Essentials: B-Complex

B vitamins make up eight of the nine water-soluble vitamins (the other is vitamin C).  Most B vitamins serve as coenzymes or as precursors to coenzymes, needed for various metabolic processes, such as releasing energy from carbohydrates and fat, breaking down amino acids, and transporting oxygen and energy-containing nutrients around the body.  These vitamins thus help our bodies obtain or make energy from the food we eat.  B vitamins are also important in synthesizing red blood cells, and help cells make new DNA and multiply.

Unlike the fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K), water-soluble vitamins are not stored in the body and need to be replaced on a daily basis.  The typical Western diet is high in calories but low in nutrition and can be lacking in essential vitamins and minerals.  B vitamin inadequacy is not at all rare in the US.  Although not considered “deficient," micronutrient “inadequacies,” defined as nutrient intake less than the estimated average requirement (EAR) for optimal health, are common in the US and other developed countries.  Signs of inadequate vitamin B levels can include fatigue, poor memory, loss of appetite, constipation, weakness, susceptibility to infections, and many others.

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