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Vitamin B1
Vitamin B2
Vitamin B3
Vitamin B5
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B1 (thiamin)
Main Functions:
- Essential for carbohydrate metabolism and
energy production
- Important for healthy nervous system
Major Sources:
Liver, pork, brewer's yeast,
brown rice,
cereals, bread, pork, beans
Disease Implications:
- Frank deficiency causes beri-beri.(muscle
wasting, nervous system interruption)
- Less severe deficiency can cause a number
of illnesses including depression, loss of
appetite and the diseases associated with
appetite suppression.
- Deficiency has also been associated with
dementia.
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
Main Functions:
- Important for carbohydrate metabolism and
energy production
- essential for growth and maintenance
Major Sources:
Liver, kidney, eggs, grains,
milk, bread,
dark green vegetables (spinach),
nuts.
Disease implications:
- Because of its importance to healthy mucous
membranes, deficiency of this vitamin leads
to a host of symptoms associated with defective
membrane integrity, such as sore tongue,
mouth and lips, flaky skin, dry eyes.
- Anemia
- Implicated in nervous system disorders including
depression.
Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
Main Functions:
- Necessary for proper fat and carbohydrate
metabolism
- Essential for protein synthesis, including
the neurotransmitter serotonin
- Necessary for maintaining healthy nervous
system
- Promotes healthy skin, hair and digestive
system
- Known to lower cholesterol and triglyceride
levels.
Major Sources:
Beef, Liver, kidney, chicken,
cod, salmon,
grains, sunflower seeds, peanuts,
brown rice.,
Brewer's yeast.
Disease Implications:
- Frank deficiency leads to Pellagra ( dermatitis,
diarrhea, dementia)
- Deficiency associated with weakness, gastrointestinal
disturbance, skin lesions,loss of appetite.
Vitamin B5 (Panthothenic Acid)
Main Functions:
- Important in protein and carbohydrate metabolism
- Important in cholesterol metabolism and hormone
production.
Main Sources:
Widely available.
Produced by bacteria in the intestinal
tract.
Disease Implications:
- deficiency disease symptoms is very unusual
as the vitamin is so widely found in cells
of plant and animal origin
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxin)
Main Functions:
- Essential in neurotransmitter synthesis and
maintaining healthy nervous system
- Necessary in protein synthesis
- Necessary for normal growth
- Helps in energy production from glycogen.
- Essential for linolenic acid metabolism and
conversion to prostaglandin
E1
Major Sources:
Meat, liver, kidney, Chicken,
Brewer's yeast,
salmon, trout, beans, brown rice,
brown or
enriched bread, whole grain,
cereals, sunflower
seeds, tomato juice.
Disease Implications:
- Frank deficiency leads to dwarfism.
- Deficiency symptoms include fatigue, poor
growth, night blindness, reduced sperm counts,
hair loss, loss of appetite, dermatitis,
anemia.
- Deficiency associated with dementia and depression
- In osteoporosis, this vitamin can enhance
structural bone protein and is recommended
(5-50 mg)
- B6 supplementation helpful in depression
acting to stimulate neurotransmitter synthesis
Vitamin B12
Main Functions:
- Helps in DNA synthesis
- Involved in protein synthesis and fat and
carbohydrate metabolism
- Necessary for formation of red blood cells
- necessary to maintain health nervous system.
- Assists calcium adsorption
Major Sources:
Meats, Liver, Kidney, chicken, cereals, brewer's
yeast, dairy products egg
Note: since main sources are
meats, vegans
need to ensure they are taking
adequate intakes
from other sources to avoid deficiency
arising.
Disease Implication:
- Frank Deficiency leads to megaloblastic anemia.
- deficiency symptoms include confusion, poor
growth in children, hair loss, loss of appetite.
- deficiency associated with peripheral nerve
degeneration, dementia, depression.
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Recommended Test
 Test for vitamin
deficiency
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