vitamin B6

Monica

Too Much of a Good Thing

We’ve all heard the saying, too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. This can apply to anything in life. We’re always seeking to strike a balance and this is especially crucial when it comes to our lifestyle, most importantly spirituality, physical health and mental well-being. We must understand that all of these make up the whole.

If there is an imbalance, meaning too little or too much, it can be catastrophic to our health and overall quality of life. The health industry does a far better job in educating about vitamin and mineral deficiencies than it does about having too much of these vitamins and minerals and the dangerous effects that we can suffer.

Too much of a good thing can be a bad thing

Keep in mind that there are 13 essential vitamins — vitamins A, C, D, E, K, and the B vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, B6, B12, and folate).

Hypervitaminoisis is an abnormal state resulting from excessive intake of one or more vitamins (Merriam Webster). The cases of this are underreported because usually it is not considered as one of the first things in diagnostics of someone that presents with health complaints. Check out this link to an article that tells a detailed story of how the diagnosis was missed for quite a while of a woman who suffered from too much vitamin B6 intake from supplements.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-25/vitamin-supplements-lead-to-b6-toxcity-and-chronic-illness/101351800?utm_campaign=abc_news_web&utm_content=link&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_source=abc_news_web

Ideally we should get all of our vitamins and minerals that we don’t make with our food intake but most of us don’t due to the fast-paced lifestyle that we lead these days. The goal is to always eat a healthy and balanced diet, of course, but if and when we become deficient, we should know the signs of such deficiencies and have at least general knowledge of what each essential vitamin and mineral provides us. Please watch this short video by YouTuber Sciencerely as he speaks about the dangers of oversupplementation with vitamins.

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My healthy meal combos
Examples of foods that provide the essential vitamins and minerals

Summary of safety tips for implementing vitamin supplementation if needed:

  • If you feel you are deficient in a vitamin or mineral, first and foremost, talk to your health care provider to gain advice
  • Make sure to get a blood draw, do not start supplements blindly
  • If there is no blood draw that coincides with the vitamin, mineral or supplement, know which supplements are reputable (i.e., seek out reputable companies with a great track record of putting out the best and safest products).
  • After the blood draw results are obtained (if applicable), go over the results with your health care provider to discuss what steps should be taken. Often times, we can cure deficiencies with eating a more healthy diet if it’s not a severe case of deficiency.
  • DO YOUR RESEARCH!!! Know the recommended daily dosages for your age, gender and condition being treated and do not exceed this dosage.
  • Always follow-up with subsequent blood draw(s) (if applicable) as needed with your health care provider and report any side effects that you may notice.
  • In any case, try your best to maintain a healthy and balanced diet, keeping sugar, alcohol, fried foods, hydrogenated oils and overuse of sodium to a minimum.

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Monica

I’m #Nuts About You

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So which nut is more beneficial to our health?  Let’s get to the point!

The Brazilian Nut:

In just one-fourth of a cup there are 218 calories, 4 grams of carbs, 5 grams of protein, and 22 grams of fat (mostly unsaturated and great for the heart).  Selenium is a huge health benefit, which we will talk about in a bit.  You also get the added benefit of iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium.  There are trace amounts of thiamin, vitamin B6, riboflavin and niacin.

The Almond:
In one-fourth of a cup of almonds there are 162 calories, 14 grams of unsaturated fat (great for our hearts) and 6 grams of protein, but don’t get carried away.  This is only about 23 almonds and we must remember this about all nuts….the portion is important.  Almonds contain fiber in addition to protein and magnesium.  They also contain vitamin E.  This small nut helps us to lower blood sugar levels, blood pressure and cholesterol levels.  Due to the amount of fiber and protein, they can also decrease appetite and help with weight loss.
So who are the stars of the contents:
Selenium– This is a trace element found in the soil and in certain foods as well as water.  It is good for preventing coronary heart disease, fighting inflammation, reducing free radicals, helping with antioxidant activity and increasing blood flow.  It also helps the thyroid convert T4 (thyroid hormone) into the active T3 form.  Healthy thyroid function equals a healthier metabolism.  It also plays a role in cancer prevention and improves sexual performance.  In men it boosts testosterone levels and helps with sperm production and motility.
Iron– Although pistachio nuts lead in the amount of iron as far as nuts go (four times more as Brazilian nuts or almonds), these above nuts are still a great source of iron.  Iron is one of the components of hemoglobin, the material in red blood cells that helps our blood to carry oxygen throughout our bodies.  Vitamin C can boost the amount of absorption of iron.
Nuts are loaded with vitamin E, healthy fats, protein and magnesium and those that eat nuts as a regular part of their diet have been shown to lower their risk of obesity, heart disease and diabetes type 2.
So, based on which one of the above packs in more of the above important components, THE WINNER IS the Brazilian Nut over the Almond.  The fact that the Brazilian Nut comes in at number one for Selenium in food charts and the almond only yields about 2% of the daily amount that we use, for me, there is no contest!
What is a good serving size for most nuts:  one handful, 1/4 cup or  1 ounce.  So add these little delightful snacks as a regular part of your diet, especially to curb your appetite in between meals.  I like them with yogurt and a bit of granola.  If you currently enjoy them as a part of your regular diet, share your way of eating them below:
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