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From: pc@hplabsb.UUCP (Patricia Collins)
Newsgroups: net.med
Subject: vitamin deficiencies
Message-ID: <1991@hplabsb.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 12-Dec-83 19:48:28 EST
Article-I.D.: hplabsb.1991
Posted: Mon Dec 12 19:48:28 1983
Date-Received: Thu, 15-Dec-83 01:48:39 EST
Organization: Hewlett Packard Labs, Palo Alto CA
Lines: 27


	Someone claimed (excuse me for losing the reference) that very few
"normal" people have vitamin deficiencies.  I'm not sure who qualifies as
normal, but there are large numbers of people who have significant Vitamin B
deficiencies.  The symptoms are typically lethargy or depression.  One of
the prinicpal groups of people who suffer this problem are those who have
gastro-intestinal disorders.  The problem can be exacerbated by the intake
of sucrose because this produces a "dumping syndrome" where food passes
through the system too quickly for the vitamins to be absorbed.

	My dad is TOTALLY against vitamin supplements, but had slipped into
a serious depression after a serious GI problem.  After everything from
psychoanalysis to drugs, it turned out that the problem was a serious Vitamin
B deficiency.  He now takes a Vitamin B shot regularly and my mom will 
vouch for the difference!  If my dad had not been convinced before the
vitamin therapy that there was no way a person "with a healthy diet" could
need vitamin supplements, I might believe there was some placebo effect.
I believe that the connection between Vitamin B deficiency and GI disorders
is well documented.  Certainly there are a lot of otherwise normal people
who suffer from this combination of problems.  

	One question: why would Vitamin B injections every few days be
preferrable to a daily B supplement?

						Patricia Collins
						hplabs