TriVita Article On Twin Puzzles of Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

The Twin Puzzles of Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

How B vitamin supplementation may help by Dr. Scott Conard

Many puzzles are yet to be solved by modern medicine. As we continue to seek causes and solutions for the ills that plague mankind, confusion still swirls around two of the more “mysterious” ailments: chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and fibromyalgia (FMS).

During National Chronic Fatigue Awareness Month in March, it’s appropriate to look at these two issues together, since they’re often paired in medical literature. They have some important traits in common:

We don’t know what causes either CFS or fibromyalgia
They share several symptoms
There is no cure
The confusion around these two syndromes is fed by their overlapping nature: It’s estimated that up to 70% of people diagnosed with CFS also fit the clinical guidelines for FMS, and vice versa. Most people with CFS have some kind of pain, which is a major symptom of FMS. And most people with FMS report fatigue, a major symptom of CFS. No wonder even doctors can be unsure which is which.
Vitamin B-12 and folic acid for managing symptoms
We do know, however, that many physicians and researchers (along with patients) support supplementation – including Vitamin B-12 and folic acid – as an important part of managing symptoms. Here’s a thumbnail look that helps explain why:

CFS: As the name suggests, this is a disorder that causes extreme fatigue. This fatigue is not the tiredness that goes away after you rest. Instead, it lasts a long time and limits your ability to do ordinary daily activities.

Symptoms of CFS include fatigue for six months or more, and other problems such as muscle pain, memory problems, headaches, pain in multiple joints, sleep problems, sore throat and tender lymph nodes. It is most common in women in their 40s and 50s, but anyone can have it. It can last for years.

FMS: Fibromyalgia makes you feel tired and causes muscle pain and “tender points.” Tender points are places on the neck, shoulders, back, hips, arms or legs that hurt when touched. Other symptoms can include trouble sleeping, morning stiffness, headaches, and problems with thinking and memory, sometimes called “fibro fog.”

No one knows what causes fibromyalgia. Anyone can get it, but it is most common in middle-aged women. People with rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases are especially prone to fibromyalgia.

Supporting mental function with B vitamins
Notice that both syndromes can affect mental function: memory and thinking problems can arise, and this may be a key to the use of B vitamins. As you may know, the medical links between B vitamins and brain function are strong and well documented.

So, it isn’t surprising that healthcare professionals in both traditional and alternative medicine, including experts in CFS and FMS, support the use of B vitamins and folic acid to help manage symptoms.

If you or a loved one have, or suspect you have, one of these confusing syndromes, it’s important to know that both are much more than just being tired, or having some muscle pain. CFS and FMS are often misunderstood, and deserve attention and treatment. I urge you to consult with your healthcare professional, and to see how the highest quality B vitamin supplementation might help.

Source: TriVita VitaJournal March 2009 pg 6.

How Vitamin B-12 Became a Mainstay of Wellness

Dr. Libby brought his depth of knowledge to TriVita’s early TV programming.

Dr. Libby’s legacy of pioneering continues by Dr. Scott Conard

“To ‘B’ or not to ‘B’” – that was the title of an address I gave at a wellness conference in Scottsdale, Arizona recently. I was speaking, of course, about Vitamin B-12, and the event gave me the chance to review its growth from an undervalued vitamin to a recognized powerhouse in health. It also gave me the chance to recall my early involvement with TriVita® and respect for the work of Alfred Libby, M.D., the inventor of TriVita Sublingual B-12, B-6 and Folic Acid.

As you may know, Dr. Libby was a pioneer in nutrients and health, and an associate of Linus Pauling, Ph.D., the two-time Nobel Laureate and “Father of Vitamin C.” Early in his career, Dr. Libby discovered the dramatic health changes that B-12 could make, and worked for decades to raise awareness.

“We’ve given people back their lives”

Along with B-12, Dr. Libby was the “star” of the original TriVita TV infomercials beginning in 2000. It is still his original, patented formula (contained in over 11 million boxes of Sublingual B-12 sold) that has helped so many. Here, I’ve selected some of his memorable thoughts:

“We’ve given people back their lives,” Dr. Libby said. At the time, painful and expensive injections were the only way to supplement effectively with B-12. And, undiagnosed B-12 deficiency caused untold damage.

“B-12 deficiency, undiagnosed and untreated, wreaks havoc,” he declared. This “havoc” took many forms: • Moodiness • Low energy • A heart-damaging buildup of homocysteine • High cholesterol

He would talk about patients who, with Sublingual B-12, went from moodiness and lethargy to enthusiasm and energy… older people, sent to nursing homes because they were disruptive and difficult, becoming “functional human beings again”… heart patients having their blood pressure and cholesterol levels stabilized.

A key element in Dr. Libby’s Sublingual B-12 is its unique delivery system: “sublingual” means under the tongue, where the tablets dissolve and get quickly into the bloodstream. This is crucial to maximum absorption and maximum benefit.

Dramatic effects, and a change of career

In my own medical practice, I found the same kinds of patient results that Dr. Libby witnessed years before. In fact, that’s how I came to be associated with TriVita and Sublingual B-12. For years, my medical practice specialized in treating the elderly. Patients would come into my office complaining that they had no energy, felt “low” and depressed and they would beg for B-12 “shots.” After their shots they became so much more alive, so much more well, that I changed course in my career.

I founded TienaHealth to focus on preventive medicine, convinced that the way to make a difference in people’s lives was to help them get the vitamins and nutrients they need before health issues arise. After the world lost Dr. Libby in 2002, I began speaking up about Sublingual B-12 for TriVita, and am proud to continue today.

My own experience has shown me the truth of Dr. Libby’s statement: “It’s so fulfilling, so gratifying to be involved with this (Sublingual B-12)… and with the right company, TriVita.”

On his original infomercial, Dr. Libby would gesture toward the phone banks and say, “When I see the phones light up it reminds me of the song, ‘You Light Up My Life.’ That’s how I feel when I see those lights; people’s lives are lighting up.”

Having seen so many lives “light up” with Sublingual B-12, I can only say I wholeheartedly agree.

Source: TriVita VitaJournal February 2009 pg 6.

The Science Behind TriVita’s Sublingual B-12

A growing body of research shows Vitamin B-12′s value in overall health
by Dr. Scott Conard

Does your resolution for wellness in 2009 include supplementing your healthy lifestyle with Vitamin B-12? If it doesn’t, you should be aware of mounting clinical evidence showing the connection between good health and this powerhouse vitamin. If you already supplement with B-12, this research gives you more reason to stay on track with your health habits.

Here’s a review of some of the B-12 studies that have recently made headlines. I think you’ll agree that it’s an impressive body of research.

Vitamin B-12 eases symptoms of congestive heart failure
While doctors prescribe various medications for congestive heart failure (CHF), Vitamin B-12 has been shown to be another effective way to lessen symptoms.

Vitamin B-12 helps create taurine, an amino acid which studies suggest may be useful in treating CHF symptoms. Participants in a study showed significant improvement in their ability to breathe, with a reduction in heart palpitations and fluid buildup.

Impressive relief for seasonal allergies
Several studies have suggested that Vitamin B-12 could help reduce seasonal allergies. In one clinical study, a group of seasonal allergy sufferers spent up to six weeks taking massive amounts of B-12 through sublingual delivery, just like TriVita’s Sublingual B-12, B-6 & Folic Acid. Many of the worst symptoms – sneezing, congestion and itchy, runny nose – were half as severe in the B-12 group as in the placebo group.

Mental function, vitamins and ADHD
Strong clinical evidence supports the link between essential nutrients and vitamins – particularly Vitamin B-12 – and mental function, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Studies have shown that a B-12 deficiency may decrease levels of substances needed to transmit nerve signals. This reduced ability to transmit nerve signals has shown up in brain tests conducted on children with ADHD.

In people of any age, this problem with nerve signals can lessen or damage mental functioning.

Reverse memory loss with B-12?
One of the premier medical authorities in the field, Harvard Medical School, endorses the use of B-12 to treat memory loss caused by a deficiency of this invaluable vitamin. The prestigious school supports findings that B-12 deficiency is among the reversible causes of memory loss, and that correcting this deficiency early on may help restore lost memory.

Younger people at risk for B-12 deficiency
There is clinical evidence that B-12 deficiency affects a much broader age range than many have thought. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition looked at B-12 blood levels among participants in three age groups: 65 and over, 50-64 and 26-49. They all had approximately the same levels of B-12 deficiency. That’s right: People as young as 26 turned out to be as B-12 deficient as some people over 65.

Brain erosion linked to low Vitamin B-12 levels
People with lower levels of Vitamin B-12 were six times more likely to have brain volume loss (also called brain erosion) than those with higher B-12 levels, according to a study published in the journal Neurology.

Researchers studied 107 adults ages 61 to 87 for five years. All the participants had B-12 levels within the normal range; however, the differences in brain volume were significant between those in the normal-low range and those in the normal-high range.

Quality matters: choose TriVita Remember:
not just any B-12 tablet can give you optimum health results. TriVita’s original, patented Sublingual B-12, B-6 & Folic Acid melts under your tongue, allowing B vitamins to be absorbed quickly and directly into your bloodstream. What’s more, the nutrients in TriVita Sublingual B-12 are perfectly balanced, so they help each other create more energy.

As an early advocate of the value of B-12, I’m pleased to see my research colleagues pursuing this important area. I hope these findings give you new reason to start – or stay with – TriVita’s quality B-12 supplements.

Source: TriVita VitaJournal January 2009 pg 6.