That Brilliant Vitamin: Vitamin B

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Article Title: That Brilliant Vitamin: Vitamin B

Author: Charlene J. Nuble

Word Count: 975

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Perhaps you first read riboflavin at the back of a cereal box.

Perhaps you first encountered folic acid from your first grade

science teacher. Perhaps you first heard balanced diet from

your mom. All that and more compose Vitamin B which is a group

of eight individual vitamins, often referred to as B vitamins

or B-complex vitamins. Vitamin B promotes normal growth and

development, treats anemia and some types of nerve damage,

helps mental and nervous conditions, improves resistance to

infection and disease, increases appetite and energy, and

improves memory. Vitamin B is also essential for the breakdown

of carbohydrates into glucose, breakdown of fats and proteins,

muscles in the stomach and intestinal tract, skin, hair, eyes,

mouth, and liver.

As mentioned earlier, Vitamin B is a group of eight individual

vitamins. These vitamins are thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2),

niacin, pyrodixine (B-6), folic acid (B-9), cyanocobalamin

(B-12), panthotenic acid, and biotin.

Vitamin B1 or Thiamine is essential for the conversion of

carbohydrates into simple sugars called glucose which produces

energy. This Vitamin B is also essential for the proper

functioning of the heart, muscles, and nervous system. Thiamine

deficiency is rare but often occurs to alcoholics because

alcohol oftentimes interferes with the absorption of Vitamin B

thiamine through the intestines. There are also several health

implications associated with being thiamine deficient. One is

beriberi, a disease characterized by anemia, paralysis,

muscular atrophy, and spasms in the leg muscles. Other

disorders associated with being thiamine deficient is

Wernicke's encephelopathy which causes lack of coordination,

Korsakoff's psychosis which affects short-term memory. Being

thiamine deficient can also affect the mouth resulting to

increased sensitivity of the teeth, cheeks, and gums as well as

cracks in the lips. Vitamin B thiamine can be found in

whole-grain cereals, bread, red meat, egg yolks, and green

leafy vegetables. High doses of thiamine has been found not to

cause adverse health effects and excess of this water-soluble

vitamin b can be excreted.

Vitamin B2 Riboflavin is important in the breakdown of

carbohydrates, and fats and proteins. It is also significant in

the maintenance of the skin and mucuous membrane, the cornea of

the eye, and nerve sheaths. Riboflavin deficiency can cause

skin disorders and inflammation of the soft tissue lining

around the mouth and nose. It can also cause the eye to be

hypersensitive to light. Like Thiamine, Riboflavin is found in

whole grain products, milk, meat, and eggs. This is also

excreted because it is a water-soluble vitamin although a

little is stored in the kidney and liver.

Vitamin B3 Niacin, also known as nicotinamide, is important in

metabolism as well as in the maintenance of healthy skin,

nerves, and gastrointestinal tract. Niacin deficiency can

result to a disease called pellegra. The symptoms of pellegra

are sometimes called " Three Ds " - diarrhea, dermatitis, and

dementia. The mouth is also affected by pellegra which causes

the inside of the cheeks and tongue to become red and painful.

Vitamin B3 can be found in dairy products, poultry, fish, lean

meat, nuts, and eggs. Niacin can also be prescribed in higher

doses as drugs to help lower cholesterol but this can cause

side effects such as flushing of the skin , itching, headaches,

cramps, nausea, and skin eruptions.

Vitamin B6 Pyridoxine which is also known as pyridoxal

phosphate is used in the production of red blood cells and in

the biochemical reactions involved in the metabolism of amino

acids. It is also responsible in the synthesis of of antibodies

in the immune system and helps maintain normal brain function.

Vitamin B6 deficiency is rare except for alcoholics. It causes

skin disorders, abnormal nervous system known as neuropathy,

confusion, poor coordination, and insomnia. Inflammation of the

lips, tongue and the rest of the mouth are oral symptoms of

Vitamin B6 deficiency. Vitamin B6 can be found in organ meats,

brown rice, fish, whole grains, fortified breads and cereals,

and legumes.

Vitamin B9 Folacin is a Vitamin B-complex which interacts with

Vitamin B12 for the synthesis of DNA which is important for all

cells in the body. Folacin, a combination of Vitamin B12 and

Vitamin C, is essential in the breakdown of proteins and

production of red blood cells, tissue growth, and cell

function. It also stimulates appetite and formation of

digestive acids. Folacin deficiency causes anemia, stunted

growth, and irritation of the mouth. Alcoholics, the

malnourished, the poor, the elderly, and those who have certain

illnesses are usually the ones found to be Vitamin B9

deficients.Vitamin B9 is found in legumes, citrus fruits, whole

grain cereals, and green vegetables.

Vitamin B12 Cyanocobalamin like all other Vitamin B-complex is

essential in the processing of carbohydrates, proteins, and

fats. Vitamin B12 is also needed for maintenance of our nerve

sheaths, activates amino acids during protein formation, and

helps in the perpetuation of cells and fomation of new ones.

One interesting thing about Vitamin B12 is that it cannot be

absorbed by the body unless combined with mucoprotein made in

the stomach. Once Vitamin B12 attaches to the mucoprotein, it

travels in the small intestine to be absorbed by the body.

Vitamin B12 deficiency is recurrently seen in strict

vegetarians who do not take vitamin supplements. A deficiency

can also cause pernicious anemia which in turn causes weakness,

numbness of the extremities, and fever.

Pantothenic acid and biotin are the last two Vitamin

B-complexes. Pantothenic acid is used in the breakdown of

carbohydrates, lipids, and amino acids while biotin functions

as a coenzyme in carboxylation reactions. There is no known

disorder associated with pantothenic acid deficiency while

deficiency in biotin can cause scaly dermatitis which is a skin

disorder. Pantothenic acid is mainly found in meat, legumes, and

whole-grain cereals while abundance of biotin is found in beef

liver, mushrooms, and egg yolk.

About The Author: Charlene J. Nuble 2005. For up to date links

and information about vitamins, please go to:

http://vitamins.besthealthlink.net/ or for updated links and

information on all health related topics, go to:

http://www.besthealthlink.net/

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