Health and Fitness Hints

Health food enthusiasts promote a variety of naturally occurring compounds that may or may not have vital biological activity in humans as vitamins. The following are some of those compounds. Some can be synthesized by our bodies others are part of existing vitamins while others have no known value based on any scientific evidence.

Laetrile or B17: An amygdalin, a simple chemical compound consisting of two molecules of sugar, one molecule of benzaldehyde and one molecule of cyanide. It has been promoted as a cure for cancer but it is not recognized as a legitimate cancer therapy by the FDA. Chronic cyanide intoxication from laetrile in the diet has produced cases of slow progression of nerve damage that leads to muscle weakness and deafness. However, a lot could be said also about the toxic effects for all chemotherapeutic agents used today.

Para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA): This compound is part of the vitamin folate, it is a non-protein amino acid, and humans cannot use it to make folate. If taken along with sulfa antibiotics can defeat the effect of the antibiotic. It may have anti-fibrosis activity.

Pangamic acid, Vitamin B15: Pangamic Acid has been used as an antioxidant, for anti-aging, as an anti-cancer agent and to reduce cholesterol. However, no study reported any beneficial effect. Its distribution is illegal in USA.

Orotic acid, Vitamin B13: It is a non-essential substance as it is manufactured in the body by intestinal flora. In its purified or synthesized form, orotic acid is listed as toxic. It is marketed as calcium orotate when combined with elemental calcium, increases calcium absorption and helps prevent osteoporosis. Orotic acid helps with the production of genetic material. It has been used in conditions such as multiple sclerosis and chronic hepatitis. It is also used in cosmetics in moisturizing and anti-aging skin creams. However, some cancer research consider orotic acid to be a powerful tumor promoter.

These substances may be essential to some animals and lower organisms for growth but there is no evidence they do so for humans. They may include it in multi vitamins or as part of the B-complex group preparations.

However, several other vitamin-like compounds display important roles and are necessary for the normal metabolism of the body. While these compounds can be synthesized by the body, it is at the expense of other nutrients such as essential amino acids….

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