Undoubtedly, it's important to start with a healthy diet. A profusion
of in-depth studies have consistently shown that whole grains, legumes, fish,
fruits, vegetables, and vegetable oils have the potential to protect your body
against cancer and heart disease. Some essential nutrients are packed into
every food group, and certain foods such as flour, and cereal, are fortified
with specific nutrients. It is also true that even the best supplements cannot
encompass all the biologically active compounds abundant in a well-stocked
pantry.
Another advantage of a healthy diet through natural foods is
that it's difficult to overdose on vitamins and minerals. When people take
several vitamin and mineral supplements, it's easier to ingest potentially harmful
amounts of some nutrients.
Still, diet can't provide everything, which is why a daily
multivitamin is important. It's difficult to get enough of certain nutrients
such as folic acid and B12 from food. And even when vitamins and minerals are
abundant in foods, your body can't always absorb and use them. The bio availability of particular
nutrients depends on how foods are handled and cooked, what else on the menu
might block or enhance their absorption, and how efficiently your body digests
foods. In fact, your body absorbs some synthetic vitamins and minerals more
readily than the same nutrients that appear naturally in food. All of these
variables make a healthy diet and
a daily multivitamin the right choice for nearly everyone. Healthy Lifestyle Choices
Vitamins naturally occur in food and are required in small
quantities for various bodily functions such as the formation of red blood
cells and energy production. There are 13 vitamins that the body requires,
eight of which make up the B-group (or B-complex) vitamins. These water-soluble
vitamins are easily destroyed when cooking or processing food.
The B-group vitamins do not provide the body with fuel for
energy, even though supplement advertisements often claim they do. It is true
though that without B-group vitamins the body lacks energy. The body uses
energy-yielding nutrients such as carbohydrates, fat and protein for fuel. The
B-group vitamins help the body to use that fuel. Other B-group vitamins play
necessary roles such as helping cells to multiply by making new DNA.
The body has a limited capacity to store most of the B-group
vitamins except B12 and Folic Acid (folate) which are stored in the liver. A
person who has a poor diet for a few months may end up with B-group vitamins
deficiency. For this reason it is important that adequate amounts of these
vitamins be eaten regularly as part of a well-balanced, nutritious diet. If
planning a pregnancy, women should consider taking Folate supplements to reduce
the risk of conditions such as Spina Bifida in the baby.
The Eight B-group
Vitamins:
Thiamine - Riboflavin - Niacin - Pantothenic Acid - Biotin -
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) - Folate (called folic acid in supplements) - Vitamin
B12 (cyanocobalamin)
Thiamine
Thiamin helps to convert glucose into energy and has a role in nerve function.
Thiamin helps to convert glucose into energy and has a role in nerve function.
Good sources of thiamine – include wholemeal cereal
grains, seeds (especially sesame seeds), legumes, wheat germ, nuts, yeast and
pork. In Australia, it is mandatory that white and wholemeal flour used for
bread is fortified with thiamine.
Thiamine deficiency – is generally found in countries
where the dietary staple is white rice. Deficiencies in the Western world are
generally caused by excessive alcohol intake and a very poor diet. Symptoms
include confusion and irritability, poor arm or leg (or both) coordination,
lethargy, fatigue and muscle weakness.
Riboflavin
Riboflavin is primarily involved in energy production and helps vision and skin health.
Riboflavin is primarily involved in energy production and helps vision and skin health.
Good sources of riboflavin – include milk, yoghurt,
cottage cheese, wholegrain breads and cereals, egg white, leafy green
vegetables, meat, yeast, liver and kidney.
Riboflavin deficiency – is rare and is usually seen
along with other B-group vitamin deficiencies. People at risk include those who
consume excessive amounts of alcohol and those who do not consume milk or milk
products. Symptoms include an inflamed tongue (painful, smooth, purple-red
tongue), cracks and redness in the tongue and corners of the mouth, anxiety,
inflamed eyelids and sensitivity to light, hair loss, reddening of the cornea
and skin rash.
Niacin
Niacin is essential for the body to convert carbohydrates, fat and alcohol into energy. It helps maintain skin health and supports the nervous and digestive systems. Unlike other B-group vitamins, niacin is very heat stable and little is lost in cooking.
Niacin is essential for the body to convert carbohydrates, fat and alcohol into energy. It helps maintain skin health and supports the nervous and digestive systems. Unlike other B-group vitamins, niacin is very heat stable and little is lost in cooking.
Good sources of niacin – include meats, fish,
poultry, milk, eggs, wholegrain breads and cereals, nuts, mushrooms and all
protein-containing foods.
Excessive intake – large doses of niacin produce a
drug-like effect on the nervous system and on blood fats. While favourable
changes in blood fats are seen, side effects include flushing, itching, nausea
and potential liver damage.
Niacin deficiency – people who drink excessive amounts of
alcohol or live on a diet almost exclusively based on corn are at risk of
pellagra. The main symptoms of pellagra are commonly referred to as the three
Ds – dementia, diarrhoea and dermatitis. Other symptoms include an inflamed and
swollen tongue, irritability, loss of appetite, mental confusion, weakness and
dizziness. This disease can lead to death if not treated.
Pantothenic Acid
Pantothenic acid is required to metabolise carbohydrates, proteins, fats and alcohol as well as produce red blood cells and steroid hormones.
Pantothenic acid is required to metabolise carbohydrates, proteins, fats and alcohol as well as produce red blood cells and steroid hormones.
Good sources of pantothenic acid – are widespread and
found in a range of foods, but some good sources include liver, milk, kidneys,
eggs, meats, yeast, peanuts and legumes.
Pantothenic Acid deficiency – is extremely rare.
Symptoms include loss of appetite, tiredness, fatigue and insomnia,
constipation, vomiting and intestinal distress.
Biotin
Biotin is required for energy metabolism, fat synthesis, amino acid metabolism and glycogen synthesis. High biotin intake can contribute to elevated blood cholesterol levels.
Biotin is required for energy metabolism, fat synthesis, amino acid metabolism and glycogen synthesis. High biotin intake can contribute to elevated blood cholesterol levels.
Good sources of biotin – include cauliflower, egg
yolks, peanuts, liver, chicken, yeast and mushrooms.
Biotin deficiency – biotin is widely distributed in
foods and is only required in small quantities, so deficiency is very rare.
Overconsumption of raw egg whites over periods of several months by
bodybuilders for example can induce deficiency because a protein in the egg white
inhibits biotin absorption. Symptoms include pale or grey skin, cracked sore
tongue, depression, hallucination, abnormal heart actions, loss of appetite,
nausea, dry skin and scaly dermatitis, hair loss, muscle pain, and weakness and
fatigue.
Vitamin B6
(pyridoxine)
Pyridoxine is required for protein and carbohydrate metabolism, the formation of red blood cells and certain brain chemicals. It influences brain processes and development, immune function and steroid hormone activity.
Pyridoxine is required for protein and carbohydrate metabolism, the formation of red blood cells and certain brain chemicals. It influences brain processes and development, immune function and steroid hormone activity.
Good sources of pyridoxine – include cereal grains
and legumes, green and leafy vegetables, fish and shellfish, meat and poultry,
nuts, liver and fruit.
Excessive intake – can lead to harmful levels in the
body that can damage nerves. Symptoms include walking difficulties and numbness
in the hands and feet. Large doses of B6 taken over a long period can lead to
irreversible nerve damage.
Pyridoxine deficiency – people who drink excessive
alcohol, women (especially those on the contraceptive pill), the elderly and
people with thyroid disease are at particular risk of deficiency. Symptoms
include insomnia, depression, anaemia, smooth tongue and cracked corners of the
mouth, irritability, muscle twitching, convulsions, confusion and dermatitis.
Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
– there is some evidence that vitamin B6 may be useful in the treatment of
carpal tunnel syndrome and PMS. Seek advice from a doctor before using large
doses of this supplement (above 100 mg per day) because of the danger of
overdose and nerve damage.
Folate
Folate is required to form red blood cells, which carry oxygen around the body. It helps the development of the foetal nervous system, as well as DNA synthesis and cell growth. Women of child-bearing age need a diet rich in folate.
Folate is required to form red blood cells, which carry oxygen around the body. It helps the development of the foetal nervous system, as well as DNA synthesis and cell growth. Women of child-bearing age need a diet rich in folate.
Good sources of folate – these include green leafy
vegetables, legumes, seeds, liver, poultry, eggs, cereals and citrus fruits.
From 2009, all flour used in bread making (except for flour to be used in
breads listed as ‘organic’) has been fortified with folic acid.
Excessive intake – folate is generally considered
non-toxic, although excessive intakes above 1,000 mg per day over a period of
time can lead to malaise, irritability and intestinal dysfunction. The main
risk with excessive folate intake is that it can mask a vitamin B12 deficiency,
so it is best to consume these two vitamins within the recommended amounts.
Folate deficiency – the symptoms include weight loss,
tiredness, fatigue and weakness, folate-deficiency anaemia (megaloblastic
anaemia) and (during pregnancy) an increased risk of a neural tube defects such
as Spina Bifida for the baby.
If planning a pregnancy, you should consider taking supplements or eating fortified foods (vitamins added to processed food). Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate and is used extensively in dietary supplements and food fortification.
If planning a pregnancy, you should consider taking supplements or eating fortified foods (vitamins added to processed food). Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate and is used extensively in dietary supplements and food fortification.
Vitamin B12
(cyanocobalamin)
Vitamin B12 helps to produce and maintain the myelin surrounding nerve cells, mental ability, red blood cell formation and the breaking down of some fatty acids and amino acids to produce energy. Vitamin B12 has a close relationship with folate, as both depend on the other to work efficiently.
Vitamin B12 helps to produce and maintain the myelin surrounding nerve cells, mental ability, red blood cell formation and the breaking down of some fatty acids and amino acids to produce energy. Vitamin B12 has a close relationship with folate, as both depend on the other to work efficiently.
Good sources of B12 – include liver, meat, milk,
cheese and eggs, almost anything of animal origin.
Vitamin B12 deficiency – this is most commonly found
in the elderly, vegans (vitamin B12 is only found in foods of animal origin)
and breastfed babies of vegan mothers and is called pernicious anaemia.
Symptoms include tiredness and fatigue, lack of appetite and weight loss,
apathy and depression, anaemia, smooth tongue and degeneration of peripheral
nerves progressing to paralysis.
There are many causes for vitamin B12 deficiency. Surprisingly, two of them are practices often undertaken to improve health: A vegetarian diet and weight-loss Surgery. Healthy Lifestyle Habits
The only foods types that deliver B12 are from animal products. An animal product is any material derived from the body of an animal, for example: meat, eggs, poultry, dairy products, etc. Strict vegetarians and vegans are at high risk from developing a B12 deficiency if they neglect to eat grains that have been fortified with the vitamin, or take a vitamin supplement. People who have stomach stapling or other forms of weight-loss surgery are also more likely to be low in vitamin B12 because certain weight-loss processes interfere with the body’s ability to extract or absorb vitamin B12 from the consumed food.
Conditions
that interfere with food absorption, such celiac or Crohn’s disease, can cause B12
deficiency. So can the use of commonly prescribed heartburn drugs, that reduce
acid production in the stomach (acid is required to absorb vitamin B12). The
condition is more likely to occur in older people due to the cutback in stomach
acid production that often occurs with aging. Poor diet is the concern with
young to middle aged people leading to digestive disorders.
Recognizing
a B12 Deficiency
Vitamin B12
deficiency can be slow to develop, causing symptoms to appear gradually and
intensify over time. It can also come on relatively quick. Given the array of
symptoms it can cause, the condition is often overlooked or confused with something
else.
While an
experienced physician may be able to detect a vitamin B12 deficiency with a
good interview and physical examination, a blood test is required to confirm
the condition. Early detection and treatment is important. If left untreated,
the deficiency can cause severe neurologic problems and blood diseases. Vitamin
B12 deficiency is so easily overlooked that the Centre for Disease Control
(CDC) has a course for physicians called “Why Vitamin B12 Deficiency Should Be
on Your Radar Screen.”
A serious
vitamin B12 deficiency can be corrected two ways: weekly shots of vitamin B12
or daily high-dose B12 capsules. A mild B12 deficiency can be corrected with a
standard multivitamin. Usually a vitamin B12 deficiency can be prevented. If
you are a strict vegetarian or vegan, it’s important to eat breads, cereals, or
other grains that have been fortified with vitamin B12, or take a daily
supplement.
A standard
multivitamin delivers 6 micrograms, more than enough to cover the average
body’s daily need. If you are over age 45, the Institute of Medicine recommends
that you get extra B12 from a supplement, since you may not be able to absorb
enough of the vitamin through foods. A standard multivitamin should do the
trick. It’s best to get enough vitamin B12 to prevent a deficiency, and not
look to it as a remedy for what ails you.
Even if you take supplements, be sure to eat well, exercise
regularly, and work at keeping your cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood
sugar in good control. The purpose of this article is to highlight the
importance of B group vitamins in regards to your health. All users are urged to always seek advice from a registered
health care professional for diagnosis and answers to their medical questions.
