Sunday, August 18, 2013

Vitamins and Minerals in Raw Juice for Reversing Type 2 Diabetes

The following is a list of the key vitamins and minerals that can be found in raw vegetables, raw fruits, and their corresponding raw juices to help reverse Type 2 diabetes as well as provide other health benefits for the cells, blood, bones, skin, nerves, heart, brain, liver, kidneys, pancreas, and other organs.

Instead of taking vitamin/mineral supplements (which may be synthetic and not provide the same level of health benefits), consider modifying your diet to drink more raw juices and eat the following raw foods that contain these vitamins and minerals.
Vitamins & Minerals

Vitamins and Their Food Sources




Since your body has no way to create vitamin molecules itself, the vitamin molecules must come in through the food that you eat and the beverages/juices that you drink -- not by taking a bunch of "vitamin" pills!

Here is a description of the major vitamins and their food sources. 
Vitamin A

Vitamin A is key for good vision, a healthy immune system, and cell growth. Vitamin A keeps skin and mucous membrane cells healthy and moist and resistant to cell damage. The moistness inhibits bacteria and viruses from "putting down stakes" and starting infectious diseases.


One of vitamin A's main roles is in the production of retinal. Retinal is used within the rods and cones in your eyes to sense light. There is no way for your body to produce retinal without vitamin A, and without retinal you cannot see.

Vitamin A (i.e. alpha and beta carotene) can be found in kale, parsley, carrots, spinach, chard, beet greens, watercress, broccoli, and Romaine lettuce.

Vitamin B1 (thiamine) is an important coenzyme that helps the body convert food into energy. It also assists in manufacturing fat and metabolizing protein.

Thiamin is necessary to maintain normal function in the nervous system.

Thiamine plays a part in the chain of reactions that provides energy for the body. It is thought to be beneficial for people suffering from Alzheimer's disease and older adults with mental impairment. It may also improve the mental function of epilepsy sufferers who take the drug phenytoin. 

Vitamin B1 is found in fruits and vegetables thatinclude garlic, sunflower seeds, and buckwheat sprouts.

Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)  works together with the family of B-complex vitamins to provide the body with energy by metabolizing carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. It also helps in the regeneration of glutathione, an enzyme that rids the body of free radicals.

Riboflavin may be able to decrease the number of migraine headaches a person has. It might also help to prevent cataracts. Riboflavin has helped to increase iron levels for those suffering from iron-deficiency anemia.

Vitamin B2 is found in broccoli, kale, parsley, beet greens, and prunes.

Vitamin B3 (niacin) works with other B-complex vitamins to metabolize food and provide energy for the body. Niacin was initially discovered by researchers who were looking for a link between diet and the disease pellagra
Vitamin B3.
The researchers determined that pellagra was common among people with a corn-based diet, and they were able to treat the disease with nicotinic acid, a form of niacin.

Niacin is very effective at correcting high cholesterol and preventing or reversing heart disease. It can be used to treat insulin-dependent diabetes. It might also be effective in treating arthritis and migraine headaches. However, taking niacin supplements in high doses can be dangerous to your health.
Vitamin B3 is found in brewer's yeast, mushrooms, wheat bran, and peanuts.

Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid), like other B vitamins, helps the body extract energy from carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. It also helps to metabolize fats and produce red blood cells and hormones from the adrenal gland. Pantothenic acid is necessary to maintain good health.

Vitamin B5 is abundant in broccoli, kale, and cauliflower.

Vitamin B6 is effective against more than 100 health conditions. It's used against maladies as serious as heart disease and everyday aggravations such as premenstrual syndrome and sensitivity to MSG. It can even help prevent the formation of kidney stones.

Vitamin B6 is abundant in spinach, turnips greens, bell peppers, prunes, and kale.

Vitamin B7 (biotin) acts as a coenzyme in the metabolism of fats and carbohydrates, the breakdown of proteins to urea, and the conversion of amino acids from protein into blood sugar for energy. In addition to its metabolic properties, biotin also has some health benefits. When normal intake of biotin is supplemented, it strengthens fingernails, relieves a scalp condition in newborns, and is very effective at controlling blood sugar levels in diabetics.

Vitamin B7 is found in swiss chard, carrots, nuts, halibut, vegetables, berries and other fruits.

Vitamin B9 (or folate) is required for the formation of normal red blood cells and essential for the metabolism of some amino acids. It helps produce new cells and prevent changes in DNA that can cause cancer. Consuming this mineral is necessary to prevent anemia during pregnancy.
Vitamin B9

Production and rapid division of new cells are assisted by folate. It helps to make both DNA and RNA. It can reduce chances of getting some forms of anemia and may help to prevent cancer.

Its most important use is for women who are trying to get pregnant because it has been shown to significantly reduce certain birth defects, called neural tube defects. All women attempting to get pregnant should begin taking a folate supplement a few months before trying to conceive, and should continue taking folic acid throughout their pregnancy and while nursing.

Folate is found in a variety of foods, most often, in leafy green vegetables, dried beans, and peas. When folate is used as an additive in foods, generally in bread, grains or breakfast cereal, or when it is taken as a supplement, it is called folic acid. It is an important vitamin, especially when taken by women who are pregnant, planning to get pregnant, or nursing.

Vitamin B12 keeps your nerves and red blood cells healthy. It is responsible for the smooth functioning of several critical body processes. Vitamin B12 helps maintain a healthy digestive system.

Vitamin B12 also protects against heart disease by curbing and improving unhealthy cholesterol levels, protecting against stroke, and high blood pressure. It is essential for healthy skin, hair, and nails. It helps in cell reproduction and constant renewal of the skin. In addition, Vitamin B12 helps protect against cancers including breast, colon, lung, and prostrate cancer.
Vitamin B12 is found in liver, meat, eggs, milk, cheese, soy, tempeh, and some varieties of fish.

Vitamin C

One use of Vitamin C is in the formation of collagen. Collagen is produced by special ribosomes in certain cells, and then exported from the cells to form collagen networks.

During the process of collagen formation, the body must manufacture hydroxylproline from the amino acid proline. Vitamin C is essential to this reaction. Without vitamin C, collagen cannot be produced -- the first signs of this are very weak (and easily broken) blood vessels, loose teeth (which are held in their sockets by collagen), and bruises that are slow to heal (as seen with many diabetics).

Vitamin C's antioxidant properties protect cells and their DNA from damage and mutation. It supports the body's immune system, the first line of defense against cancer, and prevents certain cancer-causing compounds from forming in the body. Vitamin C reduces the risk of getting almost all types of cancer. It appears that this nutrient doesn't directly attack cancer that has already occurred, but it helps keep the immune system nourished, enabling it to battle the cancer.

As an antioxidant, vitamin C helps to prevent cataracts -- the clouding of the lens of the eye that can lead to blindness in older adults. The lens needs a lot of vitamin C to counteract all the free radicals that form as a result of sunlight on the eye. Vitamin C is concentrated in the lens. When there's plenty of this vitamin floating through your system, it's easy for the body to pull it out of your blood and put it into the lens, protecting it from damage.


People with diabetes can benefit from eating more vegetables and fruits to obtain some extra vitamin C. This nutrient can help regulate blood sugar levels. Since insulin helps vitamin C, as well as glucose, get into cells, people with diabetes may not have enough vitamin C inside many of their cells. Just like glucose, vitamin C can't do its work if it's not inside of a cell. Eat lots of vegetables and fruits that contain vitamin C can force it into body cells, where it can protect against the many complications of diabetes.

Vitamin C can be found in all vegetables and fruits, especially berries and citrus fruits. Vitamin C is abundant in oranges, limes, guava, red peppers, kiwi, grapefruit, and strawberries; and, can also be found in Brussels sprouts, kale, spinach, tomatoes, and cantaloupe.

Vitamin D is a steroid vitamin, a group of fat-soluble prohormones, which encourages the absorption and metabolism of calcium and phosphorous. People who are exposed to normal quantities of sunlight do not need vitamin D supplements because sunlight promotes sufficient vitamin D synthesis in the skin.
Vitamin D

Five forms of vitamin D have been discovered, vitamin D1, D2, D3, D4, D5. The two forms that seem to matter to humans the most are vitamins D2 (ergocalciferol) and D3 (cholecalciferol).

Vitamin D3 is made in the skin when 7-dehydrocholesterol reacts with ultraviolet light at 270-300 nm wavelengths - peak vitamin D3 production occurs between 295-297 nm. It is only when the UV index is greater than 3 that these UVB wavelengths are present.

A human requires ten to fifteen minutes of sun exposure at least twice a week on the face, arms, hands, or back without sunscreen with a greater than 3 UV index for adequate amounts of vitamin D3. Longer exposure results in the extra vitamin supply being degraded as fast as it is generated.

Vitamin D provides many health benefits including: bone health; brain health;  immune system regulator; weight management; a lower risk of developing cancer; and a defense against developing multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. An additional study published in September 2012 suggested that low levels of vitamin D may increase the risk of heart attack and early death.

Vitamin D sources include sunlight; wild salmon, tuna, organic eggs, mushrooms, beef liver, and ricotta cheese.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E's antioxidant properties strengthen the immune system and remove free radicals. It also reduces cholesterol and the risk of developing cancer. Vitamin E thins the blood, reducing the risk of coronary artery disorder or heart disease. Vitamin E also helps alleviate fatigue and strengthen capillary walls while nourishing the cells.

Vitamin E is abundant in mustard greens, spinach, swiss chard, broccoli, wheat germ, walnuts, olive oil, and tropical fruits; and, can be found in tomatoes, carrots, watercress, and asparagus.

Vitamin F was assigned to essential fatty acids, which are composed of two fatty acids - linoleic acid (LA) and alpha-linoleic acid (LNA) - with linoleic acid being the most complete fatty acid.
Vitamin F


Fatty acids are needed for normal growth and behavior and help with healthy cell membranes, a well balanced hormone level and properly working immune system.


To the skin, it brings suppleness and a youthful appearance and hair becomes more shiny and healthy when in good supply. It also seems important in the manufacture of sex and adrenal hormones. Fatty acids also stimulate the growth of the beneficial intestinal bacteria. Edema has also been reported with fatty acids in short supply.


Food sources for fatty acids include evening primrose oil, grape seed oil, flaxseed oil, krill oil, and oils of grains, nuts and seeds, such as soybean, walnuts, sesame, and sunflower. Fatty acids are also present in avocados, as well as meat and fish like salmon, trout, mackerel and tuna.

Omega-3 EFA is found in wild salmon, other fatty fish, and walnut oil. Omega-6 EFA is found in raw nuts, seeds, legumes, grape seed oil and flaxseed oil.
Minerals and Their Food Sources
Minerals play an important part in many body functions, including normal growth, protein synthesis and hormone secretion. Minerals come from the foods you eat and are divided into two groups:  macrominerals and microminerals. 

Macrominerals found in food include calcium, chloride, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and sulfur. These minerals are needed in large amounts. Microminerals found in food include copper, fluoride, manganese, selenium and zinc. These minerals are needed in small amounts.

Minerals are required by plants as part of their food, to form their structure. The major mineral nutrients, which come from the soil, are dissolved in water and absorbed through a plant's roots. Unfortunately, there are not always enough of these nutrients in the soil for a plant to grow healthy. This is why many farmers and gardeners use fertilizers to add the nutrients to the soil. 

Note: The basic difference between minerals found in foods and those found in industrial mineral salts is chemical. Unfortunately, most minerals in supplements are normally industrially processed inorganic rocks (mineral salts) hence they are void of the factors found in a food matrix. Only 100% food minerals have minerals attached in a food matrix.

Here is a description of the major minerals and their food sources.

Calcium is important for strong bones and teeth. Too little calcium can lead to the bone conditions rickets and osteoporosis. Calcium also has a role in blood clotting and the regulation of muscle contractions including the heartbeat. There is some evidence calcium has a role in managing blood pressure and preventing breast and colon cancer.

Calcium is found in carrots, celery, broccoli, garlic, spinach, beet greens, lettuce, string beans, and watercress.

Chromium enhances the action of insulin and plays a very important role in glucose balance. Chromium is directly involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates, fat and protein. Chromium acts as an essential nutrient that works to break down glucose and fat, while helping to balance insulin levels. The most concentrated amounts of chromium are found in the bone, kidney, spleen and liver.

Chromium assists in boosting metabolism and increasing energy through the breakdown of certain fats and proteins. In addition to a healthy balance of insulin and stable glucose levels, sufficient amounts of chromium are necessary to support an energetic lifestyle.

Additionally, chromium has been shown to help promote efficient brain function by aiding in cholesterol synthesis. Some studies have even shown that chromium can help individuals prevent coronary artery disease.

Some of the most chromium-rich products include: oysters, green peppers, apples, spinach, bananas, eggs, liver and beef. Chromium can also be found in brewer’s yeast, potatoes, cheese, spices and fresh fruits and vegetables.

Copper helps iron to form red blood cells. Copper also helps with healthy functioning of your bones, blood vessels, bones, immune system and nerves. Copper promotes the development of connective tissues that allow for efficient bones, cartilage and blood vessels through all bodily systems. In order to be most effective, copper must work closely with iron and a deficiency in one mineral source can greatly affect the other. Copper is primarily stored in the muscles, liver and brain.

The duo of copper and iron creates a team that is able to aide in the creation of red blood cells the body needs. Beyond blood vessels, bones and nerves, copper can also help boost the immune system. When it comes to healing, the body requires collagen as well as elastin to heal wounds and a copper and iron combination can help raise each of these levels.

Additional copper contributions to a functioning body include hair pigmentation and the promotion of antioxidant qualities that promote overall health. Cooper can help fight free radicals that may possibly cause damage to DNA and healthy, vital cells.

Copper used for dietary benefits is normally consumed through daily diets. A balanced diet that contains food such as oysters, whole grain bread, liver, shellfish, green leafy vegetables, chocolate and nuts is usually a sufficient source of copper consumption.

Iron provides health benefits that include its job of carrying life-giving oxygen to human blood cells. About two-thirds of the bodily iron is found in hemoglobin. Other health benefits of iron are the reduction of iron deficiency anemia, anemia of chronic disease, cough, anemia in pregnancy, predialysis anemia and many other varieties.

The health benefits of iron relate to the proper growth of human body and maintenance of robust health. It is an essential protein component for metabolism, and the human body needs iron to produce red blood cells. The human body is capable of preserving 15 % of iron for future use, especially in the case of inadequate diet intake. 

Please Note: However, as we get older, excess iron in the blood that migrates to our organs can lead to insulin resistance, diabetes, cancer and heart disease.

Iron is found in pineapple, blackberries, strawberries, parsley, cruciferous vegetables, beets with greens, parsley, and chard.

Magnesium is required for over 300 biochemical reactions in your body. It helps keep muscles and nerves functioning normally and also helps to regulate your heart beat, supports the immune system and keeps your bones strong.


Manganese is found in cruciferous vegetables, carrots, celery, garlic, parsley, beet greens, and spinach.

Phosphorus plays a key role in the formation of bones and teeth. It also assists your body to utilize carbohydrates and fats as well as protein synthesis. This mineral is integral in energy storage and helps maintain and repair cells and tissues.


Apart from acting as an electrolyte, this mineral is required for keeping the heart, brain, kidney, muscle tissue and other important organ systems of the human body in good condition. Potassium chloride is the main variety of this mineral, and it works in association with sodium to perform a number of critical body tasks.

Potassium is found in cruciferous vegetables, celery, radishes, garlic, asparagus, bananas, and chard. 

Selenium is an important part of protein and enzyme formation. It also helps to regulate your thyroid and maintain a healthy immune system.  Selenium also assists a variety of other body processes by working as an antioxidant and fighting free radicals that could potential cause damage to cells.

Selenium is a key fighter for the body against infections. It helps stimulate antibodies that are necessary to fight invasive bacteria and viruses. Overall, selenium works to increase the body’s energy alongside its work as a powerful antioxidant.

Some of the benefits associated with selenium’s work as an antioxidant include anti-aging type results associated with the removal of potentially harmful elements such as mercury, cadmium and lead from the body.

For women, selenium can play a key role in relieving symptoms of menopause. Maintaining balanced selenium levels in males can promote healthy sperm counts. For both men and women, selenium works to increase pancreatic function and promote tissue elasticity.

Plant-based products tend to have higher selenium content, especially those plants that were grown in selenium-rich soil. Similarly, animal-based food products that come from animals raised on selenium-rich soil will contain sufficient amounts of mineral benefits.

Great sources of food products that contain selenium include crabmeat, brown rice, pork, Brazil nuts, beef, whole wheat bread, milk, black walnuts and prawns.

Sodium is an extremely important electrolyte and an essential ion present in the extracellular fluid (ECF). One of the health benefits of sodium is the pivotal role it plays in enzyme operations and muscle contraction. It is very important for osmoregulation and fluid maintenance within the human body. Some other health benefits of sodium include improved heart performance, nervous system and glucose absorption.

Sodium is the primary ion and electrolyte within the body, and it is needed for blood regulation. Serious impairment of bodily function is caused due to the absence of sodium. It is a versatile element and occurs in more than eighty different forms. As an electrolyte, it regulates the bodily fluids and transmits electrical impulses in the body. Unlike other vitamins and minerals, heat has no effect on sodium. Therefore, it can be used in different ways and preparations without losing its effects. Also, it is an important constituent of nerves and helps regulate muscle contractions.

Although sodium is an essential nutrient in any balanced diet, it can also cause stomach cancer and hypertension. People suffering from kidney problems or edema should restrict their intake of sodium to protect against those health risks.

Sodium is found in celery, spinach, beets with greens, cabbage, garlic, sunflower seeds, turnips, and watercress.

Zinc supports proper functioning of the immune and digestive systems, control of diabetes, reduction of stress levels, energy metabolism, and an increased rate of healing for acne and wounds. Also, zinc is helpful in terms of pregnancy, hair care, eczema, weight loss, night blindness, colds, eye care, testosterone production, appetite loss and many other minor conditions.

Zinc, being an important mineral, plays a vital role in protein synthesis and helps regulate the cell production in the immune system of the human body. Zinc is mostly found in the strongest muscles of the body and is found in especially high concentrations in the white and red blood cells, eye retina, skin, liver, kidneys, bones and pancreas. The semen and prostate gland in men also contain significant amounts of zinc.

In the human body, there are more than 300 different enzymes that require zinc to function normally. Researchers believe that 3,000 proteins out of the approximately 100,000 in the body consist predominantly of zinc.

Zinc is found in turnips, parsley, carrots, cucumbers, spinach, garlic, ginger root, and lettuce.

Vitamins and Minerals

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