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Posts Tagged ‘vitamin b complex’

Vitamin B-3, or niacin, is one of the eight water-soluble B complex vitamins required by all living cells, to helps in the release of energy from carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. It is also required for the synthesis of amino acids and fat needed for nucleic acid formation. This vitamin is different from the other vitamins of the B-complex group because an essential amino acid, tryptophan serves as its precursor.

Benefits of Vitamin B-3:

* Niacin plays an important role in helping the body get rid of toxic and harmful chemicals.

* Niacin promotes insulin secretion increasing insulin sensitivity, effective in stabilizing blood sugar levels and preventing the advance of type I diabetes in some patients.

* Vitamin B3 required for the production of genetic material in our cells, called deoxyribo nucleic acid (DNA).

* It also assists the body manufacture various sex and stress-related hormones.

* Vitamin B3 is useful in improving blood circulation, and helps reduce cholesterol levels in the blood.

* Vitamin B3 is important for converting protein, fat and carbohydrates into energy.

* It helps the proper functioning of the digestive system and promotes healthy skin, hair and nerves.

Vitamin B3 deficiency symptoms -

Early symptoms of deficiency include:

• Muscular pain
• Skin eruptions, including wrinkles, rashes, dry and coarse scaly skin in areas exposed to sunlight
• Indigestion
• Anorexia – loss of hunger
• Headaches and body aches
• Swollen, red tongue
• General tiredness
• Mood swings along with irritability
• Dizziness
• Nausea and vomiting
• Dementia
• Death in very severe cases

Vitamin B complex-  a group of 12 related water-soluble substances. The eight water-soluble vitamins includes thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), biotin (B7), pyridoxine (B6), folic acid (B9), and cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12 considered as the essential vitamins because they need to be definitely included in the diet. Four are not essential because the body can synthesize them, they are choline, inositol, PABA, and lipoic acid.

Benefits of Vitamin B Complex- each member of the B-complex has a unique structure and performs unique functions in the human body for lustrous hair, B6 is essential for amino acid metabolism, B12 and folic acid facilitate cell division, good vision, Folic acid, pyridoxine, and cobalamin work together to keep homocysteine levels low, as high homocysteine levels lead to heart disease.

Sources of Vitamin B Complex- well balanced diet can provide us with all the B vitamins, but because they are water soluble and not retained by the body, we need a daily dietary sources such as Vitamins B1 and B2 found in cereals, whole grains, potatoes, seafood, liver, and kidney beans. Vitamin B3 is found in liver, fish, chicken, nuts, whole grains, and dried beans. Vitamin B5 is found in almost all foods. Fish, chicken, potatoes, wheat germ, bananas, and dried beans are good sources of vitamin B6. Vitamin B7 is present in peanuts, liver, egg yolk, bananas, watermelon, and grapefruit. Green leafy vegetables, liver, citrus fruits, nuts, peas, dried beans, and wheat bread contain vitamin B9. Vitamin B12 is found in eggs, meat, poultry, milk.