About B Complex Vitamins

B Complex Vitamins

In the past, Vitamin B was thought of as just one nutrient that was present in extracts of yeast, liver or rice. It was only later on that researchers were able to discover it actually contains various vitamins. The same were given different numbers each so that they could be distinguished.

The majority of the known essential vitamins that are water soluble are included in B complex Vitamin category.

Such vitamins include Vitamin B1 or thiamine, Vitamin B2 or riboflavin, Vitamin B3 or niacin, Vitamin B5 or pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 or pyridoxine, Vitamin B12 or cobalamins, folic acid and biotin. However, such designation led others who are not in the field of science that said compositions are related to each other when in fact they are not.

You will know that every member of the B complex Vitamins has a distinct structure and that they it performs an equally function.

Thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and biotin are those that are responsible for the production of energy in the body while pyridoxine is important when it comes to the metabolism of amino acids. Folic acid and Vitamin B12 are involved in the process of cell division.

These are not their only functions. They still have additional ones. However, none of the said functions require every member of B complex Vitamins at the same time.

The amount of B complex Vitamins needed for a day will vary as to the age and gender of a person. For instance, an adult male would require eighteen milligrams of Vitamin B3 and three milligrams of Vitamin B12 in a day.

It is not safe to take more than what is required although you may have read that in some cases that overdoses of the same would cause no side effect. This is of course preposterous.

Like any other medicine, B complex vitamins are known to have side effects when not properly taken.