B-vitamin Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Beriberi Plague Millions in East Asia – Until One Man Discovered it was a Vitamin Deficiency

The AHA! Team — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 06:34:35 +0000

Arsenio Toledo via Natural News – Beriberi, or thiamine deficiency, used to be a disease that was endemic to many parts of the world, including Japan – until a Japanese naval physician discovered that the simple solution was a change in diet and an increase in the natural intake of vitamins. Beriberi used to be so prevalent all over East Asia that up to 40 percent of the Imperial Japanese Navy by the late 19th century was affected by it. Japanese naval physician Takaki Kanehiro became one of the first people in the world to discover that beriberi was linked to diet, specifically the Navy’s reliance on rice. Takaki proposed a change in diet to include more protein-rich foods, and this change successfully eliminated the disease within the Navy in just two years. Takaki’s work not only improved the health of Japanese sailors but also improved its military strength and advanced global understanding of nutritional diseases and epidemiology. Beriberi, or thiamine deficiency, used to be a disease that was endemic to many parts of the world, including Japan – until a Japanese naval physician discovered that the simple solution was a change in diet and an increase in the natural intake of vitamins. This is according to research from the 1962 book “The Vitamin Hunters” by Albert von Haller, which chronicles how many endemic diseases like beriberi, scurvy, pellagra and rickets were nearly wiped from existence following the knowledge that they were caused by vitamin deficiencies. The man responsible for helping solve the global problem of thiamine deficiency is Takaki Kanehiro, a Japanese naval medical officer who discovered the cure to beriberi around 10 years before Dutch physician Christiaan Eijkman won the Nobel Prize in Medicine for his work in identifying that beriberi was caused by a nutritional deficiency, namely the lack of thiamine or vitamin B1. (Related: B vitamins are CRUCIAL to heart health, brain health and eye health.) Beriberi, characterized by symptoms such as paralysis, heart weakness and swelling of the liver, was widespread in Japan and all-over East Asia during the 19th century. In the Imperial Japanese Navy, the disease reached epidemic proportions, with up to 40 percent of sailors affected. The illness severely compromised the Navy’s operational capacity, as many recovered sailors were left unfit for service. Takaki, who joined the Navy as a medical officer in 1872, observed the devastating impact of beriberi firsthand. At the time, the disease was widely believed to be caused by an infectious agent, a theory influenced by the recent discoveries of Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch. Takaki initially sought to identify the presumed bacillus but found no evidence to support this hypothesis. A change in diet was all it took to rid the Imperial Japanese Navy of its beriberi epidemic Takaki’s breakthrough came when he hypothesized that beriberi was linked to the sailors’ diet, particularly their reliance on polished rice. He noted that officers, who consumed a more varied diet were less affected than regular rank-and-file sailors who primarily consumed rice. Takaki proposed that the disease was caused by a deficiency of nitrogenous elements like protein in the diet – a theory that contradicted prevailing medical beliefs. To test his hypothesis, Takaki conducted a controlled experiment in 1884 using two naval vessels. One ship maintained the traditional rice-based diet, while the other was provisioned with a protein-rich diet similar to that of British sailors. The results were striking: On the control ship, over two-thirds of the crew developed beriberi, while on the other ship, only four cases were reported and all among sailors who had secretly consumed more rice than proteins. Takaki’s findings led to a radical overhaul of the Imperial Japanese Navy’s dietary provisions. By 1885, the new diet had been adopted across the fleet, and after just two years the Navy had effectively eradicated the disease from its ranks. This achievement not only improved the health and morale of sailors but also strengthened Japan’s military capabilities, contributing to its victory in the Russo-Japanese War in 1904. Takaki’s work extended beyond his research on beriberi. He founded the Sei-I-Kwai Medical Training School in 1881 and pioneered an emphasis on patient-centered care in Japan. He also established the country’s first nursing school and created a charitable hospital to serve the poor, which still stands today as the Jikei University School of Medicine in Minato, Tokyo. In recognition of his contributions, Takaki was appointed Navy Surgeon General in 1885 and became the first person in Japan to receive a Doctor of Medical Science degree in 1888. He was elevated to the imperial peerage in 1905 and awarded Japan’s highest honors, including the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Sacred Treasure and the Order of the Rising Sun. Kanehiro Takaki’s pioneering work on beriberi marked a turning point in the understanding of nutritional diseases. By demonstrating the link between diet and health, he not only solved a critical problem for the Japanese Navy but also advanced the field of epidemiology. His legacy continues to influence medical education and healthcare in Japan, underscoring the importance of empirical research and patient-centered care. Sources include: Brighteon.ai Journals.SagePub.com Brighteon.com To read the original article, click here

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Approximately 30% of American’s Can’t Convert This Common B-Vitamin

AHA Publisher — Thu, 03 Dec 2020 08:00:57 +0000

Dr. Don Colbert – Are you one of the 30% of Americans who can’t convert a common B-Vitamin due to a genetic mutation? You may have this gene mutation without even realizing it. It’s called the MTHFR gene mutation. If you’re not familiar, it is crucial to understand how this common mutation affects the metabolism of vitamin B9 in countless Americans. If you are one of the many who has one or two mutations in this gene, you may have accumulated folic acid in your body, leading to low vitamin B9, and you may be suffering from it. MTHFR stands for methylenetetrahydrofolate reduction. When this gene is mutated, unmetabolized vitamin B9 including folate and folic acid can accumulate in the body. The most concerning problem with its accumulation is the potential for high levels of homocysteine. Elevated homocysteine is associated with cardiovascular issues, birth abnormalities, depressed moods, eye conditions, and more. Here’s how to find if you have this mutation, and what you can do to safeguard yourself from unmetabolized folate and folic acid accumulation. The MTHFR Gene Mutation The MTHFR gene is responsible for converting two types of vitamin B9, folate, and folic acid, into their active forms in the body. There are 2 variations of MTHFR gene mutation. The first variation, or a heterozygous variation, is when one piece of this gene is mutated. You can inherit one mutation from either your mom or your dad. The second variation, or a homozygous variation, is having 2 mutations. This means you inherited a mutation from both parents. While having one variation can be only a small problem, having a 2-variation mutation can lead to more serious health issues including the potential for elevated homocysteine. Importance of a Healthy MTHFR Gene The conversion of folate and folic acid into their active states is a vital function in the human body. Inadequate levels of active vitamin B9 are associated with many health issues, including depressed moods, cardiovascular concerns, and birth abnormalities. Both this is a double-sided sword. While inadequate levels are associated with health challenges, the accumulation of inactive vitamin B9 is also damaging. This is why the conversion process is so important if you consume folate or folic acid. Vitamin B9, Folate, and Folic Acid Vitamin B9, folate, and folic acid are often used interchangeably, which can be confusing. Vitamin B9 is typically consumed as folate or folic acid, which are forms of the vitamin. Folate is the naturally-occurring form of B9, and it’s found in many foods including vegetables, fruits, seafood, eggs, dairy, and more (1). Folic Acid, on the other hand, is the synthetic form of Vitamin B9. It is used in supplements, breads, cereals, and other common foods. In fact, the fortification of folic acid in common foods is mandated in the United States (2). As experts became aware of its ability to reduce birth abnormalities, they pushed to include it in foods such as breads, cereals, flour, and more. Sounds great, right? Yes and no. There’s an issue with all this folic acid in our foods and supplements. Both folate and folic acid must be converted into the active form of B9 in order to be used by the body. This conversion can be inefficient and takes many extra steps. In those without the MTHFR mutation, most folate, and some folic acid is readily converted. However, it can still accumulate in the non-active form, especially if it’s consumed daily (3, 4). In those with the gene mutation, much less is converted. And this is a real problem. Accumulated unmetabolized folate and folic acid are associated with health concerns. In some cases, the very issues folic acid supplementation is meant to correct, it promotes. The Vitamin B9 Conversion When folate and folic acid are consumed, the body tries to convert them into 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF) in the digestive system before they enter the bloodstream (5, 6). This conversion requires many steps. They include: Folate or Folic Acid is consumed. They must be converted in the digestive system or liver. Folate or folic acid is changed to dihydrofolate. Dihydrofolate is converted to tetrahydrofolate. Tetrahydrofolate is converted to 5, 10-methylenetetra-hydrofolate 5, 10-methylenetetra-hydrofolate is finally converted to the active form, 5-methyltetrahydrofolate. How can you tell if you’re at risk of unmetabolized vitamin B9? Is your body converting efficiently? Symptoms of MTHFR Mutation While there are no surefire symptoms of this mutation, some conditions have been linked to it. These symptoms are the same as low levels of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate, since folate and folic acid are not efficiently converted. They include: depressed or anxious moods mental health issues cardiovascular and thromboembolic issues whole-body discomfort or pain overactive nerves headaches recurrent pregnancy complications in women of child-bearing age pregnancies with birth abnormalities Testing for MTHFR Mutations If you know you have high levels of homocysteine and/or symptoms of the mutation, such as depressed or anxious moods, you may want to test for it. To do so, you can talk to your doctor and request a test from a lab such as LabCorp. The specific test is called Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (MTHFR) Thermolabile Variant, DNA Analysis. Avoid Folic Acid Accumulation From the Get-Go Whether you have a MTHFR mutation or not, you can choose a better vitamin B9 in your supplements. Take a look at your multivitamin or B-vitamins. Do they include folic acid, or the active form, 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF)? Multivitamins with Optimal Nutrients When looking for a multivitamin, it’s best to find a high-quality one with nutrients that are bioavailable and in the right forms. Specifically, look for those formulated with 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF). Your body will not need to go through the inefficient conversion process, nor will you risk unmetabolized Vitamin B9 accumulation. In fact, 5-MTHF can be found as a prescription. It’s also in some high-quality supplements, including the Divine Health Enhanced Multivitamin. If you have a MTHFR gene mutation, you can rest assured that your body will get the vitamin B9 it needs, in the form it can use. Bottom Line Sometimes, there’s more to a vitamin than meets the eye. Vitamin B9 is a prime example. Since it requires extensive conversion, it’s important to know if you are one of the many with a MTHFR gene mutation, especially if you have symptoms. Always look for high-quality supplements with active forms of nutrients ready to be used in your body. To read the original article click here. For more articles from Dr. Colbert click here.

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