B Vitamins - Energy
The Benefits of B Vitamins
By: Dr. George Obikoya
There are nearly 40 vitamins, minerals, and dietary
components that your body needs but cannot manufacture in sufficient
amounts. That is why these are called essential vitamins and minerals.
Acting in concert, these essential vitamins and minerals help keep
billions of cells healthy and encourage them to grow and reproduce.
A lack of vitamins or a diet that has inadequate amounts of certain
vitamins can upset the body's internal balance or block one or more
metabolic reactions. This can lead to a cascading reaction in the
body, as it struggles to compensate with what is essentially an
acute starvation.
The B vitamins are water-soluble vitamins. This means that they
are excreted in the urine and can be quickly depleted from the body.
When we take more water-soluble vitamins than we need, small amounts
are stored in body tissue, particularly the liver, but most of the
excess is excreted in urine. Because water-soluble vitamins are
not stored in the body in appreciable amounts and are depleted from
the body so quickly, it is important that we take supplements of
the B vitamins in large daily amounts to replenish these important
vitamins in our body.
The B vitamins act as coenzymes, compounds that unite with a protein
component called an apoenzyme to form an active enzyme. The enzyme
then acts as a catalyst in the chemical reactions that transfer
energy from the basic food elements to the body. The B vitamins
are a group of eight vitamins, which include thiamine (B1), riboflavin
(B2), niacin (B3), pyridoxine (B6), folic acid (B9), cyanocobalamin
(B12), pantothenic acid and biotin. Most of the B vitamins have
been recognized as coenzymes, and they all appear to be essential
in facilitating the metabolic processes that are essential for life.
These vitamins are essential for the breakdown of carbohydrates
into glucose, which provides us energy, the breakdown of fats and
proteins, which aids the normal functioning of the nervous system,
muscle tone in the stomach and intestinal tract, and healthy skin,
hair, and eyes. Since these vitamins affect such important elements
of your body, a source that provides them all in a single daily
supplement is recommended.
The B vitamins are important for the proper formation of every cell
in your body, particularly nerve cells. This is why it is so important
for pregnant women to take supplements that contain the B vitamins,
particularly folic acid, and why a deficiency of certain B vitamins
manifests itself first as a depressed mood or being moody. Vitamin
B1, or thiamine, helps the body turn carbohydrates into energy.
It also helps your body metabolize proteins and fats. Vitamin B1
deficiency affects the functioning of gastrointestinal, cardiovascular,
and peripheral nervous systems. Thiamine deficiency can cause Beriberi
and Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, sometimes seen in alcoholics. Symptoms
of beriberi include loss of appetite and overall lassitude, digestive
irregularities, and a feeling of numbness and weakness in the limbs
and extremities. We need vitamin B2, or riboflavin to complete several
reactions in the energy cycle. Common symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency
are reddening of the lips with cracks at the corners of the mouth,
inflammation of the tongue, and a greasy, scaly inflammation of
the skin.
Niacin, or nicotinic acid, helps us metabolize carbohydrates. Chronic
Niacin deprivation leads to pellagra, a disease characterized by
skin lesions, gastrointestinal disturbance, and nervous symptoms.
Niacin, (Vitamin B6) is a coenzyme for several enzyme systems involved
in the metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Long-term
use of large doses of vitamin B6 can, however, cause complications
in the peripheral nervous system. Vitamin B12, or cyanocobalamin,
is a complex crystalline compound that functions in all cells, but
especially in those of the gastrointestinal tract, the nervous system,
and the bone marrow. Vitamin B12 helps the development of our red
blood cells and if lacking in B12, a person will commonly suffer
from pernicious anemia
We need at least 400 mcgs of folic acid for the synthesizing nucleic
acids and the forming red blood cells. Its deficiency most commonly
causes folic-acid-deficiency anemia. Symptoms include gastrointestinal
problems, such as sore tongue, cracks at the corners of the mouth,
diarrhea, and ulceration of the stomach and intestines. Pantothenic
acid promotes a large number of metabolic reactions essential for
our growth and well-being. Its deficiency can result in growth failure,
skin lesions, and even graying of the hair. Biotin is important
in metabolic processes that result in the formation of fats and
the utilization of carbon dioxide. Biotin deficiency results in
anorexia, nausea, vomiting, tongue inflammation, paleness, depression,
and dermatitis.
Research studies have shown that the B vitamins, particularly folate,
B12, and B6 help lower homocystein levels, hence the risk of heart
attacks. The levels of folic acid and vitamins B6 and B12 needed
to achieve this effect, however, are higher than one would get from
a typical multivitamin/mineral supplement.1 The standard US RDA
just doesnt cut it when it comes to these vitamins; as much as five
times the amount of daily recommended B6 is required, whereas as
much as thirty to forty times the amount of estimated daily B12
is ideal. Finding a multivitamin that contains the correct dosages
is important.
In a nutshell, Vitamins B6 and B12 are extremely
helpful at protecting the heart and nerves and lowering levels of
the damaging homocysteine. For further information on why this works,
and a comparison of the products available as supplements, take
a look below.
A good multivitamin is the foundation of health
and nutrition. Take a look at our scientific reviews of many of
the popular brands for factors such as ingredients, areas of improvement,
quality level, and overall value. If you are looking for a high
quality liquid multivitamin, we suggest that you take a look at
the Multivitamin
Product Comparisons
Scientific Explanation:
When it comes to heart disease, several mechanisms are
likely to be involved in the induction of vascular damage by homocysteine.
These include endothelial cell desquamation, oxidation of low-density
lipoprotein, increased monocyte adhesion to the vessel wall, and
impaired vascular response to the endothelium-dependent relaxing
factor nitric oxide. An acute increase in plasma homocysteine level
has been linked to activation of coagulation. It also impairs hemodynamic
and rheologic responses to L-arginine, the natural precursor of
nitric oxide, a compound that is responsible for keeping blood vessels
open, and whose function homocysteine seems to interfere with.
Reference:
1.Effect of homocysteine-lowering therapy with folic acid, vitamin
B12, and vitamin B6 on clinical outcome after percutaneous coronary
intervention. G. Schnyder, M. Roffi, Y. Flammer, et al., The Swiss
Heart Study: A randomized controlled trial. JAMA., 2002, vol. 288,
pp. 973--979
VITAPLEN COMPLETE™ contains the following B vitamins in Recommended Daily Value (RDV):
Thiamine (B1): 200% RDV
Riboflavin
(B2): 125% RDV
Niacin (B3): 100% RDV
Pyridoxine (B6): 250% RDV
Folic acid (B9): 100% RDV
Cyanocobalamin
(B12): 833% RDV
Pantothenic acid (D-Calcium): 100% RDV
Plus, 158 other scientifically formulated nutrients--all in a highly absorbable liquid formula.
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