What is vitamin C?
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is one of the most well-known and most frequently investigated vitamins. In 1926, the Hungarian chemist A. Szent-Györgi successfully isolated the vitamin. In 1933, Tadeus Reichstein developed the first synthesis of ascorbic acid. Today, vitamin C is produced on a large scale (670,000 tons per annum worldwide). The majority is used in the food processing industry as an auxiliary material.

Vitamin C intake
By means of enzymatic processes, plants and most animals can produce vitamin C themselves. As human beings do not possess these enzymes, they are dependent on the external supply of vitamin C.

Values recommended by the German Society for Nutrition (DGE):

This DGE recommendation is the absolute minimum amount for sustained health. Due to current environmental conditions and lifestyles, however, it is advisable to take higher doses. Up to 250 mg. And during a severe cold, up to 1000 mg or more can be taken short-term.

Who needs vitamin C?
A vitamin C deficiency manifests itself in tiredness, higher susceptibility to infection, lower performance, slower recuperation after illnesses and the poor healing of wounds. People who are subjected to high levels of physical and mental stress, smokers and those with a high alcohol consumption have an increased requirement. Additional vitamin C is also needed by elderly people whose diet is unbalanced, by adolescents with a high fast-food consumption, and in certain diets. Vitamin C has anti-oxidative, immune-stimulating effects. It stabilizes the connective tissue, increases stress tolerance, improves the resorption of iron and regenerates used vitamin E. Ascorbic acid is involved in the breakdown of cholesterol, and plays a role in the clotting of blood and in detoxification processes.

Side effects
There are virtually no known side effects. Only persons with kidney disorders should pay special attention to correct intake. Excessively high single doses can also lead to temporary diarrhoea.

What is vitamin E?
Vitamin E is the collective term for the family of fat-soluble tocopherols which were discovered by Evans and Bishop in 1922. Of the 8 different compounds, alpha-tocopherol possesses the highest biological activity. Vitamin E can be very effective when taken orally or in cosmetics via the skin (topically). It belongs to the fat-soluble, anti-oxidative vitamins and is considered to be the most natural protector against so-called free radicals. Free radicals are aggressive substances which occur as a result of environmental damage outside the body, but also due to metabolic processes or infections in the body. The highly reactive radicals can cause a chain reaction in the body and then attack our cells, damage and finally destroy them. Vitamin E has the extraordinary ability to neutralize these radicals which damage and destroy body cells, and thus render them harmless. An example: everyone knows that oils and fats become rancid when exposed to air. This is caused by oxygen radicals which attack and alter fatty acids, thus making them rancid. If sufficient vitamin E is available, this process can be stopped.

Where can vitamin E be found?
Vegetable oils and sunflower, soybean, wheat-germ and corn-seed oil, as well as nuts are high in
vitamin E.

What is vitamin E good for?
In the treatment of rheumatic disorders (joint and back problems, arthrosis) and arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). Very promising results have also been achieved in the prophylactic treatment of cancer and Alzheimer's, and generally in the slowing down of aging processes. In cosmetics, vitamin E has excellent properties which help to regulate the moisture balance, and it prevents premature aging of the skin.

How much vitamin E do people need?
The German Society for Nutrition (DGE) recommends 12-15 mg of vitamin E (orally). Many scientists agree that environmental and lifestyle changes demand an increased requirement of 50-100 mg. In the therapeutic treatment of arteriosclerosis 100 to 200 mg are applied, for rheumatic diseases 500 mg or more, and for Alzheimer's as much as 2000 mg. In cosmetic therapies, doses of 3, 10, 15 and 25 percent have proved to be effective.

What is vitamin A?
Vitamin A, also known by its scientific name, retinol, is a collective term for a group of substances with a very similar structure. They can be found in human and animal tissues and have comparable effects. Vitamin A was discovered in 1909. It was first isolated in 1931 and its structure defined in the same year. In 1947 it became possible to produce vitamin A chemically, the form in which it is mainly sold today.

Where can vitamin A be found?
Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin. It only occurs in animal foods, not in the plant world. Plant-based foods only contain carotinoids, a lower form of vitamin A, beta-carotene being the most well-known.
Natural vitamin A can be found primarily in liver, dairy fats (cheese, butter), hen eggs and cod-liver oils.

The following each contain 0.9 mg of vitamin A:
10 g liver
100 g liver sausage
150 g butter
200 g camembert cheese, tuna fish
300 g Emmenthaler cheese, mozzarella
350 g gouda cheese
2000 g fish
3 l full-fat milk

How does a vitamin A deficiency manifest itself?
1. Impaired vision (colour vision deficiency, night blindness)
2. Changes to the skin and mucous membranes, and related functional disorders
3. Bone growth disorders
4. Diminished cell regeneration
5. Impaired sperm development
6. Reduced metabolic activity and the related slow-down in growth and loss of appetite, weight loss and hyperthyroidism

Recommended intake
Worldwide, vitamin A deficiency is one of the most frequent vitamin deficiencies. However, it occurs almost solely in underdeveloped countries. The recommended daily intake of vitamin A according to the DGE (German Society for Nutrition) is between 0.6 and 0.8 mg for children; 1.0 mg for adult men and 0.8 mg for women; 1.1 mg for pregnant women and 1.8 mg for breast-feeding mothers.

Side effects
Although vitamin A has a positive effect on the development of the embryo, pregnant women and women of child-bearing age are warned not to take excessively high doses.
This group should not exceed the intake levels listed above. The following side effects could occur if too much vitamin A is taken over a longer period: tiredness, headaches, nausea and skin peeling, although these symptoms will disappear after the intake of such high doses is stopped.

What is biotin (vitamin H)?
Biotin is a water-soluble vitamin belonging to the B group. It proved to be identical to vitamin H or the coenzyme R. At the beginning of the last century, Wildiers discovered that yeast cultures needed a specific factor to grow, which he called Bios. In 1936, biotin was isolated from egg yolks. Its chemical structure was defined between 1940 and 1943.

Where can vitamin H be found?
Nature has abundant quantities of biotin. It is partially available in a free form. In animal foods, it is usually bonded to proteins. Its concentration in food is very low, amounting to one thousandth of a gram (µg). The usability of biotin in the body depends on its bonding form. Liver, milk, eggs, soya beans, nuts, cauliflower, and oats are good sources of biotin.

50 g beef liver
250 g oats
85 g soya beans
294 g cauliflower
200 g nuts
1 ¼ litre of milk
200 g pork liver

What function does vitamin H have?
Biotin is involved in a large number of the body's metabolic processes. Many enzymes need biotin to fulfil their tasks. Biotin plays an important role in the metabolism of carbohydrates and energy, and via its coenzyme function, controls the build up and breakdown of fatty acids and the breakdown of four essential amino acids. Biotin is best known for its positive effects on the health and beauty of the skin, hair and fingernails.

Recommended intake / requirement
Diet is the main intake source of biotin. A very low amount of this vitamin is produced by bacteria in the large intestine. When calculating biotin requirement, consideration must be given to the fact that the predetermined biotin content in food varies according to the detection methods used, and that the entire amount is possibly not available to the body. Estimated values for an adequate intake of biotin according to the DGE:

Side effects
Hypervitaminosis is not known.

Thiamin ( vitamin B1 )
Often overlooked, thiamine is nevertheless an indispensable member of the water-soluble B vitamin group. It is also known as vitamin B1 because it was the first B vitamin to be discovered and was recognized early on as an essential nutrient. After its discovery in 1897, it was isolated from rice husks as early as 1926 and synthesized in 1936.

Where can it be found?
Vitamin B1 occurs in different bonding forms and in relatively large amounts in plant-based and animal foods. As with most B vitamins, thiamine can mostly be found in the outer layers of all types of cereals. Other plant suppliers are pulses, potatoes and nuts. Animal foods which supply the most thiamine are muscle meat, especially pork, and innards such as liver. (Content mg/100g: pork muscle meat 0.9, oats 0.6, pistachios 0.6, wholemeal wheat and rye flour 0.5). Vegetables and fruit contain relatively low levels of vitamin B1.

Requirement
As with most water-soluble vitamins, thiamine is not stored in large amounts and must therefore be taken regularly. Due to its central position in energy metabolism, the requirement is higher for persons doing strenuous physical work, sportsmen and women, and for specific symptoms. This is also true for high alcohol consumption. As a result of current eating habits, thiamine is classified as one of the critical micro-nutrients when it comes to achieving an optimal supply.

Insufficient vitamin B1
A slight deficiency is often not recognized as such. Corresponding to its biochemical metabolic function, a vitamin B1 deficiency manifests itself in two groups of symptoms:

1. Cardiovascular complaints such as shortness of breath, feelings of apprehension, ECG changes
2. Neurological disorders in the form of nervous conditions coupled with sensibility disorders, weak and aching muscles, tiredness, lack of concentration, reduced ability to remember, irritability, anxiety.
3. The classic vitamin B1 avitaminosis, beriberi, is hardly of relevance today.

Recommended intake according to DGE*

*DGE (German Society for Nutrition)

Side effects
Thiamine is not toxic. An excess is excreted in the urine.

What is vitamin B12?
Vitamin B12, also known by its scientific name, cobalamine, was the last of the vitamins to be discovered to date. At the end of the 1940s, a substance was identified which was successfully applied in the treatment of anaemia. The utilization of vitamin B12 in the body is only then guaranteed if sufficient gastric acid is available. However, as the body is able to deposit large amounts of vitamin B12 in the liver, a deficiency is often not detected until relatively late.

What effect does vitamin B12 have?
Vitamin B12 contributes significantly to the formation of new cells and red blood corpuscles. It protects nerve cells, supports the conversion of food into energy and plays an important role in the production of genetic material (DNA and RNA) of the cells. Together with folic acid, it helps the body to process homocysteine, a substance which can increase the risk of heart diseases when occurring even at slightly elevated levels. Vitamin B12 also plays an important role in the immune system.

Where can vitamin B12 be found?
This vitamin primarily occurs in animal products such as meat, innards, fish, eggs and cheese. Sauerkraut and other plant foods fermented by lactic acid also contain vitamin B12.

Recommended intake

How does a vitamin B12 deficiency manifest itself?
Possible symptoms of a vitamin B12 deficiency are tiredness, depression, numbness and tingling in the limbs due to nerve damage, muscle weakness, confusion and anaemia (red blood cell deficiency). Since the formation of gastric acid diminishes as one gets older, elderly people in particular are often not adequately supplied with vitamin B12.

Too much vitamin B12
Excess vitamin B12 is rapidly excreted via the urine. Even in cases of very high intake, there are no known side effects.

Magnesium – indispensable!
Magnesium is an essential mineral. As the human body cannot produce magnesium itself, the food we eat must cover our daily requirement. An adult’s magnesium stocks come to around 20 to 30 grams. More than 50 % of these ensure our bones and teeth are strong and stable. Around 45 % of the remaining magnesium can be found in cells and 5 % in serum. There, magnesium fulfils essential tasks and is involved in approx. 300 enzymatic processes (enzymes are protein substances which regulate and control metabolism).

Which functions does magnesium have in our body?
Magnesium is necessary for a number of different metabolic processes. It regulates the transmission of nerve impulses to the muscles and nerves, and ensures that the entire muscle apparatus functions smoothly.

How much magnesium does the body need?
Daily magnesium requirement for adolescents and adults is 300 – 400 milligrams.
Recommended intake according to DGE (German Nutrition Society):

When is an increased magnesium intake necessary?

In the case of:

• frequent calf cramps and muscle tension
• diabetes

In addition to impaired blood-sugar regulation, the kidney function is also altered, which leads to magnesium losses via the urine, especially if the blood-sugar level is not adjusted correctly. Since magnesium plays a decisive role in the influence of insulin, which regulates blood-sugar levels, it is particularly important for diabetics to assure their magnesium supply is sufficien

• Frequent use of medication

Diuretics and laxatives stimulate the excretion of magnesium via the kidneys and stool. For this reason, attention should be paid to an adequate magnesium intake when taking such medication for prolonged period

• Athletes

Sports activities lead to a noticeably higher magnesium requirement due to increased muscle activity, and excessive perspiration also causes more magnesium to be excrete

• Migraines

Migraine patients often demonstrate magnesium deficiency, which exacerbates tension in the neck and shoulder muscles.

How does a lack of magnesium occur?
Causes: the industrial processing of our food (white flour, polished rice, refined sugar) and soils poor in magnesium (leaching) lower the magnesium content in plants. Further risk factors are too many proteins (sausages, meat), stress and increased alcohol consumption.

Magnesium deficiency and its effects
An undersupply of magnesium can have various effects. For example, muscular disorders such as calf cramps at night or during sports activities, tension in the neck and shoulders, twitching of the muscles and eyelids, gastrointestinal spasms and grinding of the teeth at night. Furthermore, nervous disorders such as stress, rapid heartbeat, uneasiness, depressive moods, headaches, migraines, increased irritability, lack of concentration, cardiac arrhythmia and dizziness.

Foods with high magnesium content
Wholegrain products, bananas, potatoes, green vegetables, nuts

Side effects
Treatment with magnesium involves very few risks. Too much magnesium may lead to soft stools or diarrhoea.

Calcium - an essential mineral!
In the human body, calcium is responsible for numerous vital functions. As a solid salt, it serves to stabilize the bones. Dissolved as a calcium ion, it is involved in many biochemical reactions.

How much calcium is in the human body?
Around 2 per cent of an adult's body weight is pure calcium. In turn, 99 per cent of this, corresponding to around 1 - 1.5 kg, is deposited in the bones. The rest is found in the cells and in the blood in a dissolved state.

Which tasks does calcium perform?
Calcium is largely responsible for strengthening the skeleton and, with the interplay of muscles and tendons, enables mobility. At the same time, calcium which is deposited in the bones and teeth serves as a depot to keep the calcium level in the blood in equilibrium. Even slight fluctuations of more than 10% can be life-threatening. This emphasizes the importance of the dissolved proportion of calcium in the body. There it stabilizes the cell membranes and plays an important role in the material exchange of the cells. In this connection, science also recognizes the positive function of calcium in relation to allergies. Calcium is also involved in intercellular signal transmission and stimuli transfer and influences blood clotting.

You should take calcium every day!
As an adult person loses around one third of a gram of this mineral every day, calcium is one of the substances which must be supplied to the body on a regular basis. Measuring and determining a deficiency is difficult because calcium which is lacking can be released from the bones at any time. To prevent an inadequate supply, the German Society for Nutrition (DGE) recommends the following intake:

Which foods have a high calcium content?

Side effects
As a rule, an overdose of calcium is harmless. In the case of kidney failure and a long-term calcium intake, the calcium concentration in the blood can rise, causing increased calcium excretion in the urine.

Why does the body need zinc?
Zinc is an essential trace element and, after iron, the second most frequently occurring element in the human body. Its significance for human beings was first systematically researched in the last 30 to 40 years. Zinc is indispensable as a central constituent of more than 300 enzymes (biocatalysts), which are responsible for the starting and stopping of virtually all metabolic processes.

Where can zinc be found?
Important sources of zinc are meat and dairy products, eggs and cereals. They supply 80 per cent of the zinc contained in food. The usability of the trace element depends on the type of food which is consumed. Animals foods, in contrast to plant-based foods which are rich in dietary fibres and contain phytic acid, contribute more to the absorption of zinc.

Recommended intake / requirement
As zinc cannot be produced by the body itself, a daily dietary intake is necessary. A healthy human body stores around 2 grams of zinc, 70% of which is found in the bones, skin and hair. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), zinc is one of the main elements lacking in the human diet.
A continuous supply of zinc is necessary as the body does not have large stores of zinc to counteract a zinc deficiency.

Recommended zinc intake

Symptoms indicating a zinc deficiency
A zinc deficiency leads to a number of biochemical and cellular changes in the body.

Side effects
Zinc compounds taken orally are not very toxic. Only when 1-2 grams of zinc sulphate are taken, can nausea, vomiting, stomach pains or diarrhoea occur.

Folic acid
In our body, folic acid is involved whenever cells divide and form new ones. It plays a special role in the healthy development of the unborn, but also contributes to the production of important substances which support the brain, nervous system and muscles.

What is folic acid?
This water-soluble vitamin was discovered in spinach in the forties and is very difficult for the body to store. Long storage, exposure to light and cooking destroy up to 50% of folic acid contained in food. Folic acid works in combination with vitamin B6 and B12, which is why these vitamins should also be taken in sufficient quantities.

How does folic acid function?
The body constantly needs folic acid to produce blood cells, to heal wounds, to build up muscles, and also for every process based on cell division. Folic acid is indispensable for the formation of DNA and RNA, the carriers of genetic information in our cells, as it guarantees normal cell division. .

Where can folic acid be found?
An excellent food source are green vegetables (folic acid and vitamin B6 and B12 are therefore often called the "green vitamins"), beans and wholegrain products. Some products such as breakfast cereals and salt are now enriched with folic acid.

How does a deficiency manifest itself?

• In the case of an unbalanced diet, high alcohol consumption, growth, during breast-feeding:
  anaemia, weak immune system, changes in the mucous membranes, fertility disorders
• In addition, during pregnancy:
  Folic acid is important for cell division, above all for rapid growth. For this reason, when planning to have children, and in the first three months of pregnancy, attention should be paid to an adequate intake to prevent serious birth defects such as neural tube defects (spina bifida), cleft palate or even miscarriages. In the last few years, the influence of vitamins on cardiovascular diseases has also been discussed. Here, the focus is on the blood constituent homocysteine, which, in large concentrations, can increase the risk of a stroke or heart attack. Folic acid is said to have a positive effect on the homocysteine level and thus indirectly protect against heart attacks, for example.

Recommended intake
For adults, a daily dietary intake of 0.4 mg of folic acid is recommended. Women who are pregnant or are planning a pregnancy should take an additional 0.4 mg of folic acid daily. For older people, whose daily diet is low in this vitamin, food supplements are very important (especially those containing vitamin B12).

What are flavonoids?
Secondary plant substances (also called phytamines) are natural plants components. Although they are neither vitamins, minerals, trace elements nor dietary fibres, their biological influence is important for our body. It has been proven that secondary plant substances have a variety of effects on the human body. They play a role in many metabolic processes and can have anti-oxidative, antibacterial and antiviral effects. Flavonoids belong to the most important representatives of secondary plant substances.

• Traces of this large group of active substances can be found in virtually all plants. Most flavonoids are colourless, many, however, are responsible for the glowing colours of fruit and vegetables.
• Flavonoids are absorbed by eating fruit and vegetables, but also tea and wine (especially red wine) contain phytamines
• To date, more than 5,000 different flavonoids have been identified.

What are citrus flavonoids?
Citrus flavonoids are natural plant pigments and are mostly found in the white sections of citrus peel (of lemons, oranges and grapefruit). .

How do citrus flavonoids function in the body?
Citrus flavonoids have anti-oxidative properties and are among the strongest anti-oxidants to be found in nature. These flavonoids are able to neutralize free radicals. Free radicals are unstable molecules which cause cell damage and thus aid the incidence of certain diseases.

Citrus flavonoids are the indispensable helpers of vitamin C. Vitamin C supports the body's endogenous immune system and strengthens its defences. Together they form an extremely effective team. Citrus flavonoids prevent the body from breaking down vitamin C too early and thus lose many of its beneficial effects. That is why citrus flavonoids are also considered to be natural "vitamin fortifiers".
Reports on the latest scientific findings advise that vitamin C should be taken with citrus flavonoids as far as possible - as is naturally the case when eating oranges and grapefruit or taking our product Hermes Cevitt® Hot Lemon.