A registered dietitian nutritionist explains.
B vitamins are water-soluble nutrients that are essential for countless bodily processes.
Some people may need more B vitamins than others.
Oleksandra Yagello / Getty Images
Oleksandra Yagello / Getty Images
How Many B Vitamins Are There?
No supplement is intended to treat, cure, or prevent disease.
Although B vitamins support energy production, they do not provide energy for the body.
Instead, theyallow the body to extract energyfromcarbohydrates,fats, andproteinsnutrient sources the body uses for fuel.
There are eight B vitamins.
Because B vitamins are water-soluble, the body cannot store them.
Therefore, you must obtain B vitamins from your food.
Deficiency for some is pretty rare unless you are experiencingmalnutritionor other underlying health issues.
Vitamin B1 (Thiamin)
How Much Thiamin Do I Need?
Emerging evidence suggests a role for thiamin in alleviatingpremenstrual syndrome (PMS)symptoms.
What Foods Have Thiamin?
Severe thiamin deficiency affects the brain, resulting inWernicke-Korsakoff syndrome.
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
How Much Riboflavin Do I Need?
Most plant and animal-based foods have riboflavin.
Other bodily processes need niacin, including DNA repair andcholesterolproduction.
Additionally, niacin hasantioxidant-likeproperties that help support overall health and cognitive function.
One form of vitamin B3 (nicotinamide riboside(NR)) has recently garnered attention for potentialanti-agingbenefits.
However, additional research in humans remains necessary.
What Foods Have Niacin?
Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid)
How Much Pantothenic Acid Do I Need?
There is no RDA forpantothenic acid.
CoA is essential for the breakdown of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins.
ACP helps with fatty acid synthesis.
What Foods Have Pantothenic Acid?
Therefore, there is limited information about symptoms related explicitly to pantothenic acid deficiency.
Vitamin B6 also helps create glucose for energy from noncarbohydrate sources.
Pyridoxine is essential for neurotransmitter synthesis.
Low vitamin B6 negatively affectsmood-relatedneurotransmitters.
Vitamin B6 also alleviates pregnancy-relatednauseaand vomiting.
What Foods Have Pyridoxine?
Pyridoxine deficiency typically occurs with other B vitamin deficiencies.
Vitamin B7 (Biotin)
How Much Biotin Do I Need?
AI is used to estimatebiotinneeds because no RDA exists.
Specifically, biotin is essential for glucose metabolism and maintaining adequateglucoselevels in the bloodstream.
Biotin also aids gene expression and immune function.
What Foods Have Biotin?
Consuming two or more raw egg whites daily for several months can result in a biotin deficiency.
Uncooked egg whites bind to biotin and prevent its absorption in the body.
Vitamin B9 (Folate or Folic Acid)
How Much Folate Do I Need?
Folateneeds are as follows:
Correct DNA synthesis is important because it helps avoid mutations leading to disease.
However, pregnancy increases folate needs, and in that case, 600 mcg daily is the recommended amount.
What Folate Does
Folate is essential for DNA and RNA production and cell division.
Moreover, folate protects and repairs DNA from damage.
Folic acidis a form of folate used in supplements and to fortify food.
The body more readily absorbsfolic acidthan it does folate.
What Foods Have Folate?
People with a folate deficiency should also get evaluated for insufficient vitamin B12.
Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)
How Much Vitamin B12 Do I Need?
What Foods Have Vitamin B12?
Vitamin B12 deficiency is more common in elderly adults.
With aging, it becomes harder for the body to obtain vitamin B12 from food.
How Much Vitamin B Is Too Much?
However, three of the eight B vitamins have an upper limit (UL) for daily intake.
Are B Vitamins Safe for Everyone?
Avoid B vitamins if you’re allergic to them or their components (parts).
Seek immediate medical attention if you have asevere allergic reaction(itching, hives, shortness of breath).
For most people, B vitamins are considered safe and well-tolerated.
However, B vitamins may not be safe for some individuals with specific health conditions or on certain medications.
B vitamins interact withanti-epilepsy medications, reducing the effectiveness of the drug.
People takingdiabetes medicationmay need their dose altered if they concurrently take niacin because niacin increases blood glucose levels.
That means some supplement products may not contain what the label says.
Many food sources contain B vitamins, but remedying deficiencies or meeting increased needs can sometimes warrant supplementation.
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