B Vitamins and Good Health

B vitamins:

• Help the body use energy from food.
• Keep the nerves in good condition.
• Keep the skin healthy.
• Are found in a variety of foods.
• Are water soluble.

There are six important B vitamins:

• B₁ also called thiamine.
• B₂ also called riboflavin.
• B₆ also called pyridoxine.
• B₁₂ also called cyanocobalamin.
• Niacin.
• Folic acid

B₁ also known as thiamine:

• Helps the nerves.
• Helps the appetite.
• Helps the body digest food.

Not enough thiamine in the diet will eventually lead to a condition called beriberi (inflammation and degeneration of the nervous system, the digestive system, and the heart). Clinical signs of deficiencies include:

• Mental confusion.
• Anorexia (loss of appetite).
• Muscular weakness.
• Ataxia (uncoordinated voluntary muscle movement).
• Peripheral paralysis.
• Ophthalmoplegia (paralysis of the eye muscles).
• Edema (wet beriberi).
• Muscle wasting (dry beriberi).
• Tachycardia (rapid heartbeat).
• Enlarged heart.

B₁ is found in the following food groups:

Breads, Cereals, Rice, Pasta—enriched and fortified whole grain breads and cereals.

Meat, Poultry, Fish—lean pork, kidney, liver, heart, dried beans and peas, seeds, and nuts.

B₂ also known as riboflavin:

• Keeps the skin healthy.
• Keeps the eyes healthy.
• Helps the body use protein, fat, and carbohydrates. These give you energy.

Without enough riboflavin in the diet, lesions may occur. Clinical signs of deficiencies include:

• Cheilosis (cracks in the corner of the mouth, scaley lips).
• Angular stomatitis (inflammation of the mouth).
• Scrotal and vulval skin changes.
• Seborrheic dermatitis (oily skin problems).
• Normocytic anemia (reduced numbers of normal red blood cells).

B₂ is found in the following food groups:

Breads, Cereals, Rice, Pasta—enriched breads and cereals.

Vegetables—green leafy.

Meat, Poultry, Fish—lean meat and eggs.

Milk, Cheese, Yogurt—milk.

B₆ also known as pyridoxine:

• Helps the body use protein; assists in protein metabolism.
• Helps the body make blood cells.

In infants, dietary deprivation of vitamin B₆ may result in:

• Epileptic-form convulsions.
• Loss of weight.
• Abdominal distress.
• Vomiting.
• Hyperirritability.

In adults, dietary deprivation of vitamin B₆ may cause:

• Depression.
• Confusion.

B₆ is found in the following food groups:

Breads, Cereals, Rice, Pasta—brown rice, oats, whole wheat breads and cereals.

Fruits—fresh fruits.

Vegetables—fresh vegetables.

Meat, Poultry, Fish—chicken, fish, kidney, liver, eggs, soybeans, peanuts, and walnuts.

B₁₂ also known as cyanocobalamin:

• Helps the body grow.
• Maintains health in patients with pernicious anemia.

Dietary deficiency of B₁₂ is rare. Clinical signs of deficiency include:

• Sore tongue.
• Weakness.
• Demyelination of the spinal cord and brain and the optic and peripheral nerves (the loss of sheath tissue which normally covers the nerve fibers).

B₁₂ is found in the following food groups:

Meat, Poultry, Fish

Milk, Cheese, Yogurt

Niacin:

• Keeps the skin healthy.
• Keeps the tongue healthy.
• Keeps the nerves in good condition.
• Participates in many metabolic processes, including fat synthesis, tissue respiration, and the breakdown of carbohydrates to produce energy.

A niacin deficiency results in:

• Pellagra (dermatitis, inflammation of the mucous membrane).
• Dementia (confusion, apathy).

Niacin is found in the following food groups:

Breads, Cereals, Rice, Pasta—enriched whole grain breads and cereals.

Vegetables—corn.

Meat, Poultry, Fish—lean meats and eggs.

Folic acid:

• Builds blood cells.
• Works with B₁₂
• Prevents anemia in pregnancy
• Makes new cells for developing babies
• Supplements are often recommended during pregnancy

• Anemia
• Birth defects of the spinal cord
• Red and sore tongue
• Reduced sense of taste

Folic acid is found in the following food groups:

Breads, Cereals, Rice, Pasta—whole grain breads and cereals.

Vegetables—green leafy vegetables, dried beans, and peas.

Meat, Poultry, Fish—liver, seeds, and nuts.

Fruits—citrus fruits and juices.

Yeast