Vitamin B Complex

Whereas these vitamins can and do coexist in many of the same foods, they are chemically different vitamins that can be found separately in many whole sources of food also. Because these vitamins are soluble in water, it means that they must be replenished regularly, as they rinse out of the body via urination.

The eight different vitamins that form the B-Complex vitamin are:

• Vitamin B₁ (thiamine)
• Vitamin B₂ (riboflavin)
• Vitamin B₃ (niacin and nicotinamide)
• Vitamin B₅ (pantothenic acid)
• Vitamin B₆ (pyridoxine, pyridoxal, and pyridoxamine)
• Vitamin B₇ (biotin), also known as vitamin H
• Vitamin B₉ (folic acid), also, vitamin M
• Vitamin B₁₂ (various cobalamins; commonly cyanocobalamin in vitamin supplements)

Shortage of any of these b vitamins in the diet can give rise to a number of deficiencies:

The deficiency of thiamin, for instance, can cause emotional disturbances, weight loss, encephalopathy, irregular heart beat and even cardiac arrest.

A deficiency of riboflavin causes ariboflavinosis, which has a number of symptoms including high light sensitivity and dermatitis or pseudo-syphilis of the seborrhea.

The deficiency of the niacin can cause pellagra, with symptoms including dermatitis, insomnia and mental disorder. A deficiency of pantothenic acid can give rise to acne, and a rare condition called paresthesia.

Anemia, depression, high arterial tension and dermatitis can all be the result of a deficiency of vitamin B6.

Vitamin B9, or folic acid, is a very important vitamin, especially for pregnant women. The anemia of Macrocytic is the most common result of a deficiency of folic acid, and birth defects are possible in children of pregnant women who do not obtain enough of this vital vitamin.

Finally, a deficiency of cobalamin is also responsible for Macrocytic anemia, along with a number of other problems related to the brain, such as loss of memory, peripheral neuropathy and other cognitive deficits.

Because a deficiency in any of these vitamins can cause a myriad of diverse challenges to health, it is vital that our bodies receive enough of each of these vitamins. A supplement of B-Complex is recommended by many doctors and health professionals, as such supplements are designed to provide the correct percentages of b vitamins for optimum health.

The B-Complex vitamin simultaneously allows the supplementation of all eight vitamins, preventing multiple deficiencies which can overload the body with a number of diseases and ailments. The B-Complex vitamin is a powerplant of a combination, and they work together to prevent disease and create healthy functioning of our bodies. These functions include the metabolism, maintenance of healthy skin and muscle tone, and the function of the nervous system and the immune system. The B-Complex vitamin also promotes the healthy growth and division of cells, including the red blood cells that are responsible for preventing anemia.

B-Complex vitamins have also demonstrated the ability to reduce the risks associated with pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest forms of cancer. This effect seems to only apply to b-complex vitamins when consumed in whole food sources. Examples of whole food sources of vitamin b complex include: potatoes, lentils, bananas, chili peppers, tempeh, liver, cod liver oil, tuna, turkey, brewer’s yeasts, nutritional leavening and molasses. Vegemite is a popular sources for all the B-complex vitamins, and beer is also a moderate source due to the high content of brewer’s yeast found in the majority of the beers.

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