Unlocking the Power of Vitamin B Complex
Vitamin B complex is a group of eight essential nutrients that play a vital role in maintaining our overall health and wellbeing. These water-soluble vitamins are crucial for energy production, nerve function, and heart health, among other functions.
What are the Sources of Vitamin B Complex?
Vitamin B complex can be found in whole, unprocessed foods, including:
– Whole grains
– Legumes
– Molasses
– Potatoes
– Bananas
However, processed foods often lose their vitamin B content during refining. To combat this, some countries require the addition of vitamins like thiamine, niacin, riboflavin, and folic acid to white flour.
The Eight B Vitamins: What Do They Do?
Each of the eight B vitamins has a unique function and plays a critical role in maintaining our health:
1. Vitamin B1 (Thiamine): Essential for energy production, nerve function, and metabolism.
– Deficiency: Beriberi, affecting the nervous system.
– RDA: 1.1 mg/day.
2. Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin): Involved in energy production and cellular function.
– Deficiency: Cracks in the lips, sensitivity to sunlight, and inflammation of the tongue.
– RDA: 1.1 mg/day.
3. Vitamin B3 (Niacin): Essential for energy transfer reactions and maintaining healthy skin.
– Deficiency: Pellagra, causing insomnia, mental confusion, and aggression.
– RDA: 14 mg/day.
4. Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid): Involved in energy production, hormone synthesis, and maintaining healthy skin.
– Deficiency: Acne and paresthesia (tingling sensations).
– RDA: 5 mg/day.
5. Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine): Essential for neurotransmitter production, immune function, and heart health.
– Deficiency: Infection of the sweat glands and neurological symptoms like epilepsy.
– RDA: 1.5 mg/day.
6. Vitamin B7 (Biotin): Involved in energy production, nerve function, and maintaining healthy hair and nails.
– Deficiency: Decreased hair and nail growth, neurological disorders in infants.
– RDA: 30 mcg/day.
7. Vitamin B9 (Folic acid): Essential for fetal development during pregnancy, red blood cell production, and nerve function.
– Deficiency: Birth defects, anemia, and neurological disorders.
– RDA: 400 mcg/day.
8. Vitamin B12 (Cobalamines): Involved in energy production, nerve function, and the formation of red blood cells.
– Deficiency: Peripheral neuropathy, memory loss, cognitive defects, and psychiatric disorders.
– RDA: 2.4 mcg/day.
Conclusion
Vitamin B complex plays a vital role in maintaining our overall health and wellbeing. Understanding the functions and sources of each B vitamin can help us make informed choices about our diet and lifestyle.
References
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B_vitamins
https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-3387/vitamins-b-complex-oral/details
http://www.vitaminbcomplex.org/
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-b-complex