Vitamin B

It's common to get dry, chapped lips during the Winter, but what about cracks at the corners of your mouth that don't seem to go away no matter how much lip balm you apply? I've heard that this could be a symptom of a vitamin deficiency, so I decided to do some research.

Indeed, persistent cracking at the corners of the lips could be a sign that you're not getting enough vitamin B — in particular, folic acid (B9) and riboflavin (B2). This isn't anything to freak out about, but if you think your diet might be lacking, try taking a multivitamin or vitamin B complex supplement. Or just increase your intake of foods rich in B vitamins and see if that helps. You can also soothe the cracked areas with ointments like Vaseline or Neosporin.

If the problem persists, talk to your doctor to see if you might have a more serious problem with anemia or a common fungal infection called angular chelitis.

Source

Who doesn't love sugar? I know I crave that sweetness (especially during certain times of the month), but experts now believe that eating too much sugar can make your skin look dull and wrinkled.

How? When you eat the sweet stuff, sugar in your bloodstream attaches to proteins to form harmful new molecules in a process called glycation. These new molecules are called advanced glycation end products or, appropriately, AGEs for short – am I the only one that finds that acronym highly ironic? The more soda, candy, and deep-fried twinkies you eat, the more AGEs you develop.

Dermatologist Fredric Brandt says, "As AGEs accumulate, they damage adjacent proteins in a domino-like fashion." Collagen and elastin are the protein fibers in your skin that make it firm, springy and elastic. Once they're damaged, they become dry and brittle, which leads to wrinkles and the ever-so-wonderful sagging.

Another thing about AGES is that they deactivate your skin's ability to produce antioxidant enzymes, which leaves your skin more vulnerable to sun damage (another cause of wrinkles).

It's never too late to work on reversing the effects. To find out how read more

Is it me or are you confused about how much of each vitamin and mineral you are supposed to get each day?

Some of my friends take daily vitamins, and some eat fortified foods like calcium-enriched orange juice. It that necessary, or do we get enough in the foods we eat?

The first step in answering that question is to know how much we need to get each day. Here's a chart to make it a little more simple for you. These numbers are the RDI (reference daily intake) for women.

Want to see? Then read more

There are eight B Vitamins to be exact, and they help maintain healthy skin and muscle tone, enhance your immune and nervous system functions, and promote cell growth and division.

They are water-soluble vitamins which means that your body can't store them. They need to be replenished daily because whatever the body doesn't use, gets flushed out in your urine.

The eight B vitamins are B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, and B12 - and they all have other names that you're probably more familiar with.

Most people get these vitamins in the food they eat. If you have food restrictions, whether you don't eat meat, dairy products, eggs, or whole grains for whatever reason, you may need to take supplements. When a supplement has all 8 of these B vitamins, it's referred to as vitamin B complex. If you buy separate B vitamins, then they are referred to by their specific name (B1, B12, etc.)

Allow me to explain each one...

Want to see the rest? Then read more

Vitamins are either water-soluble or fat-soluble. But what does that really mean...

Here's the deal. When you take a vitamin supplement that is water-soluble, your body metabolizes what it can and flushes out the excess through pee. Your body does not store theses vitamins so it is important to get them daily through diet or a supplement. Vitamin C, vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), and vitamin B9 (Folic Acid) are all water-soluble.

Unlike water-soluble vitamins that need regular replacement in the body, fat-soluble vitamins are stored in the liver and fatty tissues, and are eliminated much more slowly than water-soluble vitamins. You also need a little fat in your diet to absorb fat-soluble vitamins. Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble. Since these vitamins are stored in the body, you generally don't need to take supplements of them. You can actually create a toxic build up - oh my!

Fit's Tips: If you are taking supplements, make sure you're not taking more of the water-soluble ones than your body can absorb at one time. If you do, you're literally flushing your money down the toilet.

Energy drinks have gained enormous popularity in the past few years despite the extremely high levels of sugar and caffeine found in almost any energy drink on the market.

The name energy leads you, the consumer, to believe you are drinking a good thing (maybe something that will help you excel in your work out) when you're not, and it could not be further from it. One can of energy drink tends to have 4 times the caffeine than a can of coke and about 7 teaspoons of sugar. The worst part is that since energy drinks are so hot right now, makers are just random companies (clothing manufacturers, motorcycle makers, etc) jumping on the bandwagon. One Las Vegas based producer even named their drink Cocaine: The Legal Alternative. Could it sound any more unhealthy? What's more? Energy drinks are not currently regulated in the United States so anyone and everyone can make and drink them.

To find out how you can get more energy without one drop of Liquid Cocaine, read more