| The B vitamins are a group of eight individual vitamins, often referred to as the B-complex vitamins. Let's take a look at how the B vitamins work so you can begin to understand how essential these vitamins are for you.
Vitamin B1, or thiamin, is an important coenzyme that helps the body convert food into energy. Thiamin is necessary to maintain normal function in the nervous system.
Vitamin B2, or riboflavin, works together with the family of B-complex vitamins to provide the body with energy by metabolizing carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. It also helps in the regeneration of glutathione, an enzyme that rids the body of free radicals.
Vitamin B3, or niacin, works with other B-complex vitamins to metabolize food and provide energy for the body. Niacin was first discovered by researchers looking for a link between diet and the disease pellagra. They determined that pellagra was common among people with a corn-based diet and they were able to treat the disease with nicotinic acid, a form of niacin.
Vitamin B5, pantothenic acid helps the body extract energy from carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. It also helps to metabolize fats and produce red blood cells and hormones from the adrenal gland. Pantothenic acid is necessary to maintain good health.
Vitamin B6, or pyridoxine is naturally present in many foods. The body needs vitamin B6 for more than 100 enzyme reactions involved in metabolism. Vitamin B6 is also involved in brain development during pregnancy and infancy as well as immune function.
Vitamin B9, or folic acid is crucial for proper brain function and plays an important role in mental and emotional health. It aids in the production of DNA and RNA, the body's genetic materials, and is especially important when cells and tissues are growing rapidly, such as in infancy, adolescence, and pregnancy. Folic acid also works closely with vitamin B12 to help make red blood cells and help iron work properly in the body.
Vitamin B12, or cyanocobalamin. The body needs this B vitamin to make blood cells and to maintain a healthy nervous system. Strict vegetarians (vegans) who do not eat animal products and babies of mothers who are strict vegetarians are at increased risk for developing anemia and should take a supplement containing vitamin B12.
Biotin is used for preventing and treating biotin deficiency associated with pregnancy, long-term tube feeding, malnutrition, and rapid weight loss. It is also used orally for hair loss, brittle nails, skin rash in infants (seborrheic dermatitis), diabetes, and mild depression. |
