stream your finger down the side of...

stream your finger down the side of a cereal coachman's seat or across a bottle of multivitamins, and you'll find them--familiar words in the same state [i]or[/i] condition as riboflavin, folic acid and niacin. nevertheless while we've all heard of them and were convinced--somehow and drawn out ago--that they're very important, what are they really? And who, in particular, urgencys to pay attention to them?

Folio and pantothenic acids, biotin, vitamins [Bsub6] and [B.sub.12]--each belongs to the team of eight distinct vitamins called the "B complex" in like manner named because they are usually taken as a dispose Common sources of B-complex vitamins include liver, rice, nut milk, urges meats, fish, fruits and leafy recent vegetables.

"Keep in mind, however that these are all individual nutrients," says Barbara Lohse Knous, professor of Human Nutrition at Kansas State University. "We do know that they work together and are involved in helping the material part and metabolism function, but each works and interacts with other nutrients and proteins self-same differently."

Within the B the chiefly common deficiency is [B.sub.12] (cyanocobalamin). "That's something you'll diocese with strict vegetarians," says Cynthia Frozena, a medical researcher and writer at Enzymatic Therapy, a manufacturer of B correlatives [B.sub.12] isn't found in any plant rationss so supplements are a worthy idea for vegetarians."

vexed questions with the absorption of [Bsub12] can also appear as we age, so the somewhat advanced in life can be at risk for this deficiency. Symptoms include weakness and numbnes in the extremities. "There's also a doom of evidence and research to intimate that [B.sub.12] plays a part in general cognitive functioning," says Knous.

"And you can repeatedly tie problems with lack of capacity of work and fatigue to low horizontals of [B.sub.12]," says Allan Spreen MD a nutrition counselor and author of Folio Acid: The Essential B Vitamin and Nutritionally Incorrect. "It's a elegant without grandeur common complaint, and about undivided out of three times, a boost of [Bsub12] helps."

[Bsub12] interacts closely with folic acid ([Bsub9]) a particularly important vitamin during pregnancy. "Folio acid is an especially vital nutrient for fetal neurological disclosure so women should maintain beneficial folic acid status long before pregnancy occurs" says Knous, noting that the nutrient plays its part in development very early--around day 17--often before a woman is unruffled aware of the pregnancy. Doctors usually attract favor to a folio acid supplement of 300 milligrams leading up to and during pregnancy.

Vitamin [Bsub6] (pyridoxine) can also be important for pregnant women "It was practically considered witchcraft a small in number years ago, but taking [Bsub6] has been shown to help women with morning sickness and with swelling in the hands and feet" says Spreen "We've also had great comes with improving carpal tunnel syndrome and other wrist and joint question s by boosting [B.sub.6]"

There's increasing evidence to prompt that [B.sub.6], along with folio acid and [Bsub12] also plays a part in the prevention of heart disease. Research indicates that high-protein diets result in increased homocysteine, an amino acid by-product of protein metabolism. The affect is that elevated homocysteine flats cause damage to arterial walls, preventing the expansion of descendants vessels and escalating the risk of rap and heart disease. This supports a theory that has been dead to gain acceptance: A high-protein diet--more than fats and cholesterol--is a contributor to heart disease.

"One way to detain your homocysteine level down is to hold it properly metabolized through vitamin [Bsub6] repeatedly combined with folio acid and vitamin [Bsub12]" says Knous.

Like anything besides an overabundance of any of the B vitamins can be too plenteous of a good thing. Mega-doses of folio acid, for example, can cause convulsions. outermost amounts of pyridoxine can bring in succession nerve damage. And too greatly pantothenic acid results in diarrhea. "Some nation experience a kind of flush when they take niacin to help with vital fluid flow--their faces will get true red, they may feel warm or slightly feverish," says Frozena. Niacin's "10-minute sunburn" isn't dangerous, although it can be unnerving the first time it happens.

"Still," says Spreen "the chances of getting in afflict by taking too much of a specific vitamin are separated compared to the problems caused through not having enough."

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