The Vitamin Addict

Vitamin B is one that most everyone has heard of but many people are confused by the different types of B vitamins that exist. Vitamin B is one of the more complex vitamins because there are actually eight different ones. Each one has its own unique qualities.

Vitamin B is one of the more common vitamins that almost everyone has heard about at some point in their life. When someone is addressing all of the B vitamins they are referred to as vitamin B complex. When a single vitamin is being addressed it is usually referred to by its specific name, which is listed below:

• Vitamin B₁ (Thiamine)
• Vitamin B₂ (Riboflavin)
• Vitamin B₃ (Niacin)
• Vitamin B₅ (Pantothenic acid)
• Vitamin B₆ (Pyridoxine and Pyridoxamine)
• Vitamin B₇ (Biotin)
• Vitamin B₉ (Folic acid)
• Vitamin B₁₂ (Cyanocobalamin)

The vitamin B complex is beneficial to the body in several different ways. For instance, they help you to maintain healthy skin and increase muscle tone. They help to increase the rate of your metabolism and improve the functions of both the immune system and the nervous system. Vitamin B complex promotes both cell growth and division which in turn helps to prevent anemia. It can also help fight depression symptoms and stress.

Foods That Provide Vitamin B

There are several popular foods that contain the vitamin B complex which include the following:

• Bananas
• Potatoes
• Turkey
• Tuna
• Liver
• Chilli peppers
• Molasses
• Nutritional yeast

You can even find vitamin B in many of the energy drinks that are sold on the market today. There are many great, easy ways to get the recommended amount of Vitamin B in your body.

Signs of Vitamin B Deficiency

Considering the fact that the vitamin B complex includes eight different ones, it is no wonder that a person can suffer from several different deficiencies if they do not receive the correct amount of this vitamin. The problem you are experiencing will depend on which vitamin B you are lacking. For example, a person who has a vitamin B₆ (Pyridoxine and Pyridoxamine) deficiency can suffer from depression, anemia, dermatitis, hypertension and even water retention.

A deficiency of B₁₂ (Cyanocobalamin) can cause problems such as memory loss and severe cases of anemia. Other common problems associated with a vitamin B deficiency include acne, birth defects, impaired growth in children and neurological disorders.

Some of the deficiencies caused by Vitamin B complex are associated directly with diseases. The names of some of these diseases and conditions are listed below:

• Pellagra
• Beriberi
• Wernicke’s
• Korsakoff’s syndrome
• Ariboflavinosis
• Heart failure

Keep in mind also that your body needs to be replenished each day with vitamin B complex because it is a water soluble vitamin. What this means is that it is dispersed throughout your entire body and any excess is eliminated through the urine.
Even though you can buy all eight of the vitamin B complex separately, it is important to remember that each one works together with the other in your body. If you take just one for a long period of time it can cause the other B vitamins to become imbalanced. This is the reason it is usually recommended that you take a multivitamin instead of just one of the B vitamins alone. You should now feel more confident in what Vitamin B does and how it works in your body.