There’s a long list of vitamin B12 benefits:

• It creates a fatty protective substance called myelin around nerve cells. This causes people with vitamin B12 deficiency to usually have some form of a nerve-system malfunction, such as tingles in the feet, hands and/or tongue, or sharp nerve shocks in the sides of the body.
• It helps to format healthy red blood cells.
• It aids in tissue growth.
• It lowers the homocysteine levels in the body. This amino acid has been linked with a higher risk of developing most of the modern western world’s ailments, such as cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, strokes and more.
• It helps replicate DNA, a vital component of any living creature’s body.
• It acts as a natural energizer by boosting metabolism to higher levels. Some people look at it as a weight loss solution, while the truth is that it just makes you more likely to grab a skipping rope or a dumbbell, get active and lose some calories.

If you experience any vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms, such as tingling in the limbs,nerve shocks or even depression and memory loss, make sure you get a medical screening. Fortunately, deficiency can be diagnosed with a simple blood test. If you’re found deficient, you may be given a series of vitamin B12 injections or be prescribed intranasal sprays or sublingual tablets.

Ask your doctor to see if you have problems with the “intrinsic factor,” which is one of the most common reasons for having a vitamin B12 deficiency. It resides in the stomach, and is responsible for decomposing B12 into your blood stream. If you are found to have it, vitamin B12 shots might be required, since you will have no other way to incorporate the vitamin into your bloodstream.

You might also be interested in these vitamin-related articles:

• Should You Take Vitamins and Minerals?
• Vitamin A Fact Sheet
• B Vitamins Fact Sheet
• Vitamin C Fact Sheet
• Phytochemicals Fact Sheet
• Drugs That Deplete Vitamins and Minerals

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Good nutrition plays a crucial role in cancer prevention. Though cancerous mesothelioma is not caused by bad nutrition, improving nutritional with a cancer diet rich in antioxidants can allow asbestosis mesothelioma patients to better fight the cancer, as well as ease symptoms and treat side effects.

Although a few other causes of malignant mesothelioma have been determined, the primary cause is exposure to asbestos. Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that was used in a number of military and industrial applications throughout the 20th century. Symptoms don’t usually become noticeable until as long as 50 years after primary exposure. Unfortunately, the cancer is typically diagnosed in later stages when treatment options are limited.

One of the most frequent side effects of mesothelioma and cancer treatment is nausea. There are a number of nutritional changes that can be made to help this problem. Dry foods such as crackers and toast can calm an upset stomach and bland foods help with nausea and acid reflux problems. Dark green leafy vegetables can also be beneficial when treating mesothelioma, because they’re rich with essential vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that help fight cancer. Dark leafy greens contain antioxidants and phytochemicals, which are powerful enzymes that help clean the body of cancer-causing agents (carcinogens) and block enzymes known to activate carcinogens.

Mesothelioma patients can also benefit from the cancer-fighting nutrients found in berries. Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, cranberries, strawberries and loganberries are known to contain cancer-fighting phytonutrients, such as anthocyanins, ellagic acid, pterostilbene and resveratrol. In fact, extracts of six types of berries were tested in one laboratory study to determine whether they could prevent the growth and proliferation of different types of cancer cells. Each berry type was found to have unique phytonutrient combinations and extracts of all of them killed cancer cells.

Also, garlic produces a chemical called allicin which can be beneficial for mesothelioma patients. Garlic appears to have the greatest affect on stomach cancer and prostate cancer in men, but affects have been noted in all types of cancer and on different carcinogens.

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If you’re looking for a healthy, non-junk-food happy meal, you might want to incorporate the goji berry into your diet. This bright red berry commonly found in China and Mongolia is used as a health food and as part of many Asian medicinal practices. It also has a reputation for making people feel more content, which is why it got the name goji berry. In Chinese, that roughly translates to “the happy berry.”

Also known as the wolfberry or gougi berry, the goji berry was mentioned in the earliest known medical text. In fact, documented use of the berry extends as far back as 1,900 years ago when prominent traveling healers used it as part of a regimen for their patients, believing it had the ability to keep the body nourished and healthy. These early healers would roam the country diagnosing health problems and attempting to keep their patients properly nourished. Unlike health care providers today, the healers would only be paid as long as their patients were healthy. If a person became ill, they would cease to pay the healer until he had brought them back to wellness.

And undocumented use of the goji berry extends back even longer than the 1,900 years of recorded medical history. Chinese legends tell of the first emperor of China who was reputed to have eaten the fruit daily because he believed it kept him well and free from sickness.

The goji berry has become central to many cultures throughout Asia, especially in China, and has a reputation as a healthy food with powerful natural abilities in the human body. Asians believe it can purge the body of illness, and doctors attest that they have seen regular consumption of the berry improve the health of their patients and cure various forms of sickness. As a result, the Chinese have even adopted the goji berry into many of their social events, including a special celebration meant to honor the fruit. And the goji berry has become popular in western cultures, too, where it is used as a health food. Likened to green tea, the goji berry has especially been favored by Hollywood celebrities, many of whom believe it may help them look younger longer.

Scientific Studies

Until recently the berry’s benefits were untested. Chinese medical authorities regularly used the berry and claimed to have scientific proof of its effects on the human body, but none of them were deemed accurate enough by western medical authorities.

Early in 2008, however, new studies were conducted using an approved scientific format to document the effect of a goji product in the body. The product was GoChi Juice, a health drink made from the goji berry. Clinical trials were conducted on people of all ages using a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled format. Subjects were studied and their progress measured at 14 and 30 days of using the product after consuming 4 oz. of the product daily. After 14 days of use, those who drank the juice experienced:

• Sharper mental acuity
• Better quality sleep
• Easier ability to wake up
• Feeling healthier and more content
• Improved regularity
• Improved athletic performance
• Increased energy
• Reduced stress
• Increased ability to focus

After 30 days, those who drank the goji juice were also shown to have improved immune system functioning and natural antioxidant production. The placebo group showed no significant improvements in either function. These results were so ground-breaking, after being peer reviewed, the study was featured in the Journal of Alternative and Complimentary Medicine.

Currently, China is the only country that farms the berry commercially. Though it’s is sold in many forms, the berry is most commonly marketed as a juice. Dried berries are also available. While the berries are much less expensive, they don’t contain all the nutrients found in the juice.

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Commercials for a famous tonic that addressed “iron-poor blood” started appearing in the mid-twentieth century. That tonic, Geritol, still exists today, which tells you that a lot of people must be having problems with anemia — a blood disorder attributed to the deficiency of iron, folic acid and vitamin B12.

No wonder people search out a tonic if they have anemia: The disease causes dizziness and fatigue, even during non-strenuous activities. Iron-deficient anemia is the most common type, and occurs when your body doesn’t have the required iron content to produce hemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen to all parts of your body and provides energy for you to carry out your daily activities.

Iron is of two types: heme which is easily absorbed by the human body, and non-heme, which is not. While non-vegetarian foods like red meat and eggs are rich sources of the heme form, vegetarians have to augment their intake of iron from foods like beets (also known as beetroots), blackstrap molasses and green leafy vegetables. It’s important to also include foods rich in vitamin C, such as citrus fruits, because they help in the absorption of non-heme iron.

Here are two recipes — one vegetarian and the other non-vegetarian — for dishes that are rich in iron and can help keep anemia at bay:

Beetroot-Fruit Cocktail
Serves 2

• 1/2 small-sized beet
• 2 ripe pears
• 1 small lime
• ½ red bell pepper
• 1 handful of basil leaves

1. Wash the beet and the pears.
2. Peel them and then chop them into small pieces, and place them in a blender.
3. Squeeze the juice from the lime into the blender.
4. Wash, de-seed and chop the bell pepper, and place the pieces in the blender.
5. Wash and use a course chop on the basil leaves, and place them in the blender.
6. Run the blender until you get the consistency juice of juice you want. You can also use the same ingredients in a juicer.

The juice has to be consumed within an hour or so after preparation to ensure you get all the nutrients. It’s a good recipe for those prone to anemia because beet juice is rich in both iron and folic acid, and lime is rich in vitamin C, which is the catalyst that helps the body absorb iron from non-heme sources. There are some caveats about ingesting too much beet juice, though, so please read about that on our beet juice recipes page before you make this recipe.

Ham and Beans
Serves 6

• 3 lbs smoked ham
• 2 lbs dried Great Northern beans
• 2 dried peppers
• 2 onions
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1 tsp black pepper
• ½ cup blackstrap molasses
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup mustard

1. Rinse and dry the beans.
2. Fill a Dutch oven with the amount of water indicated on the package directions for the beans, and then add the beans. Cover and cook at the temperature indicated in the directions.
3. Add the ham and remaining ingredients when the beans are cooked half-way, based on the time in the package directions.
4. Cook for the remaining indicated time.

This dish contains both red meat (ham) and blackstrap molasses, both of which are rich in iron and help enrich the hemoglobin content in your blood.

And here are some quick concoctions that can also help prevent anemia or address it if you already have it:

• Twice a day: eat a ripe banana dipped in 1 tbs. honey.
• Once a day: drink a mixture of beet juice, apple juice and one tbs. honey.
• Once a day: drink a mixture of apple juice and tomato juice.
• Soak currants overnight, de-seed and eat in the morning.

This article is contributed by Sarah Scrafford, who regularly writes on the topic of Care Plans.

You might also be interested in these other healthy recipes:

• Asparagus Recipes
• Beet Juicing Recipes
• Blueberry Recipes with Antioxidant Power
• Broccoli Recipes
• Garlic Recipes with Antiviral Power
• Pasta Recipes to Boost Your Immune System
• Recipes to Control Blood Sugar
• Recipes to Help Your Vision

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Blueberries are a good source of fiber and vitamin C, but this little blue fruit’s main claim to fame is its antioxidant activity. Why is this important? Because antioxidants neutralize free radicals — those unstable oxygen molecules that attack your body and place you at risk for cancer, heart disease and premature aging. Blueberries are actually ranked No. 1 among common fruits and vegetables in antioxidant power. Acai and Goji berries are the only other fruits that rank higher, but they’re more exotic — and more expensive.

Try these quick and easy blueberry dessert recipes. They’re great ways to get your antioxidants.

Blueberry Crumble
Makes 4 to 6 servings

• 4 cups fresh blueberries
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup flour (preferably whole wheat, or try one of the gluten-free varieties)
• 3/4 cup uncooked oats
• 1/2 cup butter, melted

1. Spread blueberries in a 2-quart baking dish.
2. Combine the remaining ingredients and sprinkle over blueberries.
3. Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

Berry Treasure
Makes 4 servings

• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 1 (6 oz.) can frozen grape juice concentrate, undiluted
• 1-1/2 cups water
• 1/4 cup quick-cooking tapioca
• 1 tsp. lemon juice

1. Combine grape juice concentrate, water and tapioca in a saucepan and let them stand in for 5 minutes.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat.
3. Simmer slowly, stirring often, until tapioca is clear and juice is thickened.
4. Remove from heat; add lemon juice and stir. Incorporate the blueberries once the mixture has cooled a little.

You can also add other fruit, such as bananas and raspberries, which can either be stirred in or layered.

Photo by Chrissi Nerantzi

You might also be interested in these other healthy recipes:

• Asparagus Recipes
• Beet Juice Recipes
• Broccoli Recipes
• Garlic Recipes with Antiviral Power
• Pasta Recipes to Boost Your Immune System
• Recipes to Control Blood Sugar
• Recipes to Help Your Vision
• Recipes to Keep Anemia at Bay