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Healthy Eating - To Be Or Not To B Vitamins

By Charlotte Watts Dip.ION BANT – Nutritional Therapist – www.totalbeing.com and www.healthyconvenience.com

B vitamins are described as a team and should always be kept in balance so that they can all operate effectively; think of a highly efficient troupe of circus acrobats and you will get the idea.

B vitamins are important for the health of the nervous system and help in the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and proteins. This means that without them, your ability to obtain physical and mental energy from the fuel that you put in as food, can be severely compromised. This is often why in times of stress when we use them up more quickly and often turn to convenience foods that are poor sources, people often say “oh, that’s just stress” – it is indeed stress, but described more accurately as the deficiency signs that stress causes. Lack of B vitamins can lead to irritability, anxiety, difficulty coping with stress, lack of energy, depression, constipation, diarrhoea, headaches, poor memory, lack of concentration, insomnia, acne, teeth grinding and sensitivity to light – sound familiar?

One of the problems is also that times of stress and illness impair our ability to convert B vitamins into their active forms in the body. It isn’t even just as simple as getting them into your mouth, you then have to absorb them and then convert them before they can be used, which requires good digestion and levels of energy and other nutrients. Some B vitamins are even made in the gut by the beneficial bacteria; so again, our natural levels can be affected by digestive problems.

All vitamins act as co-enzymes in the body, which means that they are needed for all chemical processes to take place. As by their “essential” nature they have to be eaten daily (see exceptions below), deficiency symptoms occur when these processes cannot happen fully. The conversion of B vitamins also needs other nutrients, mainly vitamin C and magnesium, both also depleted by stress and so the beginning of vicious cycles. Certain enzymes found in foods commonly eaten by our ancestors help the conversion to active B vitamins; peas, beans and broccoli, but also the seeds from berry, currant, pepper and pumpkin seeds¹ – our preference for seedless fruits and deseeding fruit and vegetables for cooking may do us no favours.

We reported the findings of the National Diet and Nutrition Survey by the Food Standards Authority (February 2004) ² in the article “What are we like?” and mentioned that the intake of B vitamins had increased since 1986/7, but this was mainly from processed cereals, chicken and crisps, not the most healthy of diets. As we said, many commercial cereals add B vitamins to their products, which they have to do by law, as they are removed in the processing. The survey stated the quantity of B vitamins eaten, but not necessarily the quality, the following gives a brief outline of the whole B vitamin family and the best food sources to enable to get the full complement in your diet:

Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)

Required for normal nerve cell function and for ATP or adenosine triphosphate production (energy fuel). Destroyed easily during cooking and by alcohol consumption.

Food sources: Brown rice, egg yolks, fish, legumes, liver, peanuts, peas, pork, poultry and whole grains. Other sources include asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, most nuts, plums and watercress.

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)

Involved in getting oxygen into cells, B2 is also necessary for good vision and healthy skin. This vitamin helps convert carbohydrates to ATP, the energy fuel. It has a yellow pigment and colours the urine (one to look out for if taking B2 supplements). Deficiency symptoms include cracks and sores at the corners of the mouth, eye disorders and inflammation of the mouth and tongue.

Food sources: Cheese, egg yolks, fish, legumes, meat, milk, poultry, spinach, whole grains and yoghurt. Other sources include asparagus, avocados broccoli, Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, nuts and watercress.

Vitamin B3 (Niacin or Nicotinic Acid and Niacinamide)

Also manufactured in the body from the amino acid tryptophan, B3 is important for blood circulation, secretion of bile and hydrochloric acid (for proper digestive function), producing sex hormones and reducing cholesterol in the blood. Niacin should not be taken during pregnancy or in cases of ulcers, gout, diabetes, gall bladder/ liver disease or recent heart attack.

Food Sources: beef liver, broccoli, carrots, cheese, corn flour, dates, eggs, fish, milk, pork, potatoes, tomatoes and whole-wheat products.

Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid)

Known as the “anti-stress” vitamin, B5 helps with the production of adrenal hormones, cholesterol, antibodies and the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Easily destroyed during food processing.

Food Sources: beef, eggs, fresh vegetables, kidney, legumes, liver, mushrooms, nuts, saltwater fish, whole rye and wheat flour.

Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)

Important for the nervous system, B6 helps process amino acids, is involved in the production of the mood and sleep neurotransmitters serotonin, melatonin and dopamine, whilst ironically being depleted by antidepressant intake. It is commonly deficient in women, often showing as PMS, bloating, gallstones, depression, irritability and fatigue and again ironically, there is a higher need during contraceptive pill and HRT use.

Food Sources: carrots, chicken, eggs, fish, meat, peas, spinach, sunflower seeds, walnuts, wheat germ, avocados, bananas, beans, broccoli, brown rice, whole grains, cabbage, corn and potatoes.

Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin)

B12’s absorption is dependent on an enzyme called intrinsic factor for its absorption – this needs stomach acid to be produced and therefore impaired digestion can affect body levels. Stomach acid decreases with age and elderly people may become deficient in all the B vitamins and particularly B12. It helps iron function better in the body and aids folic acid in the synthesis of choline to help liver function. Along with folic acid, B12 helps to regulate homocysteine, which can bring down the risk of heart disease and it is linked to the production of acetylcholine – a neurotransmitter that assists memory and learning.

Food sources: This vitamin is found almost exclusively in animal tissues. Found in Brewer’s yeast, clams, eggs, herring, kidney, liver, mackerel, dairy products, seafood, soya and sea vegetables such as dulse, kelp, kombu, nori.

Biotin

Aids in cell growth, production of anti-inflammatory prostaglandins, prevention of hair loss and healthy skin.

Food Sources: Cooked egg yolks, meat, milk, poultry, saltwater fish, soybeans and wholegrains.

Folic Acid

Also known as folacin and folate, folic acid is needed in the brain – it may help with depression, for energy and the formation of red blood cells. It is important for healthy cell division and replication and needed for all areas of growth. The name comes from foliage, so think greens as the primary source and eat them all up. Alcohol and oral contraceptives may increase the need for folate.

Food Sources: Green leafy vegetables, asparagus, barley, beef, bran, brown rice, cheese, chicken, dates, lamb, legumes, lentils, liver, milk, mushrooms, oranges, split peas, pork, root vegetables, salmon, tuna, wheat germ, whole grains and whole wheat.

Choline

Choline is needed for gall bladder regulation, proper transmission of nerve impulses and breaking down fats in the liver. It aids in hormone and fat production (including cell membrane integrity), acetylcholine production for good memory and cholesterol metabolism.

Food sources: egg yolk, lecithin, legumes, meat, milk, soybeans and whole grain cereals.

Inositol

Inositol is vital for hair growth, has a calming effect, may help to reduce cholesterol and is needed for the metabolism of fat and cholesterol. It may be effective in anxiety disorders and in the treatment of depression and is easily depleted by caffeine consumption.

Food sources: fruits, lecithin, legumes, meats, milk, unrefined molasses, raisins, vegetables and whole grains.

Total Being Opinion

As with everything in life, variety is both necessary and takes effort. As the food sources of B vitamins illustrate, a good spread of wholesome foodstuffs will provide a good mix and varying your diet will help you to eat a balance of all the B vitamins. Avoiding white breads, rice and processed foods and concentrating on vegetables, wholegrains, pulses, eggs, fish and some organic meat will provide the right combination.

B vitamins are quite fascinating – literally like little “spark-plugs” that keep our momentum going and really allow ourselves to be and do what we want in life. This may sound too metaphysical when talking about vitamins, but the impact on mental function, energy and ability to cope with day-to-day life if they are missing can be very debilitating and frustrating. We have seen many people improve their quality of life vastly on addressing this deficiency; lack of concentration, poor memory, mood swings and energy slumps can really impact on one’s ability to cope in the world and these are just the more benign first signs of deficiency. “Coping” is about being able to react appropriately to situations and events, and this means emotionally, physically and to a reasonable degree; B vitamins help to keep your body working within its most agreeable parameters.

If supplementing, although up to two or three times more of one B vitamin can be taken in the short-term for a specific deficiency, they should always be taken with a B Complex or a quality multivitamin with good levels. It is important to familiarise yourself with all their names for that reason, because confusingly, not all them start with the prefix ‘B’ – there is also folic acid, biotin, choline and inositol. A nutritionist should be consulted to obtain any advice for supplementing B vitamins, although a B Complex is useful for many people who subjected themselves to stress, sugar, convenience and processed foods, alcohol, cigarettes, pollution and the usual toxic suspects.

See www.totalbeing.com for a Nutritional Assessment to choose the right diet and supplements to help you get in control of your health!

See www.healthyconvenience.com for help remembering how to get healthy – for posters, shopping guides and recipes.

References

1. Anstill-Smith C. Functional Biochemistry – Introduction. Module 1 in seminar series presented by Metabolics Ltd 2003.

2. National Diet and Nutrition Survey: adults aged 19 to 64 years (Vitamin and mineral intake and urinary metabolites). Food Standards Authority (FSA). February 2004. ISBN 0 11 621568 2

Bibliography

Balch JF and Balch PA. Prescriptions for Nutritional Healing. Avery Second Edition 1997
Murray M and Pizzorno J. Encyclopaedia of Natural Medicine. Little, Brown and Company 2000.