What Are the Benefits of Vitamins B-1, B-6 and B-12?
Many vegetarians, vegans and the elderly have a difficult time consuming their recommended daily allowance of vitamin B-12.
The B-group of vitamins play a key role in maintaining cell health and keeping you energized. Each of the B vitamins come from a different sources of food so it's important to eat a balanced diet that includes meat, dairy, grains, fruits and vegetables. Certain conditions often create a problem in the assimilating vitamin B, including Crohn's disease, Celiac disease, HIV, and misuse of alcohol. Older adults and pregnant women need larger amounts of some types of vitamin B. If you fall into any of these categories, your doctor may prescribe supplements.
Vitamin B-1 Effects on the Body
Vitamin B-1 is also known as thiamin. Your body needs vitamin B-1 to break down the fats, protein and carbohydrates that you consume into adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, the primary form of energy used by your cells. Vitamin B-1 also supports the health and function of your immune and nervous systems. If your diet doesn't provide you with enough vitamin B-1, you may be more likely to develop cataracts, warns Oregon State University. An adult male needs about 1 milligrams of vitamin B-1 each day, while an adult female should have .9 milligrams.
Benefits of Vitamin B-6
Like vitamin B-1 and all the other eight members of the B-vitamin family, vitamin B-6 aids in energy metabolism. Also known as pyridoxine, vitamin B-6 is required for the synthesis of mood-influencing hormones such as norepinephrine and serotonin. Not getting enough vitamin B-6 may increase your chance of mood disorders, such as depression. Vitamin B-6 helps regulate your body's level of homocysteine, an amino acid whose presence is linked to an increased risk of heart disease, says the Oregon State University. A diet rich in vitamin B-6 may lower your chance of developing rheumatoid arthritis and age-related macular degeneration. Women who lack vitamin B-6 may have more severe premenstrual syndrome symptoms. All adults need at least 1.3 milligrams of vitamin B-6 daily, according to the USDA Dietary Reference Intakes.
Read More: How to Know If You Are Low on Vitamin B
Role of Vitamin B-12
Many vegetarians, vegans and the elderly have a difficult time consuming their recommended daily allowance of vitamin B-12. Anyone who is age 19 years or older needs 2.4 mcg of vitamin B-12, or cobalamin, each day. Vitamin B-12 aids in the production of red blood cells, DNA, RNA and an immune compound known as S-adenosylmethionine, or SAMe, that regulates mood. Along with vitamin B-6, vitamin B-12 lowers your homocysteine levels, which may decrease your risk of heart disease, warns Oregon State University. If you don't get enough vitamin B-12, you may be more likely to develop anemia, and women with a vitamin B-12 deficiency may face a greater risk of breast cancer. Adequate vitamin B-12 may play a role in preventing male and female infertility, says the B12 Deficiency website. Daneuron Tablet is used for vitamin B-12 deficiencies. Tablet Wise suggests the purpose of daneuron includes lowering cholesterol, helping to prevent cardiovascular diseases, alleviating mental disorders, correcting folic acid deficiency and stomach problems in addition to other conditions.
Vitamin B Food Sources
Although B vitamins are found in many foods, they are water soluble and easily destroyed, particularly by alcohol, cooking and processing. Because most of the B vitamins are water soluble, except vitamin B-12, poor food choices might result in a deficiency unless you eat a balanced diet containing foods rich in vitamin B. Foods that contain vitamin B-1 include whole grains, like whole-wheat bread or brown rice; beans, peas and lentils; and lean pork. Vitamin B-6 is found in high concentrations in salmon, bananas, potatoes and poultry. Foods rich in vitamin B-12 include meat, seafood, poultry and dairy products. If you eat little or no animal products, you can get all three B vitamins from fortified foods like ready-to-eat breakfast cereal, though you may need to also take a dietary supplement. .
Read More: Fruits Containing Vitamin B
Complex Vitamin-B Supplements
The drug market is flooded with many choices of vitamin B supplements, both as mixed compounds and as individual B-vitamins. Many supplements are available that combine vitamins B-1, B-6 and B-12 into one tablet such as Neurobion vitamins, which contain 100 mg of Vitamin B1, 200 mg of vitamin B-6 and 200 mcg of B-12. One of the Neurobion benefits is that it is available as an injection in some countries. Revitaplex also provides a combination of vitamins B-1, B-6 and B-12 with values of 100 mg, 5 mcg and 50 mcg respectively, says MuraMed. Yet another multi B-vitamin choice is Pharex B-Complex, which contains 100 mg of vitamin B-1, 5 mg of B-6 and 50 mcg of B-12 in tablet form. Be sure to check with your doctor to make sure you are receiving the correct dosage of vitamin B for your condition.
Read More: The Best Form of B-Complex Vitamin