Vitamins are essential for good health and should be taken by everybody, preferably in our daily food. Unhappily, however, this is not possible as very few people are able to obtain sufficient natural foods because so many are processed and refined to such an extent that hardly any vitamins or trace elements are left.

Quite often it is necessary to prescribe a course of vitamins but it is a mistake to believe that the taking of one or more will cure most diseases; neither must they be taken indefinitely, for too many are almost as bad as a deficiency.

It should be understood that natural vitamins are referred to here and not the synthetic varieties.


Vitamin C

This vitamin is important as it helps to keep the body healthy. Experiments have shown that when a person is sick no vitamin C is found in the blood or urine, but the more vitamin C the sick patient consumes, generally, more progress is made. It appears that the toxic substances combine with this vitamin and the two are excreted together in the urine. Obviously a great deal more vitamin C is needed when a person is sick that when healthy.

This is one of the reasons why vitamin C is so necessary for arthritic and rheumatic patients. Another is that it helps to form Calcium citrate with food containing Calcium and so makes it possible (together with other body activities) for the body to use the Calcium in building firm bones, teeth, cartilage and healthy capillaries.

The richest sources of vitamin C are found in rose-hips, turnip-tops, sprouts, dandelion leaves, grapefruit, oranges, cabbage, black-currants, strawberries, kale, broccoli, parsley, watercress and tomatoes.

Natural vitamin C tablets are available containing 500 or 1000 mgs (and less of course) and the recommended dosage is1000 mgs to be taken in the morning and 1000 mgs at bedtime because this vitamin remains in the body for only 10 to 11 hours.

If you take too many aspirins much vitamin C is lost from the body.


Vitamin B Complex

The B vitamins help the nervous system but they need to be taken together for maximum results and, therefore, the B complex is recommended. One tablet 3 times daily of 100 mgs for a period followed by a short rest.


Vitamin E

Most people benefit from vitamin E as it helps to alleviate fatigue, acts as a diuretic, supplies oxygen to the body and retards cellular ageing.

Best natural sources. Wheat germ, soya beans, vegetable oils, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, leafy greens, spinach, wholewheat, whole grain cereals and eggs.

400 ius of vitamin E daily is an average dose but those with high blood pressure or a history of rheumatic fever should begin with very small doses, e.g. 100ius and increase by 100 every 10 to 14 days.

Vitamin E strengthens the heart before dilating the capillaries.

Cooking in copper pots can destroy vitamin E. Chlorinated water destroys this vitamin.