhibition of hyperalgesia can be reversed by the inhibitors of cGMP-PKG signaling pathway, suggesting that vitamin B1 induced- inhibition of hyperalgesia due to spinal ganglion compression may involve, at least in part, in activation of the cGMP-PKG signaling pathway in the spinal cord.

The American Physiological Society (APS) is one of the world’s most prestigious organizations for physiological scientists. These researchers specialize in understanding the processes and functions underlying human health and disease. Founded in 1887 the Bethesda, MD-based Society has more than 10,000 members and publishes 3,800 articles in its 14 peer-reviewed journals each year. B1, B6, B12 and their combination, i.p. or i.t., significantly inhibited thermal hyperalgesia (pain) evidenced by reversal of the shortened latency of foot withdrawal to noxious heat stimulation ipsilateral to CCD. This inhibition was in dose-dependent manner. Hyperalgesia was inhibited about 20-100 percent at 2, 6 and 12 hr, and recovered at 24 or 36 hr test dependent on different doses.

Repetitive application of CBV for seven days produced long-term inhibitory effects on thermal hyperalgesia. The extreme sensitivity to stimuli disappeared four to five weeks after injury in rats with CBV treatment. In contrast, hyperalgesia lasted for eight to ten weeks in rats with saline or without any treatment. In addition, we found that combination of threshold doses of individual of the vitamins produced a synergetic inhibitory effect on thermal hyperalgesia. B1, i.t., induced-inhibition of hyperalgesia was reversed by inhibitors of cGMP-PKG signaling pathway ODQ (guanylyl cyclase inhibitor) and Rp-8pCPT-cGMP (PKG inhibitor). cGMP analog 8Br-cGMP and PKG activator SP-cGMP inhibited thermal hyperalgesia, respectively. Such inhibition is similar to that produced by B1. Rp-8pCPT-cGMP again reversed 8Br-cGMP and SP-cGMP induced- inhibition of thermal hyperalgesia. B1 and the activators and inhibitors of cGMP-PKG pathways did not alter the foot withdrawal latency in unoperated control rats.

In much higher doses, niacin lowers serum cholesterol, but it can also disturb liver function. People taking 1,000 milligrams two or three times a day have had dramatic drops in cholesterol within a few weeks, but some of them have developed nausea, jaundice, and elevated liver enzymes, a toxic picture mimicking hepatitis. These symptoms go away when they stop taking niacin. A new, much safer form of vitamin B-3 is now available in health-food stores. Called “flush-free” or “inositol-bound” niacin (or inositol hexanicotinate), it does not cause flushing, nausea, or liver disturbances. It is the only form I recommend for use as a cholesterol-lowering agent, and I believe it to be safer than pharmaceutical drugs used for this purpose.

If you are going to try niacin to bring your cholesterol down, observe these precautions: (1) never use ordinary niacin; use only the inositol-bound form; (2) never use time-release forms of niacin; they are more likely to be toxic; (3) do not exceed 1000 milligrams three times a day; (4) have liver function tests done before the start of therapy and at intervals during it, and stop the therapy if test results are abnormal; (5) discontinue niacin if nausea or any other gastrointestinal symptoms appear; (6) monitor serum cholesterol at monthly intervals, and reduce the dose of niacin to the lowest possible level to maintain improvement. Do not take high doses of niacin if you are pregnant or if you have ulcers, gout, diabetes, gallbladder disease, liver disease, or have had a recent heart attack. You will often see niacinamide, a closely related substance, on shelves next to niacin.

Niacinamide has the same vitamin activity but does not cause flushing. However, it is ineffective for the treatment of circulatory problems or elevated cholesterol. Do not use it. Pyridoxine (vitamin B-6) has a number of interesting effects in addition to its actions as a vitamin. High doses (100 milligrams two or three times a day) help relieve nerve compression injuries (like carpal tunnel syndrome), premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and some cases of depression andarthritis. Pyridoxine also helps protect immunity and increases the incidence of remembered dreams. Although water-soluble vitamins are not thought of as having any toxicity, a few cases of nerve damage have occurred in people taking more than 300 milligrams of pyridoxine a day. I recommend staying below this dose and discontinuing the vitamin if any unusual numbness appears.