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B Complex made simple(r)
By Wolfie | December 19, 2007
Part of Wolfie’s Nutrition Guide : An occasional series
I’m not really attacking the alphabet in order, at least as far as vitamins go, so apologies for back-tracking to B after having already covered C and E. (I’ll complete the confusion in the next instalment by jumping to D!).
You’ve probably heard the term B complex vitamins, or vitamin B complex. What you may not be aware of is what this actually means, and how it relates to vitamins B1, B2, etc. The B vitamins are a family; they generally occur together naturally and they have what is known as a synergistic realtionship - the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. They tend to work together in the body, and a shortage of one often indicates a shortage of the others.
As with many nutrients, B vitamins have many roles to play in our health including:
- A healthy nervous system
- The release of energy from food
- Proper digestion
- Healthy skin, hair and nails
- Proper production of red blood cells
- Maintaining emotional balance
- Relaxing
They are all water-soluble, so are easily passed from the body - this means that a regular supply is needed to help maintain good health. Some of the B vitamins - particularly B12 (cobalamin) - are mainly found in red meat, so if you follow a vegetarian or vegan diet you should make sure you have a good alternative source. Menstruating women should ensure they have an adequate supply of B6 (pyriodoxine) as this helps to produce haemoglobin.
B vitamins are commonly available as a complex in supplements (ie all of them together) but they can also be available separately; the major ones you will see are:
- B1 - Thiamin
- B2 - Riboflavin
- B3 - Niacin
- B5 - Pantothenic Acid
- B6 - Pyridoxine
- B12 - Cobalamin
- Folic Acid - Folacin
- Biotin
- Choline
- Inositol
There is some debate as to whether those last two are B vitamins, but there is a consensus that classes them as such.
So how much do I need?
As always, opinion is divided on this issue. The EU things you only need a few milligrams (a spread from 1mg to 6mg) but nutritional practitioners reckon that for optimal health you should be looking for a supplement that gives you 50mg of B1 to B6, Choline and Inositol and around 100µg to 400µg for B12, Folic and Biotin. In times of particular stress (poor health, lots of physical activity) you can double those amounts.
Tags: NutritionGuide, Vitamins, B Complex
Disclaimer: All opinions in this blog are either my own or else they’re made up just to get a rise out of you and make you angry. Either way, they’re probably not very well thought out or expressed so do yourself a favour and don’t take the world so seriously.
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