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Vitamin B
Vitaminsareorganiccompoundsinfoodthatareneededinverysmallamountsforvarious metabolicprocessesandotherfunctions.Thereare13vitaminsthatourbodyrequires,eightof whichmakeuptheB-group(orB-complex)vitamins.B-groupvitaminsareessentialformetabolic processessuchasenergyproductionandredbloodcellsynthesis. Althoughpresentinmanyfoods,theB-groupvitaminsarewatersolubleanddelicate.Theyare easilydestroyed,particularlybyalcoholandcooking.FoodprocessingalsoremovestheB-group vitamins,makingwhiteflours,breadsandricelessnutritiousthantheirwholegraincounterparts. ThebodyhasalimitedcapacitytostoremostoftheB-groupvitamins(exceptB12andfolate, whicharestoredintheliver).DeficienciesofsomeoftheB-groupvitaminscanbeseenafteronly afewmonthsofeatingapoordiet.Forthisreason,adequateamountsofthesevitaminsshouldbe consumedregularlyaspartofawell-balanced,nutritiousdiet. TakingB-groupvitaminsupplementscansometimesmaskdeficienciesofothervitamins.Itisalso importantnottoself-diagnoseavitamindeficiencybecausesomevitaminscanbetoxiciftaken incorrectly.Seeyourdoctorordietitianforadvice. The B-group vitamins TheeightB-groupvitaminsare: Thiamin Riboflavin Niacin Pantothenicacid Biotin VitaminB6(pyridoxine) Folate(calledfolicacidwhenincludedinsupplements) VitaminB12(cyanocobalamin).

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Thiamin Thiaminhelpstoconvertglucoseintoenergyandhasaroleinnervefunction.Moreinformation aboutthiamin: Good sources of thiamintheseincludewholemealcerealgrains,seeds(especially sesameseeds),legumes,wheatgerm,nuts,yeastandpork.InAustralia,whiteflourisalso fortifiedwiththiamin. Thiamin deficiencyisgenerallyfoundincountrieswherethedietarystapleiswhite rice.DeficienciesintheWesternworldaregenerallycausedbyexcessivealcoholintakeand averypoordiet.Symptomsinclude:confusionandirritability,poorarm/legcoordination, lethargy,fatigueandmuscleweakness. Wet and dry beriberithisiscausedbythiamindeficiencyandaffectsthe cardiovascular,muscular,gastrointestinalandnervoussystems.Aswellastheabove symptoms,apersonwithdryberiberimayhave:nervedegeneration,nervoustingling throughoutthebody,poorarmandlegcoordination,anddeeppaininthecalfmuscles. Symptomsofwetberiberiincludeanenlargedheart,heartfailureandsevereoedema (swelling). Wernicke-Korsakoff syndromethissyndromeisathiamin-deficiencydisease associatedwithalcoholexcessandathiamin-deficientdiet.Alcoholreducesthiamin absorptioninthegutandincreasesitsexcretionfromthekidneys.Thediseaseis characterisedbyinvoluntarymovementoftheeyeball,paralysisoftheeyemuscle, staggeringandmentalconfusion.

Riboflavin

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Riboflavinisprimarilyinvolvedinenergymetabolismandsupportsvisionandskinhealth.More informationaboutriboflavin: Good sources of riboflavintheseincludemilk,yoghurt,cottagecheese,wholegrain breadsandcereals,eggwhite,leafygreenvegetables,meat,yeast,liverandkidney. Riboflavin deficiencypeopleatriskofdeficiencyincludethosewhoconsumeexcessive amountsofalcoholandthosewhodonotconsumemilkormilkproducts.Riboflavin deficiencyisrareandisusuallyseenalongwithotherB-groupvitamindeficiencies. Symptomsinclude:inflamedtongue(painful,smooth,purple-redtongue),cracksand rednessinthetongueandcornersofthemouth,anxiety,inflamedeyelidsandsensitivity tolight,hairloss,reddeningofthecorneaandskinrash.

Niacin Niacinisessentialforthebodytometabolisecarbohydrates,fatandalcoholtoproduceenergy.It helpsmaintainskinhealthandsupportsthenervousanddigestivesystems.UnlikeotherB-group vitamins,niacinisveryheatstableandlittleislostincooking.Moreinformationaboutniacin: Good sources of niacintheseincludemeats,fish,poultry,milk,eggs,wholegrain breadsandcereals,nuts,mushroomsandallprotein-containingfoods. Excessive intakelargedosesofniacinintheformofnicotinicacidproduceadrug-like effectonthenervoussystemandonbloodlipids.Whilefavourablechangesinbloodlipids areseen,sideeffectsincludeflushing,itching,nauseaandpotentialliverdamage. Niacin deficiencythenamegiventothediseaseofniacindeficiencyispellagra.People whodrinkexcessiveamountsofalcoholorliveonadietalmostexclusivelybasedoncorn areatriskofpellagra.Themainsymptomsofpellagraarecommonlyreferredtoasthe threeDs:dementia,diarrhoeaanddermatitis.Othersymptomsinclude:inflamedand swollentongue,irritability,lossofappetite,mentalconfusion,weaknessanddizziness.This diseasecanleadtodeathifnottreated.

Pantothenic acid Pantothenicacidisneededtometabolisecarbohydrates,proteins,fatsandalcohol.More informationaboutpantothenicacid: Good sources of pantothenic acidthisiswidespreadinarangeoffoods,butsome goodsourcesincludeliver,milk,kidneys,eggs,meats,yeast,peanutsandlegumes. Pantothenic acid deficiencythisisextremelyrare.Symptomsinclude:lossofappetite, tiredness,fatigueandinsomnia,constipation,vomitingandintestinaldistress.

Biotin Thisvitaminisneededforenergymetabolism,fatsynthesis,aminoacidmetabolismandglycogen synthesis.Highbiotinintakecancontributetoraisedbloodcholesterollevels.Moreinformation aboutbiotin: Good sources of biotintheseincludecauliflower,eggyolks,peanuts,liver,chicken, yeastandmushrooms. Biotin deficiencybiotiniswidelydistributedinfoodsandisonlyrequiredinsmall amounts,sodeficiencyisveryrare.Symptomsinclude:paleorgreyskin,crackedsore tongue,depression,hallucination,abnormalheartactions,lossofappetite,nausea,dry skinandscalydermatitis,hairloss,musclepain,andweaknessandfatigue.

Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) Pyridoxineisneededforproteinandcarbohydratemetabolism,theformationofredbloodcellsand certainbrainchemicals.Itinfluencesbrainprocessesanddevelopment,immunefunctionand steroidhormoneactivity.Moreinformationaboutpyridoxine: Good sources of pyridoxinetheseincludecerealgrainsandlegumes,greenandleafy vegetables,fishandshellfish,meatandpoultry,nuts,liverandfruit. Excessive intakethiscanleadtoharmfullevelsinthebodythatcandamagenerves. Symptomsincludewalkingdifficultiesandnumbnessinthehandsandfeet.Largedosesof B6takenoveralongperiodcanleadtoirreversiblenervedamage. PMT and carpal tunnel syndromethereissomeevidencethatvitaminB6maybe usefulinthetreatmentofcarpaltunnelsyndromeandpremenstrualsyndrome.Seek advicefromadoctorbeforeusinglargedosesofthissupplement(above100mgperday) becauseofthedangerofoverdose.

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Pyridoxine deficiencypeoplewithexcessivealcoholintake,women(especiallythoseon thecontraceptivepill),theelderlyandpeoplewiththyroiddiseaseareatparticularriskof deficiency.Symptomsinclude:insomnia,depression,anaemia,smoothtongueandcracked cornersofthemouth,irritability,muscletwitching,convulsions,confusionanddermatitis.

Folate Folateisneededtoformredbloodcells,whichcarryoxygenaroundthebody.Ithelpsthe developmentofthefoetalnervoussystem,aswellasDNAsynthesisandcellgrowth.Womenof child-bearingageneedadietrichinfolate.Ifplanningapregnancy,youshouldconsidertaking supplementsoreatingfortifiedfoods.Thisisimportanttoreducetheriskofneuraltubedefects suchasspinabifidainthebaby.Folicacidisthesyntheticformoffolateandisusedextensivelyin dietarysupplementsandfoodfortification.Moreinformationaboutfolate: Good sources of folatetheseincludegreenleafyvegetables,legumes,seeds,liver, poultry,eggs,cerealsandcitrusfruits.Manycereal-basedfoodsinAustralia,suchasbread andbreakfastcereals,arefortifiedwithfolate. Excessive intakefolateisgenerallyconsiderednon-toxic,althoughexcessiveintakes above1,000mgperdayoveraperiodoftimecanleadtomalaise,irritabilityandintestinal dysfunction.ThemainriskwithexcessivefolateintakeisthatitcanmaskavitaminB12 deficiency,soitisbesttoconsumethesetwovitaminswithintherecommendedamounts. Folate deficiencythesymptomsinclude:weightloss,tiredness,fatigueandweakness, folate-deficiencyanaemia(megaloblasticanaemia)and(duringpregnancy)anincreased riskofaneuraltubedefectssuchasspinabifidaforthebaby.

Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin) VitaminB12isinvolvedintheproductionandmaintenanceofthemyelinsurroundingnervecells, mentalability,redbloodcellformationandthebreakingdownofsomefattyacidsandaminoacids toproduceenergy.VitaminB12hasacloserelationshipwithfolate,asbothdependontheotherto workproperly.MoreinformationaboutvitaminB12: Good sources of B12theseincludeliver,meat,milk,cheeseandeggsalmost anythingofanimalorigin. Vitamin B12 deficiencythisismostcommonintheelderly,vegans(vitaminB12is onlyfoundinfoodsofanimalorigin)andbreastfedbabiesofveganmothersandiscalled perniciousanaemia.Symptomsinclude:tirednessandfatigue,lackofappetiteandweight loss,apathyanddepression,anaemia,smoothtongueanddegenerationofperipheral nervesprogressingtoparalysis.

Where to get help Yourdoctor Anaccreditedpractisingdietitian,contacttheDietitiansAssociationofAustralia

Things to remember

TheB-groupvitaminsareacollectionofeightvitaminsthatareessentialforvarious metabolicprocesses. Mostofthesevitaminscantbestoredbythebodyandhavetobeconsumedregularlyin thediet. Extendedcooking,foodprocessingandalcoholcandestroyorreducetheavailabilityof manyofthesevitamins. Itisimportantnottoself-diagnoseavitamindeficiencybecausesomevitaminscanbe toxiciftakenincorrectly.Seeyourdoctorordietitianforadvice.

This page has been produced in consultation with, and approved by:

DeakinUniversity-SchoolofExerciseandNutritionSciences

Copyight 1999/2009StateofVictoria.ReproducedfromtheBetterHealthChannel(www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au)at nocostwithpermissionoftheVictorianMinisterforHealth.Unauthorisedreproductionandotherusescomprisedinthe copyrightareprohibitedwithoutpermission. ThisBetterHealthChannelfactsheethaspassedthrougharigorousapprovalprocess.Forthelatestupdatesandmore informationvisitwww.betterhealth.vic.gov.au.

VitaminB

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VitaminB

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