The importance of the B vitamin complex

Discussion in 'Chemistry' started by river, Apr 17, 2013.

  1. river

    Messages:
    17,307
    I found out that the B vitamin complex , through experience , and then research , is far , far more important than is given credit for

    Sure I have heard about the B vitamin complex is important , but sort of sluffed it off , never really taking this info. that serious, until I had to

    I woke up one morning , after drinking , a couple a days before , with the sensation of the brain delay of about a second or two behind the object on which my eyes were looking at , and when my brain did catch up , I felt the lose of balance

    Not from spinning but from the motion of being pushed forward

    Apparently my brain had been depleted of vitamin B1 , I had no idea that a vitamin had such a vital role to play in the functioning of the brain

    Upon further research I found that just taking vitamin B1 on its own held not much in the way of a benefit , but had to take at least a B complex tablet ( B-vitamins by the way are water soluble , meaning that they excreted everyday , meaning again that we have to replenish them everyday )

    So now I take a high quality multi-vitamin , everyday ( it has more than just vitamins by the way )

    My point is this , how many of us really get enough of the B vitamin complex ?

    Here's a site that explains the importance of B vitamins , among others

    http://www.pediatriconcall.com/nutrition/vitaminb.asp
     
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  3. Buddha12 Valued Senior Member

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    Vitamins are beneficial but most of them are attained by eating food and drinking liquids. I've known many very old people, in their 90's , who never took any vitamins their entire lives. They lived long and were not sick very much during their lives. I've not taken any myself and , although I have some medical problems, don't think I need them. I know my great grandparents never took vitamins either because they were not sold back in the 1800's. They too lived long and well.
     
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  5. river

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    They probably got enough in their diet , back then

    But nowadays I think that is less likely , hence Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease

    See this site

    http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/vitamin-b1-000333.htm
     
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  7. exchemist Valued Senior Member

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    12,451
    Just about all of us. Here are the sources of of B vitamins acc. Wiki: "B vitamins are particularly concentrated in meat such as turkey and tuna, in liver and meat products.[21] Good sources for B vitamins include kombucha, whole grains, potatoes, bananas, lentils, chili peppers, tempeh, beans, nutritional yeast, brewer's yeast, and molasses. Although the yeast used to make beer results in beers being a source of B vitamins,[22] their bioavailability ranges from poor to negative as drinking ethanol inhibits absorption of thiamine (B1),[23][24] riboflavin (B2),[25] niacin (B3),[26] biotin (B7),[27] and folic acid (B9).[28][29] In addition, each of the preceding studies further emphasizes that elevated consumption of beer and other ethanol-based drinks results in a net deficit of those B vitamins and the health risks associated with such deficiencies."

    I suspect the last sentence was added by some sanctimonious American teetotaller, as I've never before heard of vitamin deficiency being blamed on booze, though just about everything else has been attributed to it at some stage.
     
  8. river

    Messages:
    17,307
    While food sources are important , the problem is adequate amounts everyday

    You may not of heard of booze depleting the body of , B1 vitamin especially , and the other vitamins , you then need to get up to snuff on the subject
     
  9. leopold Valued Senior Member

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    17,455
    there are other non vitamin chemicals that are just as vital, some only need to be present in very, very small quantities (we are talking micrograms for the entire brain).
    other chemicals can lead to dementia if introduced in the same quantities, LSD for example.
    so, it should come as no surprise that "chemical imbalances" in the brain can be disastrous even in minute quantities.
    probably everyone that take multivitamins
     
  10. river

    Messages:
    17,307
    As does cholesterol is very important to the brain , 25% of cholesterol is found in the brain

    But those that don't should know that the vitamin B complex is far more important to their health than they know
     
  11. scheherazade Northern Horse Whisperer Valued Senior Member

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    3,798
    For persons eating a balanced diet, vitamin supplementation may not be indicated, however there are several other factors to consider.

    1. Is the food we are eating today comparable in nutritional value to the same food grown on the same soil several decades ago?
    2. As persons age, many encounter difficulties with dentition and cannot ingest all the foods that they could enjoy when they were younger and their teeth in good form.
    3. The ability of the digestive system to absorb available nutrients has been demonstrated to lesson in people as they age.
    4. Physical activity, emotional stress and lack of sleep may all contribute to vitamin and mineral imbalance in the body beyond what an adequate diet can supply.

    My mother has been taking supplements for decades and despite having an incurable auto-immune disorder, she is amazing for her age so perhaps vitamin supplements are of some benefit for some people. For myself, I eat a pretty good diet and only lean on vitamins during the winter months if I am feeling fatigued or when my co-workers are dropping like flies with colds/flu. A good multi-vitamin, extra vitamin C and B complex for stress as and when I feel they are warranted, any or all depending on the circumstances. Oh yes, and Zinc lozenges when I have a scratchy throat, as only occurred once last year. I have not missed a shift for illness in almost 8 years of working graveyards although I have pulled a few shifts on NeoCitron when I've had a cold.

    It's been a good two or three years since I've had a cold, come to think of it. Almost spring so I might get away with it for another year.

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  12. river

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  13. exchemist Valued Senior Member

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    But river, these are people trying to SELL you something. And there is NO evidence that I can see on this site of any studies showing that people are in fact deficient. All there is is a long list of all the things that can potentially result, IF one were to be deficient. Hardly persuasive. And your own experience after drinking, which you attribute to vitamin B deficiency, sounds to me remarkably like a good, old-fashioned hangover. The causes of hangovers are well documented and B vitamin deficiency is not generally implicated.
     
  14. river

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    17,307
    There are other websites exchemist on B-complex , I chose this site quickly , thats all

    I assumed that people would do further research on the topic
     
  15. exchemist Valued Senior Member

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    Why, though? It's you that is asserting the value of taking a vitamin supplement. So it's up to you to make the case for this to the readers of your posts. I'm certainly open to be convinced if you can show me some interesting evidence. But not from a website with a commercial interest in selling vitamin supplements. Obviously.
     
  16. kwhilborn Banned Banned

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    2,088
    @ OP,

    I had opposite experience with B vitamins.

    One day my body parts go numb. I mean my fingertips went numb. I mean my skin was numb. Even my tongue went numb.

    When you start your self diagnosis on the way to the doctor the only thing that makes sense in a situation where everything is going numb is some sort of brain malfunction or tumor.

    My Doctor said.. "do you take vitamin B?". It was too much vitamin B in my system. I stopped taking supplements and after a few days I was fine. It did take a few days though so replenishing daily does not seem to be as needed as you think.

    I would suggest going easy on any vitamins with metals as they are associating them now with Alzheimer disease. This includes iron,copper,zinc, and everything we are taught is needed.

    If you like multivitamins try dosing down. Maybe a 1 a day every 2-3 days.
     
  17. Captain Kremmen All aboard, me Hearties! Valued Senior Member

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    12,738
    Ingernest is the most important B vitamin.
    There's even a play about it.
     

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