You really need B vitamins

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You’ve probably heard about B vitamins. They’re in every multivitamin, and are often in energy drinks, in supplements intended to boost your energy. They get a lot of press—and rightfully so, because they are critically important for energy production and a host of other things. But what are they? Where do you get them? And what do they actually do?

B vitamins are a group of eight water-soluble vitamins. These are B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6 (pyridoxine), B7 (biotin), B9 (folate), and B12 (cobalamin). They’re named in this order because it reflects their order of discovery in late 19th and early 20th century. The credit for the discovery of the first of these, B1 (or thiamine), is generally given to Christiaan Eijkman, a Dutch physician, who in 1897 observed that chickens who were fed white rice developed a condition called beriberi, but chickens who were fed brown rice did not. Eijkman realized that the rice husks contained nutrients that were missing in the white rice. In 1926, two other scientists, Barend Jansen and Willem Donath, successfully isolated thiamine and confirmed its role in preventing beriberi. Eijkman (along with the British biochemist Sir Frederick Hopkins) was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1929 for the discovery of vitamins. The discovery was critical – it was fundamental in shifting the understanding that some diseases were not from infection, but were from nutritional causes, and dramatically advanced the field of nutritional science, opening the door for the discovery of the remaining B vitamins over the next several decades.

As a brief aside, the term vitamin is actually a bit of a misnomer. It was initially coined in 1912 by a Polish biochemist named Casimir Funk, who realized that certain nutrients could only be found in food. He believed at the time that all of these nutrients were amines – nitrogen-based compounds. He called them “vitamines”, and the term stuck. When the scientific community eventually discovered that none of them were actually amines, they kept the term, but dropped the final “e’ – thus, vitamins.

What do B vitamins do? A lot! Each plays a crucial role in cellular metabolism and physiologic function. In particular, B vitamins serve as coenzymes in metabolic processes – they are key parts of the equation that keeps these metabolic wheels running smoothly. They also are critical for building and repairing DNA and RNA, for producing energy and supporting mitochondrial function, and for synthesizing neurochemicals. Because they are so intimately involved in so many processes, deficiencies in B vitamins can lead to a whole host of health issues – including, among others, neurologic disorders, anemia, impaired cellular function, cardiovascular disease, depression, skin problems, gut problems and in severe cases, death.

It's worth noting that the body doesn’t make any of the B vitamins—they all need to come from the diet (though in some instances, the microbiome can synthesize B vitamins). They also need to be consumed regularly, since they are all water soluble and aren’t readily stored. The good news is that they’re in many foods. The best sources vary based on the B vitamin, but good ones tend to include animal proteins, dairy products, eggs, leafy greens, and beans. Two foods in particular – liver and nutritional yeast – tend to be powerhouses.

The bad news, though, is that many people don’t get enough of some or all of them. Thiamine deficiency, for example, ranges between 20% and 90% depending on the population in question—even in people who are getting the recommended daily amount, or RDA, in their diet. These findings have led some to suggest that modern living calls for a different take on how we think about B vitamins.

So let’s summarize. The B vitamins are a group of eight water-soluble vitamins. They are coenzymes in a variety of metabolic processes in the body, and often work together—though each has a unique role as well (and its worth understanding the unique roles of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, biotin, folate, and cobalamin).  B vitamins are critical for building and repairing DNA and RNA, for producing energy, supporting mitochondrial function, and for synthesizing neurochemicals. And because they are involved in so many processes, deficiencies in B vitamins can lead to a variety of undesired effects, such as neurologic disorders, anemia, impaired cellular function, cardiovascular disease, and depression. All the B vitamins need to come from the diet. Good sources tend to include animal proteins, dairy products, eggs, leafy greens, and beans. Two foods in particular – liver and nutritional yeast – tend to be powerhouses for B vitamins. Deficiencies in B vitamins are common, though it actually is possible to get too much of some of the B vitamins – specifically, B3 (niacin), B6 (pyridoxine), and probably B9 (folate). So if you or a loved one has any unusual symptoms, it's worth thinking about whether a deficiency (or excess) in one of the B vitamins could be playing a role and considering if nutritional testing may help shed some light.

 Are you getting enough B vitamins?

 References

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