Week 45- Vitamin B4?

Welcome my friends to a New Day and a New You! This is Sheri Turner- I am here to encourage, educate and help you to a healthier place in your life. It is good to be back researching, writing and producing the RefineMEnt podcast. This summer and the first part of fall has moved with the speed of light in my world. Celebrations, moves and family surgeries have been my priority. Is life ever calm? For this moment, it is, so let’s dive in! In past weeks, we have discussed the “big three” of the B Vitamin family – vitamins B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), and B3 (niacin). Together, they cover a wide range of health benefits, ranging from addressing digestive, growth, development and function of cells (vitamin B1) to boosting energy (Vitamin B2) to bolstering brain function (Vitamin B3). There are previously identified B vitamins that play key roles in helping us to stay strong and healthy. This include what was vitamin B4 -also known as adenine. Adenine is no longer considered or labeled a vitamin because it no longer fits the official definition of a vitamin; as essential and required for normal human growth and required to be obtained by diet because they can't be manufactured by the human body. Even though they no longer fit the defined "vitamin" category, many are still in use and recommended for a variety of health needs as other nutritional supplements. Others that fit in that category are: vitamin B8 (inositol), vitamin B10 (para-amino benzoic acid – PABA), and vitamin B11 (salicylic acid). We will hit most of those in coming weeks. Today we take a quick look at adenine.

Adenine is most known for its role in speeding up the process by which energy is manufactured in our body. It plays a crucial role in protein synthesis and accompanying chemical processes. Also, it is an important component of both DNA and RNA, which are nucleic acids that provide our genetic information. In a little more detail: Vitamin B4 is particularly important to DNA and RNA formation, being one of the two bases required for the formation of these nucleic acids. Adenine binds to Thymine, one of the four nucleobases in the DNA nucleic acid, and contributes to ensuring the equilibrium of the structure. Also, Adenine binds to Uracil to stabilize RNA nucleic acid structure. Then one of the most popular forms of Adenine is Adenosine Triphosphate, or ATP, a high energy molecule essential to vital human processes and functions. ATP also works as a neurotransmitter, facilitating neurological processes and nervous impulses at the brain level.

Without vitamin B4, cell formation and the healthy development of our body tissues would likely be impaired and our immune system could be compromised which affects the ability of our body to fight off viruses and infections. It can also play an important role in maintaining healthy blood sugar levels and stopping the degeneration and mutation of cells. It helps ward off the activities of free radicals, thus possibly slowing down our aging process. Being a water-soluble vitamin as are all B vitamins, it is easily dissolvable into water and cannot be stored by the body for later use. Constant supplies must be provided to replenish and fulfill our bodies daily requirements.

Sufficient amounts of B vitamins are important for the normal functioning of vital organs and body functions. You should remember that all B vitamins are water soluble, and supplying them to our body is required to meet the nutritional needs of our bodies. There are several food sources available for adenine, and you should make sure to include them in your daily diet. These sources include whole grains, whole bread, and herbs and herbal extracts such as blue cohosh, caraway, catnip, cloves, hawthorn, jojoba, sage, rose hips, kelp, spearmint, strawberry, yucca, couch grass, ginger or golden seal. Vitamin B 4 can be found by consuming raw honey, Propolis derived products, and bee pollen. A large number of fresh fruits and vegetables also provide you with the right amounts of Vitamin B4. These include apples, oranges, bananas, seeds, tomatoes, and green leafy vegetables. These are among the richest sources of B vitamins in general, and of course that includes adenine.

In summary, Adenine is important for our health going all the way down to our DNA and RNA. Adenine/ b4 is not stored in our bodies so a balanced diet of whole grains and fresh fruit and fresh vegetables are needed daily. You will not hear much on the topic of adenine/ vitamin B4. Eat healthy and be healthy!

The RefineMEnt family is taking charge of their health- mind, body and soul! I am so proud of all of you and the hard work you are putting in! Even when you don’t hear my voice for a few weeks, you carry on with purpose and passion. You are in control of your life. New Day- New you! Let’s get to work today to make our bodies, minds and attitudes failure proof! Each week I recommend a MOVE goal. You must get off the couch to shape your body to fight! If you have just started RefineMEnt, your MOVE or exercise goal is 15-20 min/day for 5 days this week. Please take time to go back in the podcast library to week 1 and move forward. The tried-and-true crew- your MOVE goal is still 40 – 50 min/5 days this week. A reminder-smaller portions, hydrate with water, concentrate on your gut health, get 7-9 hours of sleep every night, plan your day and of course SMILE! No more excuses- the holidays are coming again- we need action. This week’s quote-

“Take risks: if you win, you will be happy; if you lose, you will be wise.” Powerful and true. We just need more wisdom in our life. Have a wonderful day!