What Is Zinc? Zinc is an essential trace mineral that is involved in numerous aspects of cellular metabolism, being essential for activation of almost 200 enzymes that have vital roles in the body. Q: What happens when enzymes do not ...
Read More »Vitamin B12 Deficiency
What Is Vitamin B12? Vitamin B12, also called cobalamin, is a highly complex vitamin that functions in two coenzyme forms: adenosylcobalamin and methylcobalamin. These forms of the vitamin play important roles in the physical and chemical processes by which amino ...
Read More »Folate Deficiency (Folic Acid)
What Is Folate? Folate, also called folic acid or vitamin B9, is a family group of essential water-soluble B vitamins needed to produce healthy blood cells and other tissue cells. Folate is required for healthy blood cells, the metabolism of at ...
Read More »Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) Deficiency
What Is Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)? Pyridoxine is an essential vitamin that is required for the health of nerves, bones, blood, arteries, blood sugar, the immune system and metabolism of proteins. Two important functions of pyridoxine involve coenzymes that are involved ...
Read More »Vitamin A Deficiency
What Is Vitamin A? Vitamin A is a family of fat-soluble compounds that are essential for health, vision, protection of the body, reproduction, and normal growth of children before and after birth. Q: What is the family of vitamin A? ...
Read More »Arachidonic Acid (AA) Deficiency
What Is Arachidonic Acid? Arachidonic acid is a major essential (must have/can’t make) omega-6 fatty acid. Structurally, arachidonic acid is a key component of nerve membranes, together with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a major opposing omega-3 fatty acid, making up 15-20% ...
Read More »Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) Deficiency
What Is Riboflavin? Riboflavin, also called vitamin B2, is fundamentally required for the breakdown of carbohydrates, amino acids, and fats in metabolism, enables oxygen to be used by cells, and acts as a component of more than a dozen enzymes involved ...
Read More »Vitamin B12 Deficiency Anemia
What Is Vitamin B12 Deficiency Anemia? Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia is a megaloblastic anemia that is characterized by defective DNA synthesis of red blood cells due to a lack of vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 is essential for normal blood cell formation. ...
Read More »Selenium Deficiency
What Is Selenium? Selenium is a mineral that is required by the body in trace amounts for a healthy immune system, normal thyroid function, and antioxidant protection. Selenium is absolutely required in the production of at least 30 selenoproteins in the ...
Read More »Vitamin K Deficiency
What Is Vitamin K? Vitamin K is a family of fat-soluble vitamins, called K vitamers, that exists in three forms: K1 is a natural form found in plants (phylloquinone); K2, found in some animal foods, is synthesized in the intestine ...
Read More »Linoleic Acid (LA) Deficiency
What Is Linoleic Acid? Linoleic acid is an essential omega-6 fatty acid that comes from plant sources. Essential means the body must have it to maintain health and life sustaining functions. Omega-6 fatty acids are polyunsaturated. Among its many vital ...
Read More »Glucose Deficiency
What Is Glucose? Glucose is the most important simple sugar in human metabolism because it is the primary source of energy for most cells of the body and is particularly required by the brain. Q: Where does glucose get energy? ...
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