Myths about vitamins: are tablets absorbed better than fruit? Signs of gastric erosion during examination. How does digestion happen?

The seeds of white and black grapes can be eaten by humans. This product contains a large amount useful substances and has a positive effect on the human body. It provides:

Read how to grow grapes from seeds.

Regular use not only has a positive effect on the condition of internal organs, but also gives a pronounced cosmetic effect, in particular, it stimulates the production of collagen and elastin in the skin. It helps slow down the appearance of age spots, wrinkles, and other signs of aging.

To get the best effect from such a product, you need to combine eating grapes with them as a cosmetic product for external use.

It should be noted that in some cases their use can cause a person not only benefit, but also harm. This may happen if there are contraindications to the use of this product. These include:

individual intolerance;
dental diseases;
severe gastrointestinal diseases, including peptic ulcers.

Eating grapes is a good prevention of anemia during pregnancy and improves immunity, as it stimulates the functioning of the bone marrow.

White

Seeds white grapes less saturated useful acids, minerals and vitamins, therefore their consumption is less beneficial for humans. You can eat them; they will not harm your health. However healing effect from their use will not be particularly pronounced. For this reason, it is recommended to replace them with at least pink grape seeds.

ABOUT the best varieties read about muscat grapes.

You should not eat rudiments of white grape bones, which can be found in some hybrids close to raisins. Such rudiments are almost completely devoid beneficial properties. They can only provide a mild cleansing of the intestines, and if consumed excessively, they can even cause constipation.

Black

The fruits of black grapes are characterized by increased
content of organic acids. It is on the seeds of this fruit that those who want to improve the condition of their own should focus. circulatory system, and also delay the aging process.

Despite the fact that this product is extremely beneficial for human health, it should not be abused. Otherwise, the seeds and pulp of grapes, rich in beneficial substances, may cause you to have allergies. It manifests itself especially often in children. It is better for them not to eat these grapes.

You can learn about Livadia black grapes by.

What's Contained

Grape seeds, like the grapes themselves, contain various minerals. In particular, most of all this product contains:

vitamins C, E, and PP;
minerals - phosphorus, magnesium, potassium.

Grape seeds contain lutein, vitamin A, sodium and some other elements in lower concentrations.

It must be remembered that grape seeds contain a small amount of useful substances in comparison with the daily intake of these substances by the body. For this reason, a person will not benefit from a single use of this product. A noticeable effect from consuming this product will only appear if a person adds it to food daily.

Are they absorbed by the body?

Whole grape seeds, swallowed by a person, are not absorbed by the body. They pass through the digestive tract and are excreted along with food debris. Large grape bones can even injure the intestinal walls, and if consumed regularly in uncrushed form, they can provoke an attack of acute appendicitis.

If you allow your child to eat grape seeds, be sure to tell him that they need to be chewed thoroughly. Otherwise there will be no benefit from them.

Video

The video talks about the benefits of grape seeds.

Clinical picture of the disease

More often, the clinical picture of this gastric pathology is represented by hemorrhagic or ulcer-like syndromes. Chronic symptoms are less common diffuse diseases hepatocellular system, biliary tract and pancreas.

Ulcer-like syndrome is accompanied by pain. They are localized in the epigastric region, often intense and burning. A distinctive feature of pain with gastric erosion is persistence, unlike pain with peptic ulcer. The occurrence of pain is associated with food intake. After eating, belching and heartburn often occur. Dyspeptic symptoms can vary in severity, depending on the severity of the disease.

After eating, the patient is often tormented by a feeling full stomach or bloating, heaviness in the abdomen. The disease is accompanied by nausea, vomiting occurs rarely. Regular belching of air or acidic contents of the stomach cavity may be a sign of such damage to the gastric mucosa.

After meals or while taking horizontal position heartburn may occur unpleasant feeling burning behind the sternum.

The patient's abdomen is distended, because gas formation increases. Bowel movements become more frequent and irregular.
Approximately 20% of patients have symptoms hemorrhagic form diseases. Hemorrhagic syndrome often manifests itself as regular bleeding. Mostly the bleeding is hidden and there are no manifestations. They were called occult bleedings. Patients in this group gradually develop posthemorrhagic anemia. The only signs of regular blood loss may be: general weakness, the presence of hidden blood in the stool during the Gregersen reaction, the development of chronic anemia. Characteristic appearance patients with posthemorrhagic anemia: mucous membranes and skin are sharply pale, “waxy” in appearance. Pallor may be the first sign of anemia ears. To the touch, the patient's skin is dry and thin. Hair falls out and becomes brittle and dull. Even minor physical activity causes the patient to quickly fatigue and shortness of breath. In addition, the patient complains of dizziness, constant drowsiness, and tinnitus. During the examination, the doctor will note a rapid heartbeat and the presence of a heart murmur.

Hemorrhagic syndrome can have a bright clinical picture, accompanied by vomiting the color of “coffee grounds”, stool turning black (melena), and the development of collapse.

Signs of gastric erosion during examination

The following signs may indicate the presence of erosion:

Presence of hemorrhagic or ulcer-like syndrome in the clinic, absence radiological signs, characteristic of stomach ulcers and duodenum(no typical “niche”, deformation of the duodenum and stomach).
The presence of ulcer-like symptoms (belching, heartburn, nausea, feeling of heaviness) after the administration of glucocorticosteroids and salicylates.
Presence of symptoms gastrointestinal bleeding in patients who have suffered extensive trauma and burns, after heavy operations, for diseases of the cardiovascular system. In these cases, in the absence of contraindications, the doctor should prescribe endoscopic examination. During an endoscopic examination, different types of gastric erosions are identified, their prevalence and localization are determined.

Signs different types erosions during endoscopic examination.

Flat, they are also hemorrhagic or sharp. Small defects in the surface of the mucous membrane, up to 0.5 cm in diameter. Flat defects can be multiple or single, sometimes covered with fibrinous plaque and hemorrhages. The mucous membrane under erosions can either show signs of inflammation (swelling and hyperemia) or remain intact.
Complete or chronic erosions. They are located in the form of elevations on the surface of the mucosa, small in size with a central depression. Chronic ones are rarely covered with fibrinous plaque.

Acute gastric erosion is often expressed by a clear symptom complex. Usually, the symptoms of underlying chronic diseases are in the foreground. An asymptomatic course or scant clinical symptoms are observed in 30 - 90% of young patients whose mucous membrane remains unchanged during endoscopic examination. If symptoms are still present, they are nonspecific: heartburn, sour belching, abdominal pain on an empty stomach, of low intensity. Acute erosions in many cases are complicated by gastric bleeding.

Chronic erosion is accompanied by quite pronounced specific syndromes (dyspeptic and abdominal pain). 75% of patients complain of heartburn and belching, often combined with a feeling of discomfort and heaviness in the right hypochondrium and flatulence. Episodic pain on an empty stomach (“fasting pain”), which occurs in patients with chronic pathology, tends to radiate to the area spinal column. Persons young characterize the pain as aching or dull, older patients feel cramping painful sensations combined with a feeling of discomfort in epigastric region, nausea and unstable stools (tendency to constipation). From the above it is clear that chronic forms The symptoms of the disease resemble duodenal ulcer. In patients with chronic gastric erosions, the symptoms of the underlying disease are clearly pronounced in the clinic ( arterial hypertension, coronary heart disease, cirrhosis or chronic hepatitis).
Differential diagnosis of the type of erosion is possible using fibrogastroscopic examination. The final diagnosis is made based on morphological changes, found in the histobioptate.

On the surface of the mucosa, before the appearance of acute erosions, the presence of subepithelial petechial hemorrhages can be noticed. In this case, the integrity of the mucous membrane is not affected.

Such changes are often described as hemorrhagic erosions.

A morphological examination reveals a shallow defect in the gastric mucosa, occupying several folds of the mucosa. Epithelization of acute erosions lasts no more than 2–7 days.
Chronic forms are located on the surface of the mucous membrane in the form of successively located foci in the direction of the pylorus. Their number ranges from 1 to 15. Chronic erosions almost always have the same depth as acute ones; the bottom is often glands, sometimes the muscular plate of the mucous membrane. Morphological signs of chronic forms: the presence of necrosis (in this case coagulation), it may resemble fibrinous necrosis in the formation of acute erosions, however, it does not have typical edges as with fibrosis. One of the endoscopic criteria for the chronic form is mucosal elevations, which, in fact, are hyperplastic pyloric glands. The bottom of chronic complete erosions is granulation tissue, the edges are lined with dystrophic and atrophic epithelium of the gastric glands.
The duration of chronic erosions is from 4 weeks to several years. Based on the type of histological changes, chronic forms are divided into mature and immature. Mature erosion is one that has gone through all stages of development. They are covered with epithelium. Swelling at the site of bulging erosion remains forever due to the developed fibrosis of the underlying tissues and pronounced signs of productive inflammation. Immature erosion is characterized by false hyperplasia due to swelling of the epithelium.

Incomplete and hemorrhagic erosions of the stomach are prone to rapid epithelization within 5 to 14 days. They usually do not leave macroscopic signs after healing. Complete erosion of the stomach is not all prone to epithelization; this process lasts much longer - up to 2 years or more. The majority of complete forms are characterized by a relapsing course, in which case they periodically worsen and subside. The bulging of the mucosal area remains due to the formed fibrosis of the underlying tissues and a high degree of inflammatory process. Histological examination reveals a tendency to hyperplasia of epithelial cells. Less commonly detected hyperplastic processes in the glandular apparatus of the mucous membrane. Healed wounds of this type look very similar to true polyposis during endoscopic examination, so in this case one cannot do without histological verification of the disease. If the doctor notes a tendency towards progressive hyperplasia, gastric erosion - glandular polyps- cancer, the patient is subject to careful dynamic monitoring.

It is difficult to correctly assess endoscopic signs of gastric erosion. The doctor should first of all be wary of early form stomach cancer, lymphomatosis and Crohn's disease. Therefore, it is advisable to combine endoscopic examination with taking biopsy material for histological examination.

Changes in the gastric mucosa have a certain connection with other diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, therefore it is customary to distinguish between primary and secondary in origin. Symptoms of gastric erosion often accompany peptic ulcer disease; every third patient had erosion against the background of gastric or duodenal ulcer.

Tumor processes of the large intestine are often accompanied by the presence of gastric erosions. Erosion often aggravates the course of chronic diseases of the hepatocellular system (liver cirrhosis with portal hypertension, active hepatitis, etc.).

Symptoms of gastric erosion appear in a patient with diseases of the cardiovascular system, with burns large area, severe injuries, blood diseases, with infectious diseases and surgical interventions.

Frequent hiccups - the most likely explanations

Hiccups are short involuntary sighs with a narrowed glottis (the narrowing is explained by a sudden contraction of the diaphragm and at the same time the muscles of the larynx).

It may indicate not only a short-term functional disorder, but also progressive diseases. The process is “associated with the vagus nerve, which connects many internal organs to the central nervous system” (1).

Main causes of the problem

Episodic hiccups, which go away on their own after 5-7 minutes, usually begin from excitement or hypothermia.

It is also provoked by:

drinking alcohol;
binge eating;
uncomfortable postures;
eating dry and rough food.

In these cases, there is no need to go to the doctor: most likely, it will be enough to drink in small sips warm water or intentionally take deep breaths.

When discomfort becomes intrusive, it must be taken seriously.

Hiccups as a sign of a chronic disease

People who have problems with their nervous system, respiratory system, and gastrointestinal tract often hiccup.

Here are just a few examples of diseases that are characterized by the symptom you are interested in:

bronchitis;
pleurisy;
encephalitis;
meningitis;
cancer of the brain or spinal cord;
cholecystitis;
helminthiasis;
giardiasis;
renal failure;
diabetes;
intervertebral hernia;
asthenic neurosis;
stroke, etc.

The list should also include pathological processes in the gastrointestinal tract, to which our website gastrit-yazva.ru is dedicated:

esophageal carcinoma;
achalasia cardia;
pyloric stenosis.

Let us add that hiccups are very typical for GERD (see the relevant data in the article by S.I. Zvereva “Clinical variants of the course of gastroesophageal reflux disease” (2).

Associated manifestations

Since hiccups can indicate a variety of diseases, it is pointless to draw conclusions only from it.

You should understand whether it is accompanied by other suspicious changes in well-being:

increased fatigue;
pain (in particular, affecting the epigastric area);
diarrhea or, on the contrary, constipation;
heartburn;
sweating;
increased body temperature;
dizziness.

It is important to remember whether the appearance was preceded by persistent hiccups head injury: in this case, we are possibly talking about a life-threatening condition.

A consultation with a specialist and subsequent diagnostic procedures will help clarify the situation.

Literature:

T. Krivomaz, “Why do people hiccup,” “Pharmacist Practitioner,” No. 10, 2014
S.I. Zvereva, “Clinical variants of the course of gastroesophageal reflux disease”, “Medical Almanac”, No. 1(20), 2012.

digestive disorders symptoms of gastritis

Poor nutrition, snacks on the run, or large meals at night can all lead to the stomach not digesting food. What to do when the stomach cannot digest food and how to restore the functioning of the organ worries many.

1Basic information about the disease
2Causes of the disease
3Types and forms of the disease
4Diagnostic methods
5Therapeutic measures

1Basic information about the disease

The stomach is the place where food is digested. Its volume in an adult is approximately 2-3 liters. Food enters the stomach through the esophagus, where it is broken down into its components: proteins, carbohydrates and fats. When the body feels the need for food, it gives a signal and the amount of hydrochloric acid increases, which helps break down food. The speed of this process is different: carbohydrates are completely processed in 2 hours, while a similar process for fats takes up to 5 hours.

Deterioration of the stomach, in which it practically stops digesting food, is called dyspepsia and may be accompanied by unpleasant sensations: attacks of nausea, heaviness in the stomach and a feeling of fullness. If you do not take timely effective measures, the consequences will be very serious.

Symptoms of dyspepsia may include the following:

feeling of fullness in the stomach;
bloating, distension;
symptoms of peptic ulcer: vomiting, nausea, heartburn, “hunger” pain;
belching;
after eating, a burning sensation may occur in the chest area;
heaviness and pain in the upper abdomen not associated with eating;
pain in upper section spine;
sometimes vomiting occurs, causing relief for a short period;
loss of appetite, rapid satiety (associated with undigested food in the stomach).

The disease may develop different ways: according to the ulcerative, dyskinetic or nonspecific variant. The dyskinetic variant involves the appearance of a feeling of rapid satiety, overcrowding, and discomfort. With a peptic ulcer, signs of a peptic ulcer are observed, that is, belching, “hungry” or night pain, heartburn. The nonspecific variant combines signs of both ulcerative and dyskinetic course of the disease.

2Causes of the disease

The most common causes of dyspepsia are poor diet and lack of food culture. Dry snacks, in conditions constant stress and haste will certainly affect your health. The selection of foods can affect the functioning of the stomach. There are a number of foods that, depending on the individual characteristics of a person, are not accepted by the stomach.

Discomfort may arise from oily, heavy or too spicy food. Alcohol can also cause problems, as it stimulates the production of hydrochloric acid, thereby increasing the load on the walls of the stomach.

In some cases, disruption of the functioning of the stomach can be caused by hormonal imbalance - this phenomenon is often observed in pregnant women. Finally, selection gastric juice may be a consequence of disorders of the secretory glands.

In some cases, poor health may occur in the morning. This suggests that the person is abusing late meals. Like all human organs, the stomach must have time to rest.

There are other causes of dyspepsia:

decreased metabolism;
the appearance of bacterial colonies in the gastric mucosa;
insufficient concentration of gastric juice;
gastritis.

Regardless of the reasons why the stomach does not digest food, it is necessary to urgently begin treatment and seriously reconsider the diet and selection of foods.

3Types and forms of the disease

There are two main groups of the disease: organic and functional. Organic dyspepsia is a syndrome in which there is no serious violations structures of the gastrointestinal tract organs, only functional, that is, related to the work of organs. Functional dyspepsia characterized by the appearance of structural pathological changes gastrointestinal organs. In this case, the symptoms will be observed more clearly and over a long period of time.

The main types of disease are determined depending on the reasons that provoked their occurrence.

Dyspepsia caused by intestinal infection can be of several types:

salmonellosis - characterized by an increase in temperature to 39°C, the appearance of vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness and headache;
dysentery - usually affects the large intestine, the main manifestation is considered to be stool mixed with blood;
intoxication - develops as a result of poisoning due to influenza, acute infectious diseases, poisoning.

Dyspepsia associated with a lack of digestive enzymes can be of the following types:

gastrogenic;
hepatogenic;
pancreatogenic;
enterogenous.

Nutritional dyspepsia is caused by in the wrong way life and has 3 subspecies, characterized by an excess of any component.

Putrefactive disease develops when eating too many carbohydrate-containing foods, that is, meat, fish, and eggs predominate in the diet. The disease may develop due to eating stale meat products.

Fatty dyspepsia is caused by an excess of fats in the diet, especially refractory ones - lamb or pork fat.

The fermentation form is caused by an excess of carbohydrate-containing foods in the diet, such as bread, legumes, cabbage, sugar and some others, as well as fermented drinks (these include beer and kvass).

4Diagnostic methods

Stopping digestion of food in the stomach may be a symptom of another, more serious disease, so if signs appear, you should consult a doctor.

First of all, the doctor collects an anamnesis. It is necessary to describe all complaints as accurately as possible: how long ago and how severe the pain has been, when it appears, whether there is heartburn, whether there are other diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

After this, the doctor can prescribe both instrumental and laboratory tests.

Instrumental studies may include ultrasound and computed tomography. Using electrogastroenterography, disorders of gastric motility are detected, that is, its ability to move food mass. If you suspect more serious illnesses(tumors), the patient may undergo radiography. The inner surface of the stomach is analyzed using an endoscope, often with a simultaneous biopsy. Tests are carried out for the presence of the pathogen Helicobacter pylori.

TO laboratory research include biochemical analysis blood, stool test for the presence dietary fiber and hidden blood.

5Therapeutic measures

If the digestion disorder in the stomach is caused by the development of another disease (influenza and other viral diseases, ulcer, gastritis, pancreatic diseases, duodenitis, etc.), this is what is treated first.

To treat direct indigestion in the stomach, the patient is prescribed medications different directions. For constipation, the patient is prescribed a laxative, but not for continuous use - only until the stool returns to normal. If diarrhea occurs, the patient should take antidiarrheal medications.

The patient is prescribed some medications designed to eliminate the main symptoms of the disease:

Enzymatic - improve digestion, the functioning of the stomach and duodenum.
Proton pump blockers - prescribed for increased acidity stomach, manifested in the form of heartburn and sour belching.
Histamine blockers are medications that reduce stomach acidity, but have a weaker effect than proton pump blockers.
Painkillers - antispasmodics that reduce pain in the abdomen.

Non-drug treatment consists of simple measures. After eating, it is recommended to walk for at least 30 minutes. During treatment, the load on the abs is eliminated: twisting, lifting or bending the body.

Since one of the reasons that food is poorly digested is poor nutrition, it is reasonable to try to improve the condition with the help of diet. Therefore, at least for the duration of treatment, you need to give up fast food, fried, fatty, and semi-finished products, since all listed products have a large amount of simple fats.

It's important to have positive attitude- it helps improve the production of gastric juice. Therefore, while eating, you do not need to plunge into dark thoughts or be distracted by watching TV, reading a newspaper or watching news on the Internet.

The main rule is to seriously reconsider your diet. It is important to give preference to natural and high-quality food. If your stomach does not accept any food, then you can switch to separate meals, since a diet selected in accordance with the rules allows you to relieve digestive system and identify a product that is not accepted by the gastrointestinal tract.

Separate nutrition requires following several rules. The main thing is that you should not mix carbohydrates and proteins in one meal, since their processing requires different concentration gastric juice. In this case, fats can be combined with both proteins and carbohydrates.

It is important not to mix foods that take different amounts of time to digest. For example, nuts take longer to digest, so you shouldn't eat them at the same time as an orange.

You also need to be more careful with liquids. It is not allowed to drink hot coffee or tea immediately after eating. To avoid problems, you need to drink water 15 minutes before meals and at least an hour after meals.

Digestibility nutrients influenced by many factors: composition of food, method of cooking, combination of products, functional state of the body and some others. By answering the questions below, you can figure out whether your body is digesting food well or whether you need to undergo an examination and consult a gastroenterologist.

After eating sugary foods, I often experience symptoms (at least two of them):

1. Burning sensation or burning taste in the esophagus or stomach, sour taste in the mouth, sour belching, heartburn. – 2 points.

After reception fatty foods I often have symptoms (at least two of them):

1. Bloating or accumulation of gases, diarrhea, a feeling of fullness and heaviness in the stomach for a long time after eating, food-related abdominal pain. – 2 points.

2. These symptoms do not bother me. – 1 point.

How often do you go to the toilet?

2. Once a day or every other day. – 1 point.

How do you tolerate milk?

1. After drinking milk, I often have upset stools and flatulence. – 2 points.

2. I can drink milk without consequences. – 1 point.

How long does it take you to eat?

1. Less than 10 minutes. – 2 points.

2. More than 20 minutes. – 1 point.

How many times a day do you eat without your phone, TV or computer on?

1. More than three times a day. – 2 points.

How often do you eat because it's time rather than because you're hungry?

1. More than three times a day. – 2 points.

2. I try to listen to my body and eat only when I feel hungry. – 1 point.

How often do you overeat until your stomach becomes heavy?

1. Often, because I can’t feel full in time. – 2 points.

2. Very rarely, mainly on holidays. – 1 point.

Spring is the best time to remember vitamins. But not so much about what everyone already knows, but about the many myths that many take for medical facts.

We will not outline the history of the discovery of vitamins and retell how each of them acts on many things happening in the body biochemical processes. Let's devote this article to practical issues that everyone already knows everything about - what in the field of vitamin therapy both patients and even doctors consider to be true and what in fact is absolutely not true. Let's start with the most important and harmful misconception.

I. Origin

Myth 1. The need for vitamins can be fully met through good nutrition.

You can't - for a number of reasons. Firstly, man “descended from the ape” too quickly. Modern chimpanzees, gorillas and our other relatives stuff their bellies with huge amounts of food all day long. plant food, while plucked straight from a tree in the tropical forest. And the content of vitamins in wild tops and roots is tens of times higher than in cultivated ones: agricultural varieties have been selected for thousands of years not for their usefulness, but for more obvious characteristics - productivity, satiety and disease resistance. Hypovitaminosis was hardly the number one problem in the diet of ancient hunters and gatherers, but with the transition to agriculture, our ancestors, having provided themselves with a more reliable and plentiful source of calories, began to experience a lack of vitamins, trace elements and other micronutrients (from the word nutricium - nutrition). Back in the 19th century, up to 50,000 poor people in Japan, who ate mainly refined rice, died annually from beriberi - vitamin B1 deficiency. Vitamin PP (nicotinic acid) is contained in corn in a bound form, and its predecessor, the essential amino acid tryptophan, is in negligible quantities, and those who ate only tortillas or hominy suffered and died from pellagra. In poor Asian countries, at least a million people a year still die and half a million go blind due to the fact that rice does not contain carotenoids - precursors of vitamin A (vitamin A itself is most abundant in liver, caviar and other meat and fish products, and the first a symptom of his hypovitaminosis is a violation twilight vision, "night blindness").

Vitamin educational program

Vitamins (lat. vita - life)- low molecular weight organic compounds that are not synthesized in the human body (or are synthesized in insufficient quantities) and are the active part of many enzymes or starting substances for the synthesis of hormones. Daily human need for various vitamins ranges from several micrograms to tens of milligrams. Vitamins no longer have any common characteristics; it is impossible to divide them into groups either by chemical composition or by mechanisms of action, and the only generally accepted classification vitamins - dividing them into water- and fat-soluble.
Vitamins belong to different classes according to their structure. chemical compounds, and their functions in the body are very diverse - not only for different vitamins, but also for each individual one. For example, vitamin E is traditionally considered primarily necessary for the normal functioning of the gonads, but this role at the level of the whole organism is only the first to be discovered. It protects unsaturated fatty acids of cell membranes from oxidation, promotes the absorption of fats and, accordingly, other fat-soluble vitamins, acts as an antioxidant, neutralizing free radicals, and this is what education prevents cancer cells and slows down the aging process, etc. (to understand how it does this, you first need to study a three-kilogram biochemistry textbook). For most other vitamins, the most visible symptom to the naked eye is also considered the main one, according to which it was once discovered. So the belief that vitamin D helps against rickets, C helps against scurvy, B12 is necessary for hematopoiesis, etc. is another common misconception about vitamins.
Water-soluble vitamins are vitamin C (ascorbic acid), P (bioflavonoids), PP (nicotinic acid) and B vitamins: thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), pantothenic acid(B3), pyridoxine (B6), folacin, or folic acid (B9), cobalamin (B12). The group of fat-soluble vitamins includes vitamins A (retinol) and carotenoids, D (calciferol), E (tocopherol) and K. In addition to 13 vitamins, approximately the same number of vitamin-like substances are known - B13 (orotic acid), B15 (pangamic acid), H ( biotin), F (omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids), para-aminobenzene acid, inositol, choline and acetylcholine, etc. In addition to the vitamins themselves, multivitamin preparations usually contain organic compounds of microelements - substances necessary to the human body in negligible (no more than 200 mg per DAY) quantities. The main of the approximately 30 known microelements are bromine, vanadium, iron, iodine, cobalt, silicon, manganese, copper, molybdenum, selenium, fluorine, chromium and zinc.

Moderate and even severe hypovitaminosis in Russia is present in no less than three-quarters of the population. A similar problem is dysmicroelementosis, an excess of some microelements and a deficiency of other microelements. For example, moderate iodine deficiency is a widespread phenomenon, even in coastal areas. Cretinism (alas, only as a disease caused by the lack of iodine in water and food) no longer occurs, but, according to some data, iodine deficiency reduces IQ by about 15%. And to an increase in the likelihood of diseases thyroid gland undoubtedly leads.

To a pre-revolutionary soldier Russian army with a daily energy expenditure of 5000-6000 kcal, a daily allowance was provided, including, among other things, three pounds of black bread and a pound of meat. One and a half to two thousand kilocalories, which is enough for a day of sedentary work and lying down, guarantees you a lack of approximately 50% of the norm for about half of the known vitamins. Especially in the case when the calories are obtained from refined, frozen, sterilized products, etc. And even with the most balanced, high-calorie and “natural” diet, the lack of some vitamins in the diet can reach up to 30% of the norm. So take a multivitamin - 365 tablets per year.

Myth 2. Synthetic vitamins worse than natural ones

Many vitamins are extracted from natural sources, like PP from the peel of citrus fruits or like B12 from a culture of the same bacteria that synthesize it in the intestines. IN natural sources vitamins are hidden behind cell walls and are associated with proteins, of which they are coenzymes, and how much you absorb and how much is lost depends on many factors: for example, fat-soluble carotenoids are absorbed an order of magnitude more fully from carrots, finely grated and stewed with sour cream containing emulsified fat , and vitamin C, on the contrary, quickly decomposes when heated. By the way, you know that when natural rosehip syrup is evaporated, vitamin C is destroyed completely and only by last stage preparations, synthetic is added to it ascorbic acid? In the pharmacy, nothing happens to vitamins until the end of the shelf life (and in fact, for several more years), and in vegetables and fruits their content decreases with each month of storage, and even more so during culinary processing. And after cooking, even in the refrigerator, it happens even faster: in a chopped salad, after a few hours, there are several times less vitamins. Most vitamins in natural sources are present in the form of a number of substances similar in structure, but different in effectiveness. IN pharmaceutical drugs contain those variants of vitamin molecules and organic compounds microelements that are easier to digest and act most effectively. Vitamins obtained through chemical synthesis (like vitamin C, which is made both bio-technologically and purely chemically), are no different from natural ones: in structure they are simple molecules, and there simply cannot be any “vital force” in them.

II. Dosage

Myth 1. Horse doses of vitamin... help with...

IN medical literature articles on this topic appear regularly, but after 10-20 years, when scattered studies on different groups population, with different dosages etc. accumulate enough to conduct a meta-analysis of them, it turns out that this is another myth. Typically, the results of such an analysis boil down to the following: yes, a lack of this vitamin (or other micronutrient) is associated with a greater frequency and/or severity of this disease (most often with one or more forms of cancer), but a dose of 2-5 times higher than the physiological norm, does not affect either the incidence or the course of the disease, and the optimal dosage is approximately the same as indicated in all reference books.

Myth 2. A gram of ascorbic acid per day protects against colds and in general against everything in the world.

Twice Nobel laureates They are also mistaken: hyper- and megadoses of vitamin C (up to 1 and even 5 g per day with a norm of 50 mg), which came into fashion at the instigation of Linus Pauling, as it turned out many years ago, do not benefit ordinary citizens. A reduction in the incidence (by several percent) and duration of acute respiratory infections (by less than one day) compared to the control group taking the usual amount of ascorbic acid was found only in a few studies - among skiers and special forces who trained in the winter in the North. But also great harm from megadoses of vitamin C there will be no vitamin C, except perhaps hypovitaminosis B12 or kidney stones, and even then only in a few of the most zealous and fanatical supporters of ascorbinization of the body.

Myth 3. It is better to have too few vitamins than too many.

It takes a lot of effort to get enough vitamins. Of course, there are exceptions, especially for those who are part of the majority multivitamin complexes minerals and microelements: those who eat a serving of cottage cheese every day do not need additional calcium, and those who work in a galvanic shop do not need chromium, zinc and nickel. In some areas, in the water, soil and, ultimately, in the bodies of people living there, there are excess amounts of fluorine, iron, selenium and other trace elements, and even lead, aluminum and other substances, the benefits of which are unknown, and the harm is beyond doubt. But the composition of multivitamin tablets is usually selected so that in the vast majority of cases they cover the micronutrient deficiency of the average consumer and guarantee the impossibility of a serious overdose even with daily and long-term use in addition to the usual diet of several tablets.

Hypervitaminosis in most cases occurs with prolonged consumption of vitamins (and only fat-soluble ones that accumulate in the body) in doses that are orders of magnitude higher than normal. Most often, and even then extremely rarely, this occurs in the practice of pediatricians: if, out of great intelligence, instead of one drop a week, you give a newborn a teaspoon of vitamin D a day... The rest is borderline anecdotal: for example, there is a story about how almost all the housewives in the village bought under the guise sunflower oil Vitamin D solution stolen from a poultry farm. Or - they say this has happened - after reading all sorts of nonsense about the benefits of carotenoids, “preventing cancer,” people began to drink liters a day carrot juice, and some of this not only turned yellow, but drank until fatal outcome. Absorb more of the maximum vitamins determined by nature through gastrointestinal tract with a single dose it is impossible: at each stage of absorption into the intestinal epithelium, transmission into the blood, and from it into tissues and cells, transport proteins and receptors are required on the surface of cells, the number of which is strictly limited. But just in case, many companies package vitamins in jars with “child-resistant” lids - so that the baby does not gobble up the mother’s three-month supply at once.

III. Side effects

Myth 1. Allergies can occur from vitamins.

An allergy can develop to some drug that you have taken before and part of the molecule of which is similar in structure to one of the vitamins. But even in this case allergic reaction can only manifest itself with intramuscular or intravenous administration of this vitamin, and not after taking one tablet after meals. Sometimes allergies can be caused by the dyes, fillers and flavoring agents contained in the tablets.

An apple a day keeps the doctor away?

The Russian analogue of this proverb - “the bow cures seven ailments” - is also incorrect. Vegetables and fruits (raw!) can serve as a more or less reliable source of vitamin C, folic acid (vitamin B 9) and carotene. To obtain daily norm vitamin C, you need to drink 3-4 liters apple juice- from very fresh apples or canned apples, which contain approximately as many vitamins as indicated on the package. Leafy vegetables lose about half of their vitamin C within a day after harvest; peeled vegetables and fruits lose about half of their vitamin C after several months of storage. The same thing happens with other vitamins and their sources. Most vitamins decompose when heated and under the influence of ultraviolet light - do not keep a bottle of vegetable oil on the windowsill so that the vitamin E added to it does not deteriorate. And when boiling, and even more so when frying, many vitamins decompose every minute. And if you read the phrase “100 g of buckwheat contains...” or “100 g of veal contains...”, you have been deceived at least twice. Firstly, this amount of vitamin is contained in the raw product, and not in the finished dish. Secondly, kilometer tables have been wandering from one reference book to another for at least half a century, and during this time the content of vitamins and other micronutrients in new, more productive and high-calorie plant varieties and in pork, beef and chicken fed by them has decreased on average by half. True, many products in Lately they are fortified, but in general it is impossible to get enough vitamins from food.

Myth 2. With constant intake of vitamins, addiction to them develops.

Getting used to air, water, as well as fats, proteins and carbohydrates does not scare anyone. You will not receive more than the amount for which the vitamin absorption mechanisms are designed - unless you take doses that are orders of magnitude larger than necessary for several months or even years. And the so-called withdrawal syndrome is not typical for vitamins: after stopping taking them, the body simply returns to a state of hypovitaminosis.

Myth 3. People who don't take vitamins feel great.

Yes - in much the same way as a tree growing on a rock or in a swamp feels great. Symptoms of moderate polyhypovitaminosis, such as general weakness and lethargy, are difficult to notice. It can also be difficult to guess that dry skin and brittle hair should be treated not with creams and shampoos, but with vitamin A and stewed carrots, that sleep disturbances, irritability or seborrheic dermatitis And acne- signs not of neurosis or hormonal imbalance, but of a lack of B vitamins. Severe hypo- and avitaminosis are most often secondary, caused by some disease in which the normal absorption of vitamins is disrupted. (And vice versa: gastritis and anemia - a violation of hematopoietic function, visible to the naked eye by the blueness of the lips - can be both a consequence and a cause of hypovitaminosis B12 and/or iron deficiency.) And the connection between hypovitaminosis and increased morbidity, up to a higher incidence of fractures with deficiency vitamin D and calcium or increased incidence of cancer prostate gland with a lack of vitamin E and selenium, noticeable only with statistical analysis large samples - thousands and even hundreds of thousands of people, and often - when observed over several years.

Myth 4. Vitamins and minerals interfere with the absorption of each other.

This point of view is especially actively defended by manufacturers and sellers of various vitamin and mineral complexes for separate administration. And in support, they cite data from experiments in which one of the antagonists entered the body in the usual amount, and the other - tenfold large doses(above we mentioned hypovitaminosis B12 as a result of ascorbic acid addiction). Expert opinions on the advisability of dividing the usual daily dose of vitamins and minerals into 2-3 tablets differ exactly the opposite.

Myth 5. “These” vitamins are better than “Those” ones.

Typically, multivitamin preparations contain at least 11 of the 13 vitamins known to science and approximately the same number of mineral elements, each from 50 to 150% of the daily value: there are fewer components, the shortage of which is extremely rare, and there are more substances that are especially useful for all or certain groups of the population, just in case. Standards in different countries vary, including depending on the composition of the traditional diet, but not by much, so you can not pay attention to who set this standard: the American FDA, the WHO European Bureau or the People's Commissariat of Health of the USSR. In drugs from the same company, specially designed for pregnant and lactating women, the elderly, athletes, smokers, etc., the amount of individual substances may vary several times. For children, from infants to teenagers, optimal dosages are also selected. Otherwise, as they once said in a commercial, everyone is the same! But if the packaging of a “unique natural food supplement made from environmentally friendly raw materials” does not indicate the percentage of the recommended norm or does not say at all how many milli- and micrograms or international units (IU) one serving contains, this is a reason to think.

Myth 6. The newest legend.

A year ago, news spread across the media around the world: Swedish scientists proved that vitamin supplements killing people! Taking antioxidants on average increases the mortality rate by 5%!! Separately, vitamin E - by 4%, beta-carotene - by 7%, vitamin A - by 16%!!! Or even more - probably a lot of data on the dangers of vitamins remains unpublished!

It is very easy to confuse cause and effect in a formal approach to mathematical data analysis, and the results of this study have caused a wave of criticism. From the regression equations and correlations obtained by the authors of the sensational study (Bjelakovic et al., JAMA, 2007), one can draw the exact opposite and more plausible conclusion: more restoratives taken by those older people who feel worse, get sick more and, accordingly, are more likely to die. But another legend will probably circulate in the media and public consciousness as long as other vitamin myths.

Vitamins – organic matter, which are necessary for the proper functioning of the body and internal organs. Many types of vitamins are not synthesized by our bodies, so they must be supplied regularly through food. They contribute to normal functioning, therefore, in case of their deficiency or excess, health problems may arise. Vitamin complexes are divided according to certain criteria, that is, a certain vitamin is responsible for the condition of hair, nails, teeth, another is responsible for growth and development. Almost all groups are responsible for the metabolism of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Three pathologies are associated with impaired supply of vitamins to the body. Deficiency – hypovitaminosis, absence – vitamin deficiency, excess – hypervitaminosis. They can be found in many foods, or you can take special vitamin preparations.

Science knows 13 species, necessary for a person. Most of them are produced by the body on its own; some must be supplied only with food. Unfortunately, not all of them are fully assimilated. And as a result, this can lead to shortages. For example, an excess of C leads to kidney disease.

What vitamins are there and how are they absorbed?

What vitamins exist, what foods contain them, and how different vitamin groups are absorbed, we will consider further.

A (retinol) – its main task is to support the immune system, good condition nervous and bone tissue. An excess of this type causes headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, redness of the skin, dryness and itching of the skin. Deficiency can be determined by symptoms such as dry skin and infections. It has a beneficial effect when consumed with vegetable oil, butter, and sour cream. Contained in the following foods: liver, carrots, fish fat, egg yolk;
C – affects the creation of collagen. Hypervitaminosis leads to diarrhea, stomach irritation, and allergies. With a deficiency, the fragility of blood vessels, bleeding gums are felt, and allows the body to pick up infections. Contained in rose hips, sorrel, parsley, citrus fruits, currants, cabbage;
D – the main function is to control the absorption of calcium and phosphorus. Responsible for the health of teeth and bones. In excess, it causes weakness, loss of appetite, vomiting, nausea, constipation, diarrhea, and increased blood pressure. It is not recommended to take it without calcium. Deficiency is characterized by joint pain, crooked teeth, and slow growth;
E – regulates the functioning reproductive system, hearts. Hypervitaminosis can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. It is better absorbed with vitamin C; the deficiency manifests itself with the appearance of anemia and mood swings;
the main task of B1 is the metabolism of carbohydrates and fats, normal operation liver, nervous system, hearts, actively struggling with skin diseases. Overdose is extremely rare. Vegetables containing this substance should be taken raw. Deficiency – irritability, insomnia, impotence, diseases of the nervous system and heart;
B2 and B6 – their main function is the metabolic processes of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. In order for them to be well absorbed, it is necessary to boil green vegetables. Deficiency causes dandruff, hair loss, and blurred vision. It can be found in the liver, chicken eggs, cottage cheese, green onions;
B12 – participates in metabolic processes. Well absorbed when simultaneous administration With folic acid. Can be found in cod, heart, liver, kidneys, cottage cheese;
B3 – is involved in hematopoiesis and is the most resistant to cooking. Contained in yeast, milk, cod, hazelnuts, chicken, coffee beans;
B9 – the circulatory and immune systems cannot do without it. Easily destroyed during cooking, interacts better with B12 and C. Liver, orange, peas, spinach, nuts, cottage cheese are rich foods in vitamin B9;
K – is responsible for blood clotting, bone metabolism, and reduces pain. Resistant to heat and cooking. Contained in pears, spinach, onions, lettuce, broccoli.

B5, B7 are also no less important, without which the body cannot do.

Why are vitamins not absorbed in the body?

Not all vitamins are absorbed. This usually leads to negative consequences. When the slightest symptoms, you need to consult a doctor to find out the cause and eliminate it as soon as possible.

A factor influencing this process may be that some are poorly absorbed on their own, so they need to be taken with others.

Vitamin A is better absorbed with vitamin complex B, D, E, the effect is enhanced by zinc, phosphorus, calcium.
B combines better with C and magnesium.
C, it is better to take with calcium, magnesium.
D interacts well with A, C, calcium, phosphorus.

If people encounter this problem, the main question remains: Why are vitamins not absorbed in the body? Highly qualified specialists can answer this question, because this is influenced by many factors.

Important! You should not independently determine the reason for poor absorption of vitamins in the body; you should definitely contact a specialist to avoid negative consequences.

The main reasons preventing absorption are:

smoking, substances contained in tobacco destroy vitamin group A, C. This group is responsible for normal functionality immune system, protects against infections, viruses, bacteria;
big physical exercise: During active exercise, breathing intensifies, the processes of fat burning and sugar oxidation are accelerated. As a result of constant active training, groups such as C, B6 and B2 are removed from the body, the main task of which is the absorption of protein;
stress leads to the destruction of groups B, E, C;
medicines. If you take antibiotics, anti-heartburn drugs and other medications for a long time, you experience a lack of N, K, V, D;
deficiency of fermented milk products can lead to destruction vitamin groups B, K, C, which causes various diseases;
an active lifestyle at night leads to a deficiency of group D;
alcohol abuse: most vitamins are not able to provide positive action when alcohol enters the body;
semi-finished products - when eating sausages, frankfurters, other meat products, our body needs to spend great amount useful vitamin substances, to neutralize nitrates and nitrites resulting from the consumption of semi-finished meat products;
Deep-fried food does not contain vitamins and therefore does not provide any health benefits.

Important! Remember: to feel healthy and vigorous, you only need to consume fresh food, do not abuse alcoholic beverages, quit everything bad habits, exercise, but in moderation. Be regularly examined by specialists. Try not to neglect rest at night and not give reasons for stress. After all, only you can take care of your health!

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