VitaminB

Summary
TheB-groupvitaminsareacollectionofeightwater-solublevitaminsessentialforvariousmetabolic
processes.
Mostofthesevitaminscantbestoredbythebodyandhavetobeconsumedregularlyinthediet.
Extendedcooking,foodprocessingandalcoholcandestroyorreducetheavailabilityofmanyofthese
vitamins.
Itisimportantnottoself-diagnoseavitamindeficiency,becausesomevitaminscanbetoxiciftaken
incorrectly.Seeyourdoctorordietitianforadvice.

Vitaminsnaturallyoccurinfoodandareneededinverysmallamountsforvariousbodilyfunctionssuchasenergy
productionandmakingredbloodcells.Thereare13vitaminsthatourbodyneeds,eightofwhichmakeuptheBgroup(orB-complex)vitamins.
TheB-groupvitaminsdonotprovidethebodywithfuelforenergy,eventhoughsupplementadvertisementsoften
claimtheydo.ItistruethoughthatwithoutB-groupvitaminsthebodylacksenergy.Thebodyusesenergy-yielding
nutrientssuchascarbohydrates,fatandproteinforfuel.TheB-groupvitaminshelpthebodytousethatfuel.Other
B-groupvitaminsplaynecessaryrolessuchashelpingcellstomultiplybymakingnewDNA.

VitaminBinfood
EventhoughtheB-groupvitaminsarefoundinmanyfoods,theyarewatersolubleanddelicate.Theyareeasily
destroyed,particularlybyalcoholandcooking.FoodprocessingcanalsoreducetheamountofB-groupvitaminsin
foods,makingwhiteflours,breadsandricelessnutritiousthantheirwholegraincounterparts.
ThebodyhasalimitedcapacitytostoremostoftheB-groupvitamins(exceptB12andfolate,whicharestoredin
theliver).ApersonwhohasapoordietforafewmonthsmayendupwithB-groupvitaminsdeficiency.Forthis
reason,itisimportantthatadequateamountsofthesevitaminsbeeatenregularlyaspartofawell-balanced,
nutritiousdiet.

VitaminBsupplements
TakingB-groupvitaminsupplementscansometimesmaskdeficienciesofothervitamins.Itisalsoimportantnotto
self-diagnoseavitamindeficiencybecausesomevitaminscanbetoxiciftakenincorrectly.Seeyourdoctoror
dietitianforadvice.

TypesofvitaminB
ThereareeighttypesofvitaminB:
thiamin(B1)
riboflavin
niacin
pantothenicacid
biotin
vitaminB6(pyridoxine)

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folate(calledfolicacidwhenincludedinsupplements)
vitaminB12(cyanocobalamin).

Thiamin(B1)
ThiaminisalsoknownasvitaminB1andhelpstoconvertglucoseintoenergyandhasaroleinnervefunction.
Moreinformationaboutthiaminincludes:
Goodsourcesofthiaminincludewholemealcerealgrains,seeds(especiallysesameseeds),legumes,
wheatgerm,nuts,yeastandpork.InAustralia,itismandatorythatwhiteandwholemealflourusedforbread
isfortifiedwiththiamin.
Thiamindeficiencyisgenerallyfoundincountrieswherethedietarystapleiswhiterice.Deficienciesinthe
Westernworldaregenerallycausedbyexcessivealcoholintakeand/oraverypoordiet.Symptomsinclude
confusion,irritability,poorarmorleg(orboth)coordination,lethargy,fatigueandmuscleweakness.
Wetanddryberiberithisiscausedbythiamindeficiencyandaffectsthecardiovascular,muscular,
gastrointestinalandnervoussystems.Aswellastheabovesymptoms,apersonwithdryberiberisuffers
fromadamagednervoussystemduetothethiamindeficiencyandmayhavenervedegeneration,nervous
tinglingthroughoutthebody,poorarmandlegcoordination,anddeeppaininthecalfmuscles.Symptomsof
wetberiberirelatetothecardiovascularsystemandincludeanenlargedheart,heartfailureandsevere
oedema(swelling).
Wernicke-Korsakoffsyndrome(alsocalledwetbrain)thisisathiamin-deficiencydiseaselinkedtoalcohol
excessandathiamin-deficientdiet.Alcoholreducesthiaminabsorptioninthegutandincreasesitsexcretion
fromthekidneys.Symptomsofthediseaseincludeinvoluntarymovementoftheeyeball,paralysisoftheeye
muscle,staggeringandmentalconfusion.

Riboflavin(B2)
Riboflavinisprimarilyinvolvedinenergyproductionandhelpsvisionandskinhealth.
Moreinformationaboutriboflavinincludes:
Goodsourcesofriboflavinincludemilk,yoghurt,cottagecheese,wholegrainbreadsandcereals,egg
white,leafygreenvegetables,meat,yeast,liverandkidney.
Riboflavindeficiency(ariboflavinosis)israreandisusuallyseenalongwithotherB-groupvitamin
deficiencies.Peopleatriskincludethosewhoconsumeexcessiveamountsofalcoholandthosewhodonot
consumemilkormilkproducts.Symptomsincludeaninflamedtongue(painful,smooth,purple-redtongue),
cracksandrednessinthetongueandcornersofthemouth,anxiety,inflamedeyelidsandsensitivitytolight,
hairloss,reddeningofthecorneaandskinrash.

Niacin(B3)
Niacinisessentialforthebodytoconvertcarbohydrates,fatandalcoholintoenergy.Ithelpsmaintainskinhealth
andsupportsthenervousanddigestivesystems.UnlikeotherB-groupvitamins,niacinisveryheatstableandlittle
islostincooking.
Moreinformationaboutniacinincludes:
Goodsourcesofniacinincludemeats,fish,poultry,milk,eggs,wholegrainbreadsandcereals,nuts,
mushroomsandallprotein-containingfoods.
Excessiveintakelargedosesofniacinproduceadrug-likeeffectonthenervoussystemandonbloodfats.
Whilefavourablechangesinbloodfatsareseen,sideeffectsincludeflushing,itching,nauseaandpotential
liverdamage.
Niacindeficiency(pellagra)peoplewhodrinkexcessiveamountsofalcoholorliveonadietalmost
exclusivelybasedoncornareatriskofpellagra.Otherscausesareassociatedwithdigestiveproblems
wherethebodydoesnotabsorbniacinefficiently.Themainsymptomsofpellagraarecommonlyreferredto
asthethreeDsdementia,diarrhoeaanddermatitis.Othersymptomsincludeaninflamedandswollen
tongue,irritability,lossofappetite,mentalconfusion,weaknessanddizziness.Thisdiseasecanleadtodeath

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ifnottreated.

Pantothenicacid(B5)
Pantothenicacidisneededtometabolisecarbohydrates,proteins,fatsandalcoholaswellasproduceredblood
cellsandsteroidhormones.
Goodsourcesofpantothenicacidarewidespreadandfoundinarangeoffoods,butsomegoodsourcesinclude
liver,meats,milk,kidneys,eggs,yeast,peanutsandlegumes.
Pantothenicaciddeficiencyisextremelyrare.Symptomsincludelossofappetite,fatigueandinsomnia,
constipation,vomitingandintestinaldistress.

VitaminB6(pyridoxine)
Pyridoxineisneededforproteinandcarbohydratemetabolism,theformationofredbloodcellsandcertainbrain
chemicals.Itinfluencesbrainprocessesanddevelopment,immunefunctionandsteroidhormoneactivity.
SomefactsaboutvitaminB6include:
Goodsourcesofpyridoxineincludecerealgrainsandlegumes,greenandleafyvegetables,fishand
shellfish,meatandpoultry,nuts,liverandfruit.
Excessiveintakeofpyridoxinemostlyduetosupplementation,canleadtoharmfullevelsinthebodythat
candamagenerves.Symptomsincludewalkingdifficultiesandnumbnessinthehandsandfeet.Largedoses
ofB6takenoveralongperiodcanleadtoirreversiblenervedamage.
Premenstrualsyndrome(PMS)andcarpaltunnelsyndromethereissomeevidencethatvitaminB6maybe
usefulinthetreatmentofcarpaltunnelsyndromeandPMS.Seekadvicefromadoctorbeforeusinglarge
dosesofthissupplement(above100mgperday)becauseofthedangerofoverdoseandnervedamage.
Pyridoxinedeficiencypeoplewhodrinkexcessivealcohol,women(especiallythoseonthecontraceptive
pill),theelderlyandpeoplewiththyroiddiseaseareatparticularriskofdeficiency.Symptomsinclude
insomnia,depression,anaemia,smoothtongueandcrackedcornersofthemouth,irritability,muscle
twitching,convulsions,confusionanddermatitis.

Biotin(B7)
Biotin(B7)isneededforenergymetabolism,fatsynthesis,aminoacidmetabolismandglycogensynthesis.High
biotinintakecancontributetoraisedbloodcholesterollevels.
Goodsourcesofbiotinincludecauliflower,eggyolks,peanuts,liver,chicken,yeastandmushrooms.
Biotindeficiencyisveryrarebecausebiotiniswidelydistributedinfoodsandisonlyrequiredinsmallamounts.
Over-consumptionofraweggwhitesoverperiodsofseveralmonthsbybodybuilders,forexample,caninduce
deficiencybecauseaproteinintheeggwhiteinhibitsbiotinabsorption.Symptomsincludepaleorgreyskin,
crackedsoretongue,depression,hallucinations,abnormalheartactions,lossofappetite,nausea,dryskinand
scalydermatitis,hairloss,musclepain,andweaknessandfatigue.

Folicacid(folateorB9)
Folateisneededtoformredbloodcells,whichcarryoxygenaroundthebody.Ithelpsthedevelopmentofthe
foetalnervoussystem,aswellasDNAsynthesisandcellgrowth.Womenofchild-bearingageneedadietrichin
folate.
Ifplanningapregnancy,youshouldconsidertakingsupplementsoreatingfortifiedfoods(vitaminsaddedto
processedfood).Thisisimportanttoreduceriskssuchasspinabifidainthebaby.Folicacidisthesyntheticform
offolateandisusedextensivelyindietarysupplementsandfoodfortification.

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Somefactsaboutfolateinclude:
Goodsourcesoffolatetheseincludegreenleafyvegetables,legumes,seeds,liver,poultry,eggs,cereals
andcitrusfruits.FromSeptember2009,allflourusedinbreadmaking(exceptforflourtobeusedinbreads
listedasorganic)hasbeenfortifiedwithfolicacid.
Excessiveintakefolateisgenerallyconsiderednon-toxic,althoughexcessiveintakesabove1,000mgper
dayoveraperiodoftimecanleadtomalaise,irritabilityandintestinaldysfunction.Themainriskwith
excessivefolateintakeisthatitcanmaskavitaminB12deficiency,soitisbesttoconsumethesetwo
vitaminswithintherecommendedamounts.
Folatedeficiencythesymptomsincludeweightloss,tiredness,fatigueandweakness,folate-deficiency
anaemia(megaloblasticanaemia)and(duringpregnancy)anincreasedriskofaneuraltubedefectssuchas
spinabifidaforthebaby.

VitaminB12(cyanocobalamin)
VitaminB12helpstoproduceandmaintainthemyelinsurroundingnervecells,mentalability,redbloodcell
formationandthebreakingdownofsomefattyacidsandaminoacidstoproduceenergy.VitaminB12hasaclose
relationshipwithfolate,asbothdependontheothertoworkproperly.
GoodsourcesofB12includeliver,meat,milk,cheeseandeggs,almostanythingofanimalorigin.
VitaminB12deficiencyismostcommonlyfoundintheelderly,vegans(vitaminB12isonlyfoundinfoodsfrom
animalsources)andbreastfedbabiesofveganmothers.Symptomsincludetirednessandfatigue,lackofappetite,
weightloss,heartpalpitations,shortnessofbreath,visionloss,smoothtongueandmentalproblems,suchas
depressionandmemoryloss.

Wheretogethelp
Yourdoctor
DietitiansAssociationofAustraliaTel.1800812942

Thingstoremember
TheB-groupvitaminsareacollectionofeightwater-solublevitaminsessentialforvariousmetabolic
processes.
Mostofthesevitaminscantbestoredbythebodyandhavetobeconsumedregularlyinthediet.
Extendedcooking,foodprocessingandalcoholcandestroyorreducetheavailabilityofmanyofthese
vitamins.
Itisimportantnottoself-diagnoseavitamindeficiency,becausesomevitaminscanbetoxiciftaken
incorrectly.Seeyourdoctorordietitianforadvice.

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Thispagehasbeenproducedinconsultationwithandapprovedby:
DeakinUniversity-SchoolofExerciseandNutritionSciences

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