Other common name(s): B vitamins; vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, and B12
Scientists know that B vitamins are part of many important bodily functions:
- Vitamin B1 (thiamin) and vitamin B2 (riboflavin) help the body produce energy and affect enzymes that influence the muscles, nerves, and heart.
- Vitamin B3 (niacin) has a role in energy production in cells and helps keep the skin, nervous system, and digestive system healthy.
- Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) influences normal growth and development.
- Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) helps the body break down protein and helps maintain the health of red blood cells, the nervous system, and parts of the immune system.
- Vitamin B7 (biotin) helps break down protein and carbohydrates and helps the body make hormones.
- Vitamin B9 (folic acid or folate) helps the cells in the body make and maintain DNA and is important in producing red blood cells.
- Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) plays a role in the body's growth and development. It also has a part in producing blood cells, nervous system function, and how the body uses folic acid and carbohydrates.
Deficiency of certain B vitamins can cause anemia, tiredness, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, depression, numbness and tingling in the arms and legs, muscle cramps, respiratory infections, hair loss, eczema, poor growth in children, and birth defects.
Some alternative medical practitioners claim that deficiencies in B vitamins weaken the immune system and make the body vulnerable to cancer. They recommend high doses of B vitamins as treatments for people with cancer. Many researchers are studying the relationships between vitamin intake and risk of developing certain cancers.
What does it involve?
Nutritionists maintain that a balanced diet that includes 5 daily servings of fruits and vegetables, as well as grains, gives most people with all the B vitamins they need. Only small amounts of these vitamins are needed to reach the recommended dietary intakes. But many people do not eat enough fruits, vegetables, or other healthy foods to get the recommended amounts. And people don’t absorb vitamin B12 as well when they get older. That is why the US Dietary Guidelines recommend that adults over the age of 50 take B12 vitamin supplements, or eat foods enriched with these vitamins, in order to prevent deficiency.
Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding need more folic acid than others. The US Dietary Guidelines recommend that women who can become pregnant should consume at least 400 micrograms of folic acid daily through dietary supplements and fortified foods, in addition to a diet containing folate-rich foods, to help prevent certain birth defects in their children.
Food sources of B vitamins:
- B1 and B2 are found in cereals, whole grains, and enriched refined grains. B1 is also found in potatoes, pork, seafood, liver, and kidney beans. B2 is found in enriched bread, dairy products, liver, and green leafy vegetables.
- B3 is found in liver, fish, chicken, lean red meat, nuts, whole grains, dried beans, and enriched refined grains.
- B5 is found in almost all foods.
- B6 is found in fish, liver, pork, chicken, potatoes, wheat germ, bananas, and dried beans.
- B7 is made by intestinal bacteria and is also in peanuts, liver, egg yolks, bananas, mushrooms, watermelon, and grapefruit.
- B9 is in green leafy vegetables, liver, citrus fruits, mushrooms, nuts, peas, dried beans, and wheat bread.
- B12 is found in eggs, meat, poultry, shellfish, milk, and milk products.
Thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin (B1, B2, and B3) have been added to white flour and other refined grains since the 1940s to replace some of the nutrients that are removed with refining. Grain products have had folate added since 1998.
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