• 1. A sheath, or sheathlike structure; used as a general term in anatomical nomenclature.
• 2. The canal in the female, extending from the vulva to the cervix uteri, which receives the penis in copulation.

Probiotics have been helpful in some cases of vaginal infection.

Records of valerian's use go back more than 1,000 years. It was used as a coffee substitute by German women, as a condiment during medieval times, and as a perfume during the 16th century. The roots have been used for food by many cultures. The Piute Indians ground them for flour and the British used the roots in soups. Cats and other small animals are fond of the plant.

In addition to its many historical uses, modern herbalists use the root primarily to support special needs of the central nervous system.

Valerian root may help alleviate pain and is often used to promote sleep. It especially benefits those suffering from nervous over-strain, because it does not possess any of the after-effects produced by narcotics.

Clinical studies on valerian root, which is sometimes called "nature's tranquilizer", have demonstrated this herb's powerful relaxing and sleep-inducing effects. Valerian root was used by monks in medieval Europe to relieve pain and cure various illnesses. More recently, it has been used in the Soviet Union to treat high blood pressure, back pain, migraines and emotional upset.

• Year discovered: 1801
• Atomic No.: 23
• Symbol: V
• Atomic weight: 50.941
• Melting point: 1,890º C

Named for Vanadis, the Scandinavian love goddess, vanadium is a gray metal primarily used as an alloying agent for iron and steel and as a strengthener for titanium-based alloys. Vanadium is also a catalyst in sulfuric acid production. After the steel industry, the aerospace market ranks as the second-largest end-user of the metal. Vanadium was discovered in Mexico in 1801 but was thought to be a form of chromium for the next three decades. In 1830, it was rediscovered by N.C. Sefstrom, and in 1887, H.E. Rosco isolated the element from its compounds, mainly vanadite and carnotite. Vanadium occurs in deposits of titaniferous magnetite, phosphate rock and uraniferous sandstone and siltstone, in which it constitutes less than 2 percent of the host rock. Significant amounts are also present in bauxite and carboniferous materials such as crude oil, coal, oil shale and tar sands. Because vanadium is usually recovered as a by-product or co-product, demonstrated world resources of the element are not fully indicative of available supplies. The largest reserves of vanadium are found in South Africa, China, the Commonwealth of Independent States, Australia and the United States. Its chief use is as an alloying agent for iron and steel, representing more than 95 percent of the U.S. market. The metal is also important in producing aerospace titanium alloys and as a catalyst in producing maleic anhydride and sulfuric acid.

Visit The Vegetarian Resource Group .

See also Spinal column, Spinal Vertabrae

once one has had a viral infection, that virus stays in every cell of the body for the rest of that person's life. This has been known by conventional immunologists for at least 50 years. It is only the strength of the immune system that keeps it dormant inside the cell.

This versatile nutrient is important for preventing eye disorders (such as night blindness), and skin disorders (such as acne). It has been found to enhance immunity, protect against environmental damage, heal gastrointestinal disorders, form healthy bones and teeth, and even fight cancer.

Special conditions requiring definite supplementation are: pregnancy, breast feeding, intestinal malabsorption, older age, anorexia, malnutrition, alcoholism, infancy, high vitamin C intake, loss of intrinsic factor , intestinal parasites, gastrectomy, low & high thyroid functioning, auto-immune thyroiditis, low parathyroid functioning, & vegetarianism.

B-12 is a concern of many vegetarians because only negligible amounts of true B-12 are found in plant life. B-12 is made by bacteria in the soil, and it can be synthesized by bacteria within the body.

There are bacteria in the small intestine of the human body that can make B-12, but our research shows that intestinal flora is not a sufficient source for everyone. Many claim that plant foods contain B-12, but they contain almost exclusively analogues of B-12, which interfere with the body's metabolism of true cobalamin. This seems to be especially true with sea vegetation such as chlorella, spirulina, blue-green algae, nori, and dulse. (An analogue appears to be the real thing, but it is not, and it masks a deficiency.) It is not safe to rely on marine plant life or soy products for vitamin B-12.

We have seen indications that show the amount of B-12 in produce grown in organic soil has higher levels of B-12.

Research indicates that supplementing the body with a healthy population of bifidobacteria may be extremely helpful in maintaining vital levels of health-enhancing and disease-preventing B vitamins--especially B-12.

Vitamin B12 is necessary for:

• Production of red blood cells & white blood cells.
• Regeneration of RNA & DNA
• With the other B vitamins the conversion of fats, carbohydrates, & protein to energy.
• Protein & lipid synthesis
• Nerve cell maintenance & nerve sheath (myelin) maintenance.
• Maintaining growth.
• Methylations
• Brain function maintenance.
• Choline synthesis
• Maintains epithelial & mucous membrane cells.
• Maintains normal bone marrow.
• Maintains normal gastrointestinal tract.
• Apart from all the factors contributing to decreased vitamin B12, studies show the daily intake of vitamin B12 is 70% less than ideal.

Measuring levels of vitamin B12 in the blood is not an accurate way to determine B12 status, in that B12 deficiency can exist & patients will respond favorably to taking B12 even when their blood levels were adequate.

SYMPTOMS OF VITAMIN B12 DEFICIENCY:

• Depression
• Decreased concentration
• Decreased memory
• Nervousness
• Insomnia
• Weakness/apathy
• Fatigue
• Mood swings/can resemble bipolar disorder
• Confusion
• Hallucinations
• Paranoia
• Psychosis
• Decreased white blood cells.
• Anemia (megaloblastic & pernicious)
• Dizziness
• Chest pain
• Labored breathing
• Disturbed digestion
• Constipation
• Changes in the gastro-intestinal tract
• Sore tongue
• Sprue
• Intolerance to light & noise
• Numbness & tingling
• Degeneration of long nerve tracts in spinal cord
• Walking & speaking difficulties
• Hair loss
• Decreased blood & tissue lipids
• Disturbed carbohydrate metabolism

[Dr. Schulze]

Of course the problem with the B-vitamin tablets is they're not natural. B-vitamins today are being manufactured from horrible substances.

B-12 comes predominantly from activated sewage sludge. If it isn't from that, it's from dehydrated beef livers which are loaded with bacteria.

Nowadays, there is not a more toxic area on a cow than it's liver. It's liver is trying to filter out the majority of the growth hormones and steroids that have been pumped into the cow; also, the bacterial levels are outrageously high. We know that's an immune problem. Niacin is also made in disgusting ways by mixing chemicals.

This powerful antioxidant supports the immune system - preventing colds and other illnesses, shields the body from damaging environmental toxins, and protects cells from free radical damage. Vitamin C is also essential for proper adrenal function, the formation of collagen, tissue health and the absorption of other nutrients.

Vitamin C is found mainly in citrus fruits, green peppers, rosehips, green vegetables, papaya, strawberries, pineapples, & guava. Vitamin C is likely the most supplemented of all vitamins & for good reason.

Vitamin C :

• Is an antioxidant.
• Aids wound healing.
• Maintains your adrenal cortex & ovaries.
• Detoxifies heavy metals, pesticides, & other pollutants.
• Participates in the metabolism of tryptophan, tyrosine & phenylalanine to neurotransmitters & other essential substances.
• Acts in the synthesis of collagen, cartilage, bone, & teeth.
• Strengthens capillaries & other blood vessels & controls bleeding.
• Aids iron absorption.
• Stimulates white blood cell immune activity & partially protective against colds & flu & all infections.
• Maintain cellular oxygen turnover & cell membranes.
• Stimulates interferon (an immune system soldier).

Protects against:

• Cataracts
• Arthritis
• Allergies
• Inflammatory disorders
• Depression
• Adrenal insufficiency
• Radiation
• Air pollution
• Periodontal disease
• The risk of death from all causes
• Sun damage to your skin
• Cancer
• Alcoholism
• Mental illness
• Glaucoma

Vitamin C fulfills progressively broader functions at progressively higher levels of intake.

Special conditions requiring higher supplementation are:

• Pregnancy & breast feeding.
• Heavy metal toxicity.
• Stress/anxiety.
• Trauma.
• Surgery.
• Allergies.
• Old age.
• High protein diet.
• Infections.
• Burns.
• Other toxic exposures.
• Symptoms of deficiency. SYMPTOMS OF DEFICIENCY:
  • Depression
  • Weakness
  • Listlessness
  • Fatigue
  • Confusion
  • Irritability
  • Allergies
  • Easy bruising
  • Bleeding gums
  • Nosebleeds
  • Poor wound healing
  • Low resistance to infection
  • Decreased connective tissue integrity
  • Heart & blood vessel disease
  • Bone abnormalities
  • Raised dry papules on buttocks & calves
  • Aching joints/arthritis
  • Rough skin
  • Dental cavities
  • Loose teeth
  • Poor digestion

  Ascorbic acid has many important functions. It is a powerful oxidizer and when given in massive amounts; that is, 50 grams to 150 grams, intravenously, for certain pathological conditions, and "run in" as fast as 20 Gauge needle will allow, it acts as a "Flash Oxidizer," often correcting the pathology within minutes. Ascorbic acid is also a powerful reducing agent. Its neutralizing action on certain toxins, exotoxins, virus infections, endotoxins and histamine is in direct proportion to the amount of the lethal factor involved and the amount of ascorbic acid given. At times it is necessary to use ascorbic acid intramuscularly. It should always be used orally, when possible, along with the needle.

  See Also Ester-C

  
  Vitamin D
  In March of 1998, the surprising results of a study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The bottom line message was that Harvard Medical School researchers found that as many as 40% of the U.S. population may be deficient in Vitamin D - including many who regularly take supplemental vitamins.

  High dietary sources of vitamin D are liver, fish, egg yolk, & dairy products. Availability is decreased with liver disease, cortisol, high pH in the gut (as with decreased stomach acidity) & low bile salts in the gut, cholesterol lowering drugs may interfere with vitamin D absorption & utilization.

  Vitamin D:

  • Is essential for the maintenance of a healthy skeleton.
  • Maintains calcium & phosphorus homeostasis through hormonal-like actions.
  • Regulates cell differentiation & cell proliferation.
  • Works synergistically with vitamin A to induce certain cancer cells to differentiate into normal cells & to inhibit cancer cell proliferation.
  • Has been shown to be effective against colorectal, breast, prostate, ovarian, brain cancers & several forms of leukemia & lymphoma.
  • Protects against atherosclerosis & the build-up of calcium in other soft tissues. Low vitamin D levels increase the likelihood of calcium build-up in fatty plaques in the arteries. The higher the level of vitamin D the less likely it is that calcium will build up in atherosclerotic plaque.
  • May aid blood pressure regulation.

  INDICATIONS:

  • For those receiving little sunlight on their skin.
  • For those not eating the foods high in Vitamin D.
  • For those taking cholesterol lowering drugs or fat blockers.
  • Intestinal malabsorption syndromes.
  • Crohn's disease & ulcerative coliits.
  • Adjunct to cancer prevention treatment.
  • steoporosis or support for bone healing.
  • For the elderly.

  SYMPTOMS OF DEFICIENCY:

  • Burning mouth & throat
  • Nervousness
  • Insomnia
  • Osteoporosis
  • Otosclerosis & hearing loss
  • Excessive soft tissue calcification function
  • Diarrhea
  • Near sightedness
  • Osteomalacia
  • Rickets
  • Depressed immune
  • Decreased immune function
  • Parathyroid disease

  Vitamin D can store in your body and be toxic so do not over supplement. Dosage range can be total of 400-2000 units daily. Do not take more without your physician's advice.

  Excessive vitamin D will increase the calcium in your blood & be toxic to your kidneys.

  Vitamin D3
  Vitamin D3 is the active & preferable form of vitamin D. It is a fat soluble vitamin & its absorption depends upon the presence of bile & fats in the intestines.

  Vitamin D3 functions more like a hormone than a vitamin because of the many cellular functions it affects. Many investigators already regard vitamin D as a hormone because of its sterol chemical structure & the fact that sunlight on your skin can use your body to make vitamin D.

  It is being extensively studied for its anti-cancer benefits.

  Vitamin E
  Vitamin E has been extensively researched & found to have an almost unbelievable list of impacts on bodily processes. Vitamin E has long been known to be a powerful antioxidant which works to stabilize dangerous free radicals that form in fatty tissues & cell membranes. High dietary sources are wheat germ, crude vegetables & grain oils, soybeans & yeast.

  Vitamin E has been shown to exert the following actions:

  • Helps stabilize & protect cell membranes, especially red blood cells.
  • Helps to protect cholesterol from oxidizing to a harmful form.
  • Helps protect against light induced cataract formation.
  • May help relieve hot flashes & breast tenderness.
  • Reduces the risk of Sickle Cell Anemia.
  • Is valuable in the repair of tissues & in retarding the scarring & fibrotic processes.
  • Studies show intake associated with a decreased risk for prostate cancer.
  • May protect against cardiotoxic effects of alcohol.
  • Has antihistaminic properties.
  • May help with acne, combined with other nutrients
  • Decrease LDL oxidation
  • Can decrease breast soreness & relieve fibrocystic disease.
  • Helps to protect against heart disease.
  • Helps decrease the harmful effects of air pollution.
  • HIV positive people with the highest serum vitamin E levels experienced a 34% decrease in the risk of progression of AIDS.
  • In Alzheimer's disease, 2000 units daily delayed functional deterioration.
  • Can enhance the production of prostacyclin, a potent vasodilator & inhibit platelet aggregation through a reduction in thromboxane.
  • Studies in the elderly showed 200 units daily increased immune function by enhancing T-cell mediated activity.
  • Helped restore urinary filtration flow in rats with severe kidney disease.
  • Inhibits factors contributing to colon cancer.

  Additionally Vitamin E has helped or prevented the following conditions:

  • Menopausal symptoms
  • Premenstrual syndrome
  • Menstrual cramps
  • Restless leg syndrome
  • Muscle cramps
  • Intermittent claudication/peripheral vascular insufficiencies
  • Vascular fragility
  • Recurrent miscarriages
  • Seborrheic dermatitis
  • Wound healing
  • Muscular dystrophy
  • Neuromuscular degeneration
  • Tardive dyskinesia
  • Autoimmune disease
  • Protects against stroke
  • Certain anemias
  • May reduce the levels of mutagens in the stools & block the formation of nitrosamines
  • Raynaud's syndrome

  SYMPTOMS OF DEFICIENCY:

  • Increased fragility & shortened life of red blood cells
  • Abnormal blood viscosity
  • Heart rhythm disorders
  • Accelerated aging
  • Neuromuscular impairment such as:
  • Loss of reflexes
  • Gait disturbance
  • Eye muscle incoordination
  • Decreased balance
  • Decreased vibratory sensation
  • Breakdown of skin
  • Predisposition to gallstones
  • Fatty infiltration of the liver
  • Excess lipid deposits or tumors

  Natural vitamin E has been found to be twice as effective as synthetic E.

  Vitamin K
  In 1929 a Danish biochemist, Henrik Dam, was experimenting with chicks by feeding them a diet very low in fat. He observed that the chicks over time developed a disease in which their blood did not clot properly. At first he thought it was scurvy, caused by a lack in vitamin C, but there was no evidence in previous studies that vitamin C deficiency caused hemorrhaging in laboratory animals.

  A few years later, in repeating this experiment, he found that feeding the chicks hemp seed caused the hemorrhaging to disappear. Then he found that the same occurred when the chicks were fed soybeans or cabbage. Dam called the element in these foods that promoted proper blood clotting in the chicks the "koagulation vitamin," or vitamin K.

  Scientists have since discovered that vitamin K assists your liver in forming prothrombin and other blood-clotting agents. When vitamin K is deficient, blood clotting is delayed. Like vitamins A, D and E, vitamin K is a fat-soluble nutrient. This explains why the chicks became deficient in vitamin K: their low-fat diet did not permit its absorption.

  Recent research shows that vitamin K is also necessary for building healthy bones, as it is responsible for converting the bone protein osteocalcin from its inactive form to its active form. Supplemental vitamin K may play a valuable role in preventing and treating osteoporosis.

  Lactobacilli are responsible for the production of Vitamin K.

  Vitiligo
   

             

  Voll, Dr. Reinhold
  Since the 50s Dr. Reinhold Voll was engaged in Chinese acupuncture. He then developed this Chinese acupunture via current technical facilities into electroacupuncture, without foreseeing that he had created a method that today is of utmost significance in view of the persevering discussions about cost reduction and efficiency.

  Applied EAV (ElectroAcupuncture by Voll) provides not only an accurate holistic diagnosis very quickly, but also simultaneously the corresponding therapy. Last, but not least, the EAV is particularly suitable for early identification as well as diagnosis and therapy of chronic diseases (i.e. allergies).

  The EAV relies on the classical acupuncture's energetic basic knowledge. It is Dr. Voll's merit to have made this method accessible to occidental thinking by decoding the traditional Chinese medicine's philisophical terms and associating the (EAV) acupuncture points with medical terminology. Furthermore, he discovered and designated unknown meridians during his research in this field. He also associated these meridians exactly with the corresponding organs while developing a measuring system that clearly indicates the degree of an organ's inflammation.

  Thereby, Dr. Voll created the only method for discerning and treating foci in the body by the criteria: inflammable, chronic, and subchronic.

  Dr. Voll's lifework was probably crowned by the casual (or fluke) discovery of "drug testing". Drug testing enables an observation of the effect of a certain drug (or drugs) on the patient prior to administration.

  Dr. Voll travelled extensively - accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. Pitterling - to globalize his electroacupuncture method.

  

  Vollmeter
  See the entry under EAV

  von Willebrand factor
  vWF - the attribute of factor VIII necessary for the adhesion of platelets to vascular elements. Deficiency of this factor results in the prolonged bleeding time seen in von Willebrand's disease.