question for Heather - vitamin absorbtion
#34314 - 12/29/03 08:32 PM
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barb n
Reged: 10/14/03
Posts: 65
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My hubby and I have been web searching for acne cures for our IBS daughter. He found some interesting info about B5 supplementation which we are starting her on. On that website, they say that taking vitamins when you take fiber supplements makes the vitamins ineffective because they just go out of the body with the fiber. We are not sure if we understood them correctly -- and have sent a question to them about it -- but we were wondering what you think about this, Heather -- or anyone else ? Thank you.
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Wow -- I hadn't heard that. I'd be interested in the results of your research. Please keep us posted.
Thanks,
Bev.
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<img src="http://home.comcast.net/~letsrow/smily3481.gif">Bevvy
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You may not absorb your vit/minerals properly if you suffer from intestinal irritation or eg celiac disease.
The Complete Guide to Nutritional Healing states:
"Tea and coffee reduce the absorbtion of iron and zinc. Certain types of fibre (such as cereal BRAN and phytic acid in some grains) can inhibit the absorbtion of many minerals, especially calcium, iron and zinc. Therefore take MINERAL supplements with meals which do not contain cereals".
If your daughter is following the IBS diet she could base her diet on the other safe foods - rice, potatoes, rather than solely relying on grain type carbs, although I wouldn't advise cutting them out altogether as most grains, ie oats are a very good source of B vitamins.
More advice for acne:
"Acne sufferers tend to consume more animal fat and sugar than those with healthy skin, so you should cut down on dairy products, red meat, processed foods, candy and soft drinks. The recommended diet is grains such as brown rice and oats, with fish, chicken, fruit and veg. Drink plenty of water.
I used to suffer with spots on my forehead and chin when I was a teenager (pimples?)  and found a HUGE improvement when I cut dairy and reduced the fat and sugar in my diet. If you look at some of the recipies on this site and the boards, you'll see your daughter can still eat loads of yummy foods and the changes can be quite subtle so that she (and her friends) don't even notice the difference.
Hope this is helpful to you.
Good luck and let us know how she goes on.
Shellsbells
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Thanks Michelle! Good stuff in here.
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<img src="http://home.comcast.net/~letsrow/smily3481.gif">Bevvy
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Hi Heather - I wonder if you could read my original question on this thread and tell me what you think about that.
Thanks, Bevrs, for your reply. Actually - the info that we read referred specifically to fiber supplements, saying the vitamins would pass right through with the fiber supplements.
Also, our daughter eats an amazingly healthy diet - she has had almost no red meat or sugar for at least 5 years or longer, never has had a soft drink in her life -- she eats absolutely no junk - has never had coffee, or any drugs or medications, she couldn't be much cleaner ! Also she drinks an absolute ton of water...... and since suffering from IBS type symptoms, she now has eliminated all dairy also. Its really hard to understand why her poor face is so broken out. But thanks for your thoughts and efforts on our behalf -- the B5 theory is interesting, and we are hoping might help her -- basically a vitamin deficiency that can occur in puberty, not necessarily because of one's diet. - i would go into it, but its not really appropriate on this site, i guess. But I thought the vitamin absorbtion thing was very applicable on this website.
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Just thought I would pipe up with some information I found out about. I just read this post and I too have acne (Rosacea, adult acne). I found out from my sister-in-law that Acidophilus works great. I also have found that it is a probiotic that helps with IBS. I was told that the more cultures in the capsule the better it is. So I buy capsules with over 11 Billion Cultures per capsule and it seems to work fine. As long as I keep away from chocolate and sugar and caffine; which (except for the suger) are triggers for IBS anyway.
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Laurie
Angels are willing to fall on their faces once in a while for the privilege of flying.
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Hi Barb - I honestly don't know why it would be a bad idea to take a vitamin and/or mineral supplement with food, or with a soluble fiber supplement. You'd normally be getting both vitamins and minerals from the food you eat, and those foods would often have fiber in them. There are a few vitamins/minerals that can block or enhance the absorption of each other (like calcium and iron). But it sounds kinda wacky that no vitamins should be taken with minerals, and that neither should be taken with soluble fiber. Your body is a very efficient machine at digesting what you feed it - it will extract the vitamins and minerals and carbs that are embedded within the cellular walls (aka the fiber) of plant foods, leaving the fiber itself undigested. It's hard to believe that it wouldn't digest a vitamin/mineral supplement that you're simply swallowing at the same time as a soluble fiber supplement.
I've read that B vitamin deficiencies can cause skin problems, including acne. Zinc has sometimes been implicated here as well. But honestly, I don't think this is likely to be the most successful approach. Too many folks have lousy, junk food diets and good skin - while others have fabulous diets and skin problems. They're just not always directly connected. Acne needs oil, bacteria, and hormonal fluctuations - the best way to prevent/control it is to address one or two or even all three of these areas. Best way to do that is with a good dermatologist - especially one who specializes in cosmetic dermatology, as they'll be well abreast of the latest treatments. There are so many medical lotions, potions, lasers, and drugs for acne now that a good doc should definitely be able to help your daughter. Acne also tends to run in cycles - break the cycle, get her skin clear, and it will be more likely to stay that way.
Please let me know what other info you find, and how she's doing.
Best,
Heather
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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!
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B vitamins (particularly B5) are actually found in abundance in fibre rich foods such as bread (wheat and yeast), wholegrain cereals like oats, brown rice and beans and potatoes. So it makes no sense that a fibre supplement would interfere with the absorbtion of these vits.
One last suggestion: see a dermatologist to go through all the possible causes and options for acne. I have heard that it is even possible to determine the cause of certain types of acne depending to how/where it manifests on the face etc.
btw, my aromatherapist friend tells me that jojoba oil is reputedly fantastic for oily skin - it matches the skin's own sebum more closely than any other product/oil you can buy, will moisturise and soothe sensitive skin whilst removing any excess oil, bacteria and dead skin cells from the skin. It might be worth a try.
I hope this is helpful.
Shellsbells
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Hi there, Having been through acne problems since I was 15 (I'm 30 now) I would recommend your daughter seeing a dermatologist if you haven't already. I've recently been helped by some prescription products that are not as strong as some have been in the past. If this helps at all, my own doctor recommends Dove soap (the scent free kind) for washing your face and to avoid any kind of moisturizer. Also some makeup is not as harmful as I was first told when I was 15 and foundation helps to cover up whatever acne is there. I can remember being told to not wear any make up at all and it was horrible to have to go to school and not feel good about may face at all. Anyway good luck to you.
Debby
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there are lots of new prescription meds that are gentler than in the past. And there aren't over-the-counter versions of most of them. It seems like they're constantly coming up with new versions of retinols and alpha or beta hydroxy acid creams for acne, and many of them are much less harsh (and have no added ingredients like scents and colors) than what you could get in a drugstore. If you have prescription coverage, the co-pay for the prescription meds is often much cheaper than buying drugstore creams and lotions. And the prescription stuff will work...
- H
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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!
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