The B Complex Vitamins

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The B-Complex Vitamins

All the B-Complex Vitamins are water-soluable, and are usually derived from bacteria, yeasts, fungi, or molds. The known B-complex vitamins are: B1 Thiamin, B2 Riboflavin, B3 Niacin, B5 Pantothenic Acid, B6 Pyridoxine, B12 Cyanocobalamin, B15 Pangamic Acid, Biotin, Choline, Folic acid, Inositol, and PABA (para-aminobenzoic acid). Although these are the only vitamins in the B-complex that have been identified, scientists know that there are many more yet to be identified. They estimate there to be well over 100 vitamins in this complex which all work together. This is one reason why a B-complex vitamin taken from whole foods is essential rather than a synthetic vitamin or a grouping of just these known vitamins. The unidentified vitamins in the B-complex are necessary to help the others function, and just because we don't know their names doesn't mean we shouldn't try to include them in our diets.

Because the B Vitamins are water soluable, any excess of these vitamins that the body does not need is excreted from the body, so an excess does neither good nor harm. When you take B vitamins, you will notice shortly afterward that your urine is a bright yellow color. This is due to the excess vitamins being eliminated through the urine. Why take more of a vitamin than you need? Because since you don't know exactly how much you need, it's better to take a little extra and let it spill over. Also, you may take a certain amount today and have a lot of spillage, but tomorrow you may have a lot of stress and need those extra vitamins. The amount our body needs varies greatly from day to day.

Another reason that your urine turns yellow is because at least some of the B-vitamins in your supplement probably are synthetic. Therefore your body cannot use them.

Brewers yeast is one of the richest source for some of the B vitamins. Another rich source is the production of some of the B vitamins in the intestinal tract. These vitamins grow best on lactose and small amounts of fat in the diet. Maintaining a milk-free diet or taking sulfa drugs and other antibiotics can destroy the bacteria which produces these vitamins. Sleeping pills, insecticides, and estrogen also can destroy these bacteria in the intestinal tract (1).

When any one of the B vitamins is taken in increased amounts for theraputic reasons, the other B vitamins should also be increased accordingly. For instance, the RDA for B6 is 2 milligrams. If you decide to take 50 mg of B6 (such as pregnant women do for morning sickness nausea), that is 25 times the RDA. So the other vitamins in the complex should also be increased by 25 times.

The typical American diet supplies so little of these vitamins that almost everyone is deficient in at least some of the vitamins in this group. Caffeine destroys Thiamine, and eating processed sugar and grains produces a large deficiency. Drinking alcohol also causes a deficiency.

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One important combination of B Vitamins is B-12, B-6 and Folic Acid. Studies show that this combination, taken daily for two months, can reduce your risk of heart attack, stroke, Alzheimers, by 50%.

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References:

(1) Dunne, Lavon J. (1990). Nutrition Alamanc. 3rd edition. New York: McGraw-Hill, p. 18.