The group known as the B vitamins consists of eight different vitamin compounds initially grouped together as a single discovery known as "water-soluble B." The Council for Responsible Nutrition reports that during a period of about 40 years beginning early in the 1900s, scientists determined that the B vitamin has many different compounds. Therefore they assigned each one a number and a common name. The B vitamins, along with inorganic essential minerals, support the everyday functions of the body.
B Vitamins
The human body needs B vitamins for the production of enzymes necessary for the chemical reactions that transfer energy from food particles to the body. Vitamin B-1, also known as thiamin, helps the body efficiently break down carbohydrates into glucose -- the molecule that provides energy to all the cells. Vitamin B-2, or riboflavin, also supports important chemical reactions in the energy cycle. Niacin, or vitamin B-3, increases the production of an enzyme that helps breakdown carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Vitamin B-7, usually referred to by its common name of biotin, binds to and activates carboxylases, enzymes required to breakdown carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Pantothenic acid, also called vitamin B-5, occurs in the body in the form known as coenzyme A. Coenzyme A is necessary in reactions that generate energy from fat, carbohydrates and proteins.
B-6 and B-12
Vitamin B-6 and B-12 are both essential to the formation of healthy red blood cells. The body needs vitamin B-6 to produce hemoglobin, the specialized protein found in red blood cells responsible for carrying the oxygen. A vitamin B-6 deficiency can lead to anemia, a condition characterized by a low number of functioning red blood cells. A deficiency in vitamin B-12 interferes with the body's ability to utilize folate which leads to the formation of large and immature red blood cells that cannot effectively carry oxygen, a form of anemia known as megaloblastic anemia. Health adults between the ages of 19 and 50 should intake 1.3 mg of vitamin B-6 and 2.4 micrograms of B-12 per day.
Folate
Folate, also known as vitamin B-9, functions different from many of the other B vitamins. Folate is essential to normal development and maintenance of cells. The National Institute of Medicine Food and Nutrition Board recommends that adults consume 400 micrograms of folate per day. Folate becomes especially important for cells undergoing rapid division like the cells of a developing baby. For this reason, pregnant women should increase their intake to 600 micrograms per day. A folate deficiency can result in neural tube birth defects that cause life-long disability.
Essential Minerals
Prior to the discovery of the water-soluble B vitamin, researchers learned that animals, including humans, could not survive on purified forms of fat, carbohydrates and proteins. They require some "ash" which consists of a mixture of inorganic elements known as minerals. Essential minerals perform vital functions, from building strong bones to maintaining the balance of fluid in and out of cells and transmitting electrical impulses between nerves. Minerals needed in large amounts include calcium, chlorine, sodium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and sulfur. The body also needs other minerals in smaller amounts like chromium, zinc, manganese, copper, iron, fluorine, cobalt, tin, iodine, selenium, vanadium, nickel, molybdenum and boron.
References
- Council for Responsible Nutrition: Recommended Intakes of Vitamins and Essential Minerals; Annette Dickinson; June 2002
- Institute of Medicine Food and Nutrition Board: Dietary Reference Intake Summary; 2004
- National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements: Folate
- Linus Pauling Institute: Biotin; Victoria Drake; August 2008
- Linus Pauling Institute: Pantothenic Acid ; Victoria Drake; April 2008
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