Myths about vitamins: are pills absorbed better than fruits? Signs of erosion of the stomach during examination. How does digestion work

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 seed.

Regular use not only has a positive effect on the state of internal organs, but also gives a pronounced cosmetic effect, in particular, stimulates the production of collagen and elastin in the skin. It slows 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 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 can happen if there are contraindications to the use of this product. These include:

individual intolerance;
dental diseases;
severe diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, including peptic ulcer.

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

White

seeds white grapes less saturated beneficial acids, minerals and vitamins Therefore, their consumption is less useful 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 muscat grapes read.

You should not eat the rudiments of the bones of white grapes, which can be found in some hybrids close to sultanas. Such rudiments are almost completely devoid of useful properties. They can only give a gentle 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 bones of this fruit that the emphasis should be placed on those who want to improve the condition of their own circulatory system and 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 nutrients, can cause you allergies. It is especially common in children. They better not use this grape.

You can learn about Livadia black grapes by.

What is contained

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

vitamins of group C, E, as well as PP;
minerals - phosphorus, magnesium, potassium.

In lower concentrations, grape seeds contain lutein, vitamin A, sodium and some other elements.

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, there will be no benefit to a person from a single use of this product. A noticeable effect from the use of this product will appear only if a person adds it to food daily.

Are they absorbed by the body?

whole grape seeds swallowed by humans are not absorbed by the body. They pass through the digestive tract and are excreted along with food debris. At the same time, large grape bones can even injure the walls of the intestines, and with regular consumption in unground 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, they will not be useful.

Video

The video talks about the benefits of grape seeds.

Clinical picture of the disease

More often the clinical picture of this pathology of the stomach is represented by hemorrhagic or ulcer-like syndromes. Less frequent symptoms of chronic 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 during erosion of the stomach is resistance, in contrast to pain during peptic ulcer. 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 course of the disease.

After eating, the patient is often tormented by a feeling full stomach or distension, 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 a similar lesion of the gastric mucosa.

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

The patient's abdomen is swollen, because. increased gas production. The stool becomes more frequent and irregular.
Approximately 20% of patients have symptoms hemorrhagic form diseases. Often hemorrhagic syndrome is manifested by regular bleeding. Basically, bleeding is latent, there are no manifestations. They are called occult bleeding. Patients in this group gradually develop posthemorrhagic anemia. The only signs of regular blood loss can be: general weakness, the presence of occult blood in the feces 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. auricles. To the touch, the patient's skin is dry, thin. Hair falls out and becomes brittle and dull. Even slight physical activity causes the patient to quickly fatigue and shortness of breath. In addition, the patient complains of dizziness, constant drowsiness, tinnitus. On examination, the doctor will note a rapid heartbeat and the presence of heart murmurs.

Hemorrhagic syndrome can also have a bright clinical picture, accompanied by vomiting of the color of "coffee grounds", staining of the stool in black (melena), the development of collapse.

Signs of erosion of the stomach during examination

The following signs may indicate the presence of erosion:

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

signs different types erosion at endoscopy.

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

Acute erosion of the stomach is often expressed by a clear symptom complex. Usually, the symptoms of underlying chronic diseases are in the foreground. Asymptomatic course or poor clinical symptoms are observed in 30 - 90% of young patients in whom the mucosa remains unchanged during endoscopic examination. If the symptoms are still present, then they are non-specific: heartburn, sour eructation, abdominal pain on an empty stomach, low intensity. Acute erosion in many cases is 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”) that occurs in patients with chronic pathology tends to radiate to the area spinal column. faces young age characterize the pain as aching or dull, older patients feel cramping pain combined with a feeling of discomfort epigastric region, nausea and unstable stools (tendency to constipation). From the above, it is clear that chronic forms The symptoms are similar to those of duodenal ulcers. Patients with chronic erosions of the stomach in the clinic have pronounced symptoms of the underlying disease ( 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 histobiopsy.

On the surface of the mucosa before the appearance of acute erosions, one can notice the presence of subepithelial petechial hemorrhages. At the same time, the integrity of the mucous membrane does not suffer.

Such changes are often described as hemorrhagic erosions.

Morphological examination reveals a shallow defect in the gastric mucosa, which occupies several folds of the mucosa. Epithelialization 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 sequentially 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 more often glands, sometimes the muscularis mucosa. 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 in 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 the existence of chronic erosion from 4 weeks to several years. According to 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. Edema at the site of erosion bulge 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 epithelialization within 5 to 14 days. Usually they do not leave macroscopic signs after healing. Complete erosion of the stomach is not all prone to epithelialization, this process lasts much longer - up to 2 years or more. The main part of the complete forms are characterized by a recurrent course, in this case they periodically become aggravated and subside. The bulging of the mucosal area remains due to the formed fibrosis of the underlying tissues and the inflammatory process of a high degree. Histological examination reveals a tendency to hyperplasia of epithelial cells. Less common hyperplastic processes in the glandular apparatus of the mucous membrane. Healed wounds of this type externally during endoscopic examination are very similar to true polyposis, therefore, in this case, histological verification of the disease is indispensable. If the doctor notes a tendency towards progressive hyperplasia, erosion of the stomach - glandular polyps- cancer, the patient is subject to careful dynamic observation.

It is difficult to correctly assess the endoscopic signs of gastric erosion. The physician must first of all be alert to early form gastric cancer, lymphomatosis and Crohn's disease. Therefore, it is desirable to combine endoscopic examination with the taking of biopsy material for histological examination.

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

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

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

Frequent hiccups - most likely explanations

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

It can indicate not only a short-term functional disorder, but also progressive diseases. The process is "associated with the vagus nerve, which links many internal organs to the CNS" (1).

Main causes of the problem

Episodic hiccups, which disappear on their own after 5-7 minutes, usually begin with excitement or hypothermia.

It is also provoked by:

alcohol intake;
binge eating;
uncomfortable postures;
the use of 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 deliberately take deep breaths.

When the discomfort becomes intrusive, it must be taken seriously.

Hiccups as a sign of a chronic disease

Often hiccups are people who do not have everything in order with the nervous system, respiratory organs, and gastrointestinal tract.

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;
kidney 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 of the cardia;
stenosis of the pylorus of the stomach.

We 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).

Concomitant manifestations

Since hiccups can indicate a variety of diseases, it makes no sense to draw conclusions only on it.

It should be understood whether it is accompanied by other suspicious changes in well-being:

increased fatigue;
pain (in particular, affecting the epigastric region);
diarrhea or, conversely, constipation;
heartburn;
sweating;
an increase in body temperature;
dizziness.

It is important to remember whether it preceded the appearance persistent hiccups bruised head: in this case, we are probably talking about a life-threatening condition.

A consultation with a specialist and the subsequent passage of 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.

indigestion symptoms of gastritis

Poor nutrition, snacking on the run, or eating large meals at night can all cause your stomach to not digest food. What to do when the stomach cannot digest food, and how to restore the work of the body, excites many.

1Basic information about the disease
2 Causes 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 contributes to the breakdown of 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.

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

Symptoms of dyspepsia can manifest as follows:

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

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

2 Causes of the disease

The most common causes of dyspepsia are malnutrition and a lack of food culture. Dry snacks, in conditions constant stress and haste will certainly affect health. The selection of products can affect the functioning of the stomach. There are a number of products that, depending on the individual characteristics of a person, the stomach does not perceive.

Discomfort can 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 failure - this phenomenon is often observed in pregnant women. Finally, selection gastric juice may be due to disorders of the secretory glands.

In some cases, poor health may occur in the morning. This suggests that a person abuses 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 urgent to start treatment and seriously review the diet and food selection.

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 digestive tract, only functional, that is, associated with the work of organs. functional dyspepsia characterized by the appearance of structural pathological changes organs of the gastrointestinal tract. In this case, the symptoms will be observed more clearly and for a long time.

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

Dyspepsia caused by intestinal infections can be of several types:

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

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

gastrogenic;
hepatogenic;
pancreatogenic;
enterogenic.

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

Putrefactive develops when eating too many carbohydrate-containing foods, that is, meat, fish, and eggs predominate in the diet. Perhaps the development of the disease due to the consumption of 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 fermentation drinks (these include beer and kvass).

4Diagnostic methods

The cessation of digestion of food in the stomach can 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 and how much the pain bothers you, when they appear, whether there is heartburn, whether there are other diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

After that, the doctor may prescribe both instrumental and laboratory tests.

Instrumental studies may include ultrasound and computed tomography. With the help of electrogastroenterography, violations of the motility of the stomach, that is, its ability to promote the food mass, are detected. If you suspect more serious illness(tumor), the patient may be assigned x-rays. The inner surface of the stomach is analyzed using an endoscope, often with simultaneous biopsy. Tests are carried out for the presence of the pathogen Helicobacter pylori.

TO laboratory research refer biochemical analysis blood, stool test for dietary fiber and hidden blood.

5Therapeutic measures

If the violation of digestion in the stomach is caused by the development of another disease (flu and other viral diseases, ulcer, gastritis, pancreatic diseases, duodenitis, etc.), it is he who is treated in the first place.

For the treatment of directly indigestion in the stomach, the patient is prescribed medical preparations different direction. For constipation, the patient is prescribed a laxative, but not for constant use - only until the stool returns to normal. If diarrhea is observed, the patient should take antidiarrheal drugs.

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

Enzymatic - improve digestion, the work of the stomach and duodenum.
Proton pump blockers are prescribed for hyperacidity stomach, manifested in the form of heartburn and sour belching.
Histamine blockers are drugs that reduce the acidity of the stomach, 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 advised to walk for at least 30 minutes. At the time of treatment, the load on the press is excluded: twisting, lifting or tilting the torso.

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

Important to have positive attitude- It helps to improve the production of gastric juice. Therefore, while eating, you do not need to plunge into gloomy thoughts or be distracted by watching TV, reading the newspaper and browsing the news on the Internet.

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

Separate nutrition involves following several rules. The main thing is that you can’t 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 don't eat them at the same time as an orange.

You also need to be 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 a meal and at least an hour after a meal.

H and digestibility nutrients many factors influence: the composition of food, the method of cooking, the combination of products, the functional state of the body, and some others. By answering the questions below, you can figure out whether food is well absorbed by your body or whether you need to be examined and consult a gastroenterologist.

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

1. Bloating or flatulence, diarrhea, feeling of fullness and heaviness in the stomach for a long time after eating, pain in the abdomen associated with food. - 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 much time do you need 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 to eat, not 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 is heavy?

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

2. Very rare, mostly on holidays. - 1 point.

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

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

I. Origin

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

You can't, for a number of reasons. First, man too quickly "descended from the monkey." Modern chimpanzees, gorillas and other relatives of ours fill their belly with a huge amount of plant food, while plucked straight from a tree in a tropical forest. And the content of vitamins in wild-growing tops and roots is tens of times higher than in cultivated ones: for thousands of years, the selection of agricultural varieties took place not according to their usefulness, but according to more obvious signs - productivity, satiety and disease resistance. Hypovitaminosis was hardly the No. 1 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 in Japan, up to 50,000 poor people, who ate mainly peeled rice, died each year from beriberi, vitamin B1 deficiency. Vitamin PP (nicotinic acid) in corn is contained in a bound form, and its precursor, the essential amino acid tryptophan, is in negligible amounts, and those who fed only tortillas or hominy fell ill and died from pellagra. In the poor countries of Asia, at least a million people still die a year and half a million go blind due to the fact that there are no carotenoids in rice - vitamin A precursors (vitamin A itself is most in the 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 not enough) and are the active part of many enzymes or precursors for hormone synthesis. The daily human need for various vitamins ranges from a few micrograms to tens of milligrams. Vitamins no longer have any common features, it is impossible to divide them into groups either by chemical composition or by mechanisms of action, and the only common classification vitamins - dividing them into water- and fat-soluble.
By structure, vitamins belong to a variety of classes. chemical compounds, and their functions in the body are very diverse - not only for different vitamins, but also for each individual. For example, vitamin E is traditionally considered primarily necessary for the normal functioning of the gonads, but this role of it 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 warns education cancer cells and slows down the aging process, etc. (to understand how he does this, you first need to learn a three-kilogram biochemistry textbook). For most other vitamins, the most visible symptom to the naked eye, according to which it was once discovered, is also considered the main one. So the belief that vitamin D helps against rickets, C from scurvy, B12 is necessary for blood formation, 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, about the same number of vitamin-like substances are known - B13 (orotic acid), B15 (pangamic acid), H ( biotin), F (omega-3-unsaturated fatty acids), para-aminobenzoic acid, inositol, choline and acetylcholine, etc. In addition to the vitamins themselves, multivitamin preparations usually contain organic compounds of trace elements - substances necessary human body in negligible (no more than 200 mg per day) quantities. The main of the approximately 30 known trace elements 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 related problem is dysmicroelementosis, an excess of some and a lack 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) does not occur now, but, according to some reports, a lack of iodine reduces the IQ by about 15%. And to increase the likelihood of diseases thyroid gland undoubtedly leads.

Soldier of the pre-revolutionary Russian army with a daily energy expenditure of 5000-6000 kcal, a daily allowance was laid, 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, guarantee you a shortage of about 50% of the norm for about half of the known vitamins. Especially in the case when 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 a year.

Myth 2. Synthetic vitamins worse than natural

Many vitamins are extracted from natural raw materials, like PP from citrus peels or B12 from the same culture of 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 by 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, do you know that when natural rosehip syrup is evaporated, vitamin C is destroyed completely and only for last step preparations add synthetic ascorbic acid? In the pharmacy, nothing happens with vitamins until the expiration date (and in fact - a few more years), and in vegetables and fruits, their content decreases with each month of storage, and even more so during cooking. And after cooking, even in the refrigerator, it is even faster: in a chopped salad, after a few hours, vitamins become several times smaller. Most vitamins in natural sources are present in the form of a number of substances similar in structure, but different in effectiveness. IN pharmaceutical preparations contains those variants of vitamin molecules and organic compounds trace elements 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: they are simple molecules in structure, and there simply cannot be any “life force” in them.

II. Dosage

Myth 1. Equine doses of vitamin … help with …

IN medical literature articles on this topic appear regularly, but after 10–20 years, when disparate studies on different groups population, with different dosages etc. accumulates enough to conduct a meta-analysis of them, it turns out that this is another myth. Usually 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 exceeding the physiological norm, does not affect either the incidence or the course of the disease, and the optimal dosage is approximately the one indicated in all reference books.

Myth 2. A gram of ascorbic acid per day protects against colds and in general from 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 at a rate of 50 mg), which have come into vogue at the suggestion of Linus Pauling, as it turned out many years ago, do not benefit ordinary citizens. A decrease in the incidence (by several percent) and the duration of acute respiratory infections (less than one day) compared with the control group, who took the usual amount of ascorbic acid, was found only in a few studies - in skiers and special forces who trained in the winter in the North. But also great harm there will be no vitamin C from megadoses, except perhaps B12 hypovitaminosis or kidney stones, and even then only a few of the most zealous and fanatical supporters of ascorbinization of the body.

Myth 3. Vitamin deficiency is better than too much.

To sort out vitamins, you need to try very hard. Of course, there are exceptions, especially for those who are part of the majority multivitamin complexes minerals and trace elements: those who eat a portion of cottage cheese every day do not need an additional intake of calcium, and those who work in the electroplating shop do not need chromium, zinc and nickel. In some places, in water, soil, and ultimately in the bodies of people living there, there are excessive 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 chosen so that in the vast majority of cases they cover the deficiency of micronutrients in 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, from a great mind, instead of one drop a week, give a newborn a teaspoon of vitamin D per day ... The rest is on the verge of jokes: for example, there is a story about how all the mistresses in the village bought under the guise sunflower oil vitamin D solution stolen from a poultry farm. Or - they say, it happened and this - 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 up to lethal outcome. To assimilate more than the maximum of vitamins determined by nature through gastrointestinal tract at a single dose it is impossible: at each stage of absorption into the intestinal epithelium, transfer to the blood, and from it to tissues and cells, transport proteins and receptors on the cell surface are needed, the number of which is strictly limited. But just in case, many companies pack vitamins in jars with "child-resistant" lids - so that the baby does not gobble up his mother's three-monthly norm at a time.

III. Side effects

Myth 1. Vitamins cause allergies.

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 in this case too allergic reaction can only occur with intramuscular or intravenous administration of this vitamin, and not after taking one tablet after a meal. Sometimes allergies can be caused by dyes, fillers and flavors that are part of the tablets.

An apple a day keeps the doctor away?

The Russian analogue of this proverb - "a bow from 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 allowance vitamin C, you need to drink 3-4 liters apple juice- from very fresh apples or canned, which contains about as many vitamins as indicated on the package. About half of the vitamin C is lost from leafy vegetables a day after harvest, while skinned vegetables and fruits lose after several months of storage. The same thing happens with other vitamins and their sources. Most vitamins decompose when heated and exposed to ultraviolet light - do not keep a bottle of vegetable oil on the windowsill so that vitamin E added to it does not break down. 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 the pork, beef and chicken fed by them has decreased on average by half. Indeed, many products Lately They fortify, but in general it is impossible to get enough vitamins from food.

Myth 2. With the 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 get more than the amount for which the mechanisms of assimilation of vitamins are designed - if you do not take doses that are orders of magnitude higher than necessary for several months or even years. And the so-called withdrawal syndrome for vitamins is not typical: after stopping their intake, the body simply returns to a state of hypovitaminosis.

Myth 3. People who do not take vitamins feel great.

Yes - about the same 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 is also 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 vitamins of group B. Severe hypo- and beriberi 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 the hematopoietic function, visible to the naked eye by the cyanosis of the lips - can be both a consequence and a cause of B12 hypovitaminosis and / or iron deficiency.) vitamin D and calcium or an increased incidence of cancer prostate 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 observing for several years.

Myth 4. Vitamins and minerals prevent 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 intake. And in confirmation, they cite experimental data 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). The opinions of experts 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 "Tech".

Typically, multivitamin preparations contain at least 11 of the 13 vitamins known to science and about the same number of mineral elements, each - from 50 to 150% of daily allowance: there are fewer components, the shortage of which is extremely rare, and more substances that are especially useful for all or certain groups of the population, just in case. Norms in different countries differ, including depending on the composition of traditional nutrition, but not by much, so you can ignore who set this norm: the American FDA, the WHO European Bureau or the People's Commissariat of Health of the USSR. In preparations of 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 indicate at all how many milligrams and micrograms or international units (IU) one serving contains, this is a reason to think.

Myth 6. The newest legend

A year ago, the media around the world spread the news: Swedish scientists proved that vitamin supplements killing people! The intake of antioxidants on average increases the mortality rate by 5%!! Separately, vitamin E - by 4%, beta-carotene - by 7%, vitamin A - by 16%!!! And even more - for sure, many data on the dangers of vitamins remain 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 and correlation equations obtained by the authors of a sensational study (Bjelakovic et al., JAMA, 2007), one can draw the opposite and more plausible conclusion: more restorative means take those older people who feel worse, get sick more and, accordingly, die sooner. But another legend will surely walk around the media and public consciousness as long as other myths about vitamins.

Vitamins - organic matter, which are necessary for the proper functioning of the body, internal organs. Many types of vitamins are not synthesized by our body, so they must be regularly supplied with food. They contribute to normal work, therefore, in case of their deficiency, an overabundance, 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, the other - for growth and development. Almost all groups are responsible for the metabolism of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Three pathologies are associated with a violation of the intake of vitamins in the body. Deficiency - hypovitaminosis, absence - beriberi, 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, the body produces on its own, some must come only with food. Unfortunately, not all of them are fully digested. And as a result, it 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, in what foods they are contained and how different vitamin groups are absorbed, we will consider further.

A (retinol) - its main task is to support immunity, good condition nervous and bone tissue. With an overabundance of this type, headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, redness of the skin, dryness and itching of the skin occur. Deficiency can be identified by symptoms such as dry skin, infections. It has a beneficial effect when used with vegetable, butter, sour cream. Contained in such products: liver, carrots, fish fat, egg yolk;
C - affects the creation of collagen. Hypervitaminosis leads to diarrhea, stomach irritation, allergies. With a deficiency, fragility of blood vessels, bleeding gums are felt, allowing the body to pick up infections. Contained in wild rose, sorrel, parsley, citrus fruits, currants, cabbage;
D - the main function is to control the absorption of calcium, phosphorus. Responsible for the health of teeth and bones. In excess, it causes weakness, loss of appetite, vomiting, nausea, constipation, diarrhea, and increased pressure. It is not recommended to take it without calcium. Deficiency is characterized by joint pain, crooked teeth, slow growth;
E - regulates the functioning reproductive system, hearts. Hypervitaminosis can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. It is better absorbed with the intake of vitamin C, a deficiency manifests itself with the appearance of anemia, mood swings;
the main task of B1 is the metabolism of carbohydrates and fats, normal work liver, nervous system, hearts, actively struggling with skin diseases. An overdose is extremely rare. Vegetables with 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, carbohydrates. In order for them to be well absorbed, it is necessary to boil green vegetables. With a deficiency, dandruff, hair loss, visual impairment appear. You can find it in the liver chicken eggs, cottage cheese, green onions;
B12 - participates in metabolic processes. Well absorbed in simultaneous reception With folic acid. You can find it in cod, heart, liver, kidneys, cottage cheese;
B3 - participates in hematopoiesis, is the most resistant to cooking. Found 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 - rich foods in vitamin B9;
K - is responsible for blood clotting, bone metabolism, reduces pain. Resistant to heat and cooking. Found in pears, spinach, onions, lettuce, broccoli.

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

Why vitamins are not absorbed in the body

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

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

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

If people face such a problem, the main question remains: Why are vitamins not absorbed in the body? This question can be answered by highly qualified specialists, because many factors influence this.

Important! You should not put yourself the cause of poor fixation of vitamins in the body, you must definitely contact a specialist to avoid negative consequences.

The main reasons preventing the assimilation are:

smoking, substances contained in tobacco destroy the vitamin group A, C. This group is responsible for the normal functionality immune system, protects against infections, viruses, bacteria;
large physical exercise: with active loads, 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 antibiotics, heartburn drugs and other drugs are taken for a long time, they lack H, K, B, D;
deficiency of fermented milk products can lead to the destruction vitamin groups B, K, C, which causes various diseases;
an active lifestyle at night leads to a lack of group D;
alcohol abuse: most vitamins are not able to provide positive action when alcohol enters the body;
semi-finished products - when using sausages, sausages, other meat products, our body needs to spend great amount useful vitamin substances, to neutralize nitrates and nitrites that appear due to the intake of semi-finished meat products;
deep-fried food does not contain vitamins, so it does not provide any health benefits.

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

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