What Vitamins Fix Your Metabolism?

Vitamins do not provide you with energy, however, they serve as catalysts for many chemical reactions in your metabolism to produce energy. If you do not have enough or have too much of any one vitamin, then it can slow your metabolism down. Vitamins do not fix your metabolism overnight. The process may take several days or even months to correct the symptoms associating with vitamin overdose or deficiency.

Riboflavin

Riboflavin--also known as vitamin B2--is a water-soluble vitamin that plays significant roles in carbohydrate, protein, and fat metabolism. It is a component of flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) and Flavin mononucleotide, or FMN, which are cofactors in initializing metabolic functions, such as converting proteins to glucose and breaking down fats. Cofactors assists enzymes in many biological changes, such as DNA replication and repair. Good sources of riboflavin include bananas, milk, yogurt, fortified cereals, green beans, cottage cheese, and eggs. Ellen Coleman, who is a registered dietitian in Riverside, California, suggests that men should take no more than 1.3mg per day of riboflavin. For women, the upper limit is 1.1=mg per day. Because it can dissolve easily in water, any excess riboflavin would be excreted in urine.

Pantothenic Acid

This water-soluble vitamin--also known as vitamin B5--also plays vital roles in carbohydrate, protein, and fat metabolism. Your body uses pantothenic acid to produce coenzyme-A, which is a cofactor in synthesis and oxidation of fatty acids and cholesterols. According to Gordon Wardlaw, who was a professor of the Department of Human Nutrition at The Ohio State University, too little of this vitamin causes muscle cramps, irratibility, fatigue, hypoglycemia, and numbness in your body. This occurs because too little coenzyme-A is formed. Good sources of pantothenic acid include broccoli, avocados, yeast, rice, fortied cereals, and meats.

B6

Vitamin B6 comes in different forms in your body that plays different roles in metabolism, particularly in gluconeogenesis, which is converting proteins into glucose for energy. This occurs when your body in low in blood sugar and if you do not eat enough carbohydrates in your diet. Vitamin B6 plays as a confactor in enzymes that break down proteins into their basic structures. In fat metabolism, it play as a cofactor in enzymes that form sphingolipids, which are a type of fat that helps conduct nerve transmissions from cell to cell. According to Wardlaw, you can find vitamin B6 in all kinds of meats, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Too little of this vitamin can cause similar symtoms as pantothenic acid deficiency. It can also cause confusion and other neural ailments.