Thursday, February 10, 2011
B Vitamins
We've all stared at the cereal box label during breakfast and wondered what words like riboflavin, folic acid and pyridoxine mean. Has your mom ever reminded you to eat a balanced diet and "make sure you eat your greens"? The words on your cereal box and your mother's good advice both involve vitamin B. The B vitamins are a group of eight individual vitamins, often referred to as the B-complex vitamins. In this article, we will take a look at how the B vitamins work so you can begin to understand why Kellogg's and your mother made sure you included these essential vitamins in your diet. We'll also look at some of the more serious conditions that can result from B vitamin deficiencies.
The word vitamin is derived from a combination of words -- vital amine -- and was conceived by Polish chemist Casimir Funk in 1912. Funk isolated vitamin B1, or thiamine, from rice. This was determined to be one of the vitamins that prevented beriberi, a deficiency disease marked by inflammatory or degenerative changes of the nerves, digestive system and heart.
Vitamins are organic (carbon containing) molecules that mainly function as catalysts for reactions within the body. A catalyst is a substance that allows a chemical reaction to occur using less energy and less time than it would take under normal conditions. If these catalysts are missing, as in a vitamin deficiency, normal body functions can break down and render a person susceptible to disease.
- Foods
- Beverages
- Our bodies -- Vitamin K and some of the B vitamins are produced by bacteria within our intestines, and Vitamin D is formed with the help of ultraviolet radiation, or sunshine, on the skin.
Vitamins are either fat-soluble or water-soluble. The fat-soluble vitamins can be remembered with the mnemonic (memory aid) ADEK, for the vitamins A, D, E and K. These vitamins accumulate within the fat stores of the body and within the liver. Fat-soluble vitamins, when taken in large amounts, can become toxic. Water-soluble vitamins include Vitamin C and the B vitamins. Water-soluble vitamins taken in excess are excreted in the urine but are sometimes associated with toxicity. Both the B vitamins and vitamin C are also stored in the liver.
The B-complex vitamins are actually a group of eight vitamins, which include: - Thiamine (B1)
- Riboflavin (B2)
- Niacin (B3)
- Pantothenic Acid (B5)
- Pyridoxine (B6)
- Cyanocobalamin (B12)
- Folic Acid
- Biotin
These vitamins are essential for:
- The breakdown of carbohydrates into glucose (this provides energy for the body)
- The breakdown of fats and proteins (which aids the normal functioning of the nervous system)
- Muscle tone in the stomach and intestinal tract
- Skin
- Hair
- Eyes
- Mouth
- Liver
Some doctors and nutritionists suggest taking the B-complex vitamins as a group for overall good health. However, most agree that the best way to get our B vitamins is naturally -- through the foods we eat!
Getting Enough B Vitamins
As you can see, the B vitamins are essential for an astonishing array of life functions. Fortunately, most of us will get all of the B vitamins we need by eating a well-balanced diet. Some people swear by a B-complex supplement every day, but based on the wide variety of foods containing these vitamins, a supplement may not be necessary.
Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA)* in mg (B12 is in µg) | Food Sources | Importance | When You Take Too Much | When You Take Too Little | |
Thiamine (B1) | I=0.3-0.4; C=0.7-1.0; A=1.0-1.5 | cereal, bread, meat, rice, yeast, corn, nuts | carbohydrate metabolism, nervous system | none known | beriberi (anemia, paralysis), movement & memory effects |
Riboflavin (B2) | I=0.4-0.5; C=0.8-1.2; A=1.2-1.8 | grains, milk, meat, eggs, cheese, peas | maintains skin, mucous membranes, eyes, nerve sheaths | None known | skin & oral problems, anemia |
Niacin (B3) | I=5-6; C=0.8-1.2; A=1.2-1.8 | meat, milk, eggs, fish, legumes, potatoes | healthy skin, nerves & GI tract, metabolism of food | flushing, itching, cramps, nausea, skin eruptions | pellagra (diarrhea, dermatitis, dementia) |
Pyridoxine (B6) | I=0.3-0.6; C=1.0-1.4; A=1.4-2.0 | organ meats, brown rice, fish, butter, soybeans | metabolism of food, amino acids | nerve damage | skin & nerve damage, confusion, mouth irritation |
Folic acid (B9) | I=25-35; C=50-100; A=150-180 | yeast, liver, green vegetables, whole grain cereal | DNA, hemoglobin synthesis, formation of blood cells, protein metabolism | convulsions, disrupted zinc absorption | anemia, mouth irritation, poor growth |
Pantothenic acid | N/A; made by our intestines | meats, legumes, whole-grain cereals | breakdown of carbohydrates, lipids, amino acids | diarrhea | none known |
Biotin | N/A; made by our intestines | beef liver, egg yolk, brewer's yeast, mushrooms | functions as coenzyme in caroboxylation reactions | none known | scaly dermatitis |
B12 | I=0.3-0.5; C=0.7-1.4; A=2.0 | liver, meat, eggs, poultry, milk | metabolism of food, blood cell formation, DNA synthesis | none known | pernicious anemia, mouth irritation, brain damage |
Source: TLC Cooking
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2 comments:
Thanks for sharing that information about B Vitamins. Always consider taking them to avoid certain health problems. Stay healthy always; check out Supplements Canada now.
This article is very informative. I have been suffering from mal absorption of fat for three years now. Thus doctor advised me to take ADEK vitamins twice in a week. I am feeling better after having this.
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