The vitamin B complex contains what?
Vitamin B-complex supplements include all of the following essential B vitamins. All B vitamins play a role in converting food into energy in the body. Each vitamin also has a unique role in a person’s health:
Vitamin B1 – thiamin - Vitamin B-1 is vital to the healthy growth and function of organs, including the brain and heart.
Vitamin B2 – riboflavin - The body needs vitamin B-2 to break down fats and drugs.
Vitamin B3 – niacin - The body needs niacin to maintain healthy skin, nerves, and digestion. Doctors sometimes prescribe high doses of niacin to help improve cholesterol levels.
Vitamin B5 – pantothenic acid - Vitamin B-5 is essential for the health of the brain and nervous system.
Vitamin B6 – pyridoxine - Vitamin B-6 helps the body make new red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout the body. It also helps keep the immune system strong.
Vitamin B7 – biotin - Biotin is essential for healthy hair, nails, and nerve function.
Vitamin B9 – folic acid - The body uses folic acid — or folate, its natural form — to make DNA and genetic material. During pregnancy, folic acid may reduce the risk of certain birth defects.
Vitamin B12 – cobalamin - The body’s nerve and blood cells require vitamin B-12. Adequate levels of B-12 also prevent pernicious anemia, which is a deficiency of this nutrient.
Side effects of B complex Vitamins
Despite being water- soluble vitamin B complex can have some side effects especially when someone consumes B complex supplements that have a higher amount of vitamin B.
High level of niacin can cause vomiting, high blood sugar levels, skin problem and liver damage.
High dosage of B- complex can turn urine bright yellow.
Some studies also show an excess level of vitamin B-complex may cause nerve damage and skin lesions.
Helps the body build neurotransmitters, which are special chemicals your brain needs to function
Helps your body make red blood cells
Helps immune system antibodies work correctly
May help lower the risk of lung cancer.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF VITAMIN B DEFICIENCY
Signs of B6 deficiency include:
Getting sick from infections more often.
Getting cracks or sores in the skin around the corners of your mouth – or a swollen and sensitive tongue
A feeling of numbness or tingling in your hands and feet.
Depression, anxiety, and/or irritability
A red, itchy rash – often oily or flaky – that usually appears on the upper body or face. Small areas of your skin might also swell, resulting in white patches
Signs of B9 deficiency include:
What Causes Vitamin B Deficiency?
Here’s a roundup of 4 of the top causes of vitamin B deficiency: a non-balanced diet, excessive alcohol consumption, various medications, and gut malabsorption conditions.
Your body can’t directly make B vitamins.
But that’s usually not a problem because your body gets B vitamins from the food you eat. If you follow a well-balanced diet that provides your body with the right level of nutrients, you can help avoid symptoms of vitamin B deficiencies.
However, for a variety of reasons, sometimes we don’t eat the right balance of food necessary to get enough of the vitamins we need.
That’s when vitamin deficiencies – like vitamin B deficiency – can crop up. As such, dietary inadequacies are one of the key causes of vitamin B deficiency.
So, obvious follow-up question here: what foods contain a lot of B vitamins? Well, that depends on which B vitamin is under consideration – vitamin B6, B9, or B12. Here’s a quick rundown of foods you can eat to boost your levels of each of these B vitamin:
Vitamin B6 – Meat, fish, legumes, nuts, bananas, potatoes
Vitamin B9 – Leafy vegetables, legumes, citrus fruits
Vitamin B12 – Meat, fish, and other animal and dairy products
(2) EXCESSIVE ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION
Whether your drink of choice is shaken and not stirred, includes a barrel-aged spirit, or is a humble mug of beer, there’s nothing especially harmful about having a drink every now and then.
Needless to say, though, excessive alcohol consumption can have its downsides – one of which is vitamin B deficiency. Alcohol, in short, makes your kidneys flush B vitamins out of your system much more quickly than usual. That means your body doesn’t have all the time it needs to make use of these B vitamins – so they, quite literally, go to waste.
Several types of prescription medicines can bump up the likelihood of a vitamin B deficiency:
Increased likelihood of vitamin B6 deficiency – anticonvulsants, isoniazid, hydralazine, corticosteroids, and penicillamine
Increased likelihood of vitamin B9 deficiency – phenytoin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, methotrexate, and sulfasalazine.
Increased likelihood of vitamin B12 deficiency – metformin, proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), antacids, long-term antibiotics, and antidepressants.
(4) GUT MALABSORPTION CONDITIONS
Under healthy conditions, B vitamins are absorbed by the gut and into your bloodstream. The bloodstream then transports these much-needed vitamins throughout your body. So what happens if B vitamins don’t make it into the bloodstream? It’s simple: they can’t be put to good use by the body!
And that’s exactly what can go wrong if you have a gut malabsorption condition – like Crohn’s, for example, or ulcerative colitis or Celiac disease. These conditions prevent B vitamins from entering the bloodstream, significantly dropping your blood’s vitamin B levels – and potentially harming your well-being.
