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Nutrient of the Week: Vitamin B--Part 3 of 3!
The virtues of Vitamin B!
Part three of a three part series.
In case you missed the earlier threads, click here for part one, and here for part two!
Today’s focus: Folic acid, cobalamin, choline, inositol, and the wrap up!
Folic Acid:
I’m sure many of you have heard about the importance of folic acid in pregnant women and their growing fetus. Why is this? Folic acid is important in cellular division, in the making of DNA, and in the development of the nervous system. Deficiency of this important nutrient often leads to spina bifida and other neural tube defects. However, it’s also important for all people, including adults!
You may be thinking, “well, a fetus obviously has a lot of cellular division going on b/c it’s growing. I’m an adult and am not growing anymore.” I say to you, there’s lots of places that have cellular division occurring continuously! Where? Red blood cells, mucosal cells within your mouth, GI tract, genital tract….and a folic deficiency can lead to diarrhea, anemia, gingivitis, loss of appetite, fatigue, abnormal pap smears, depression, forgetfuless, and some studies indicate arthritis! So don't push folic acid aside!!
Food sources include green leafy veggies, blackeye peas, wheat/rice germ, a wide variety of beans, nuts. Meat tends not to have folic acid with the exception of liver. Folic acid is also sensitive and can be destroyed by light or heat. In addition, consumption of alcohol can impair our metabolism of this nutrient. Some medications such as estrogen, chemotherapy drugs, methotrexate, sulfasalazine (for those with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis) can also impair metabolism of folic acid.
How much do we need? The average adult requires about 200 mcg of folic acid daily while pregnant women need about 400 and lactating women need around 280 mcg a day. There are also several forms of folic acid you can take as a supplement, the most common being folic acid itself, which is the same as folate. Don’t let the chemical names confuse you. ☺ Another form that is most active form is called folinic acid. If you take folic acid, it must go through some steps in order to become folinic acid. If you’re severely deficient or pregnant, folinic acid is the one to take. For everyone else, folic acid is just fine.
With the studies regarding arthritis and folic acid, a deficiency caused homocysteine levels to increase. High homocystein levels are also known to promotes a lot of different conditions in us such as atherosclerosis and osteoporosis. Who the heck wants that?
When taking folic acid, you should always take vitamin B12 as well. I won’t go into the nitty-gritty details of what’s going on (ask if you want it), but just note that folic acid can easily hide a vit B 12 deficiency. As far as side effects, the ones that occur happen when you take very high doses of folic acid, around 5 – 10 mg. Nausea and flatulence are common.
Some lose their appetite. If you’re epileptic, high doses may also increase the incidence of seizures. Cobalamin (Vitamin B12)
This vitamin was discovered around 1950 or so as a special nutrient in liver that prevented the deadly pernicious anemia. Cobalamin, in conjuction with folic acid, helps make DNA, RBC, and also make the myelin sheath that protects our nerve cells.
Food sources: Cobalamin is mostly found in animal foods such as organ meats, especially the liver and kidneys, but also in fish, eggs, and cheese.
Deficiency signs: It may take five to six years of poor nutrition without cobalamin before signs appear. Unlike the other B vitamins, cobalamin is stored in our liver, kidneys, and other body tissues. Severe deficiency leads to pernicious anemia, but usually has the greatest impact on our nervous system and brain. For example, numbness, prickly sensations, burning sensations, depression, and impaired mental functions that mimic Alzheimer’s disease are a few of the symptoms.
Like folic acid, cobalamin is involved with homocysteine metabolism, so not having enough B12 will increase your homocysteine levels. There have been studies regarding homocysteine levels and certain B vitamins. The “B trinity” to keeping homocysteine levels low are folic acid, cobalamin, and pyridoxine. Those that take these B supplements have lower homocysteine levels than in individuals with normal B levels.
RDA for adults is around 2 mcg.
Choline
Not a B vitamin anymore, but it’s just as important & works closely with them. Choline helps makes the neurotransmitter, acetylcholine, as well as many components of cell membranes. Acetylcholine helps brain processes such as memory. Choline also helps metabolize fats, which would otherwise be trapped in our liver.
Food sources—include whole grains, egg yolks, some veggies, liver, soy, and legumes.
Deficiency signs: Those with a choline-deficient diet tend to develop liver and kidney disorders, and also develop fatty deposits within the liver causing it to disfunction.
Side effects: There are several versions of choline available on the market today. Try to find one with as much percentage of phosphatidylcholine as possible because other versions tend to have side effects such nausea, bloating, GI pain, anorexia, and diarrhea. If you take really high doses, such as 20 grams or more, choline will produce a fishy odor! Beware!
This supplement is usually taken three times a day with meals to help with liver disorders, lowering cholesterol, and treating mental disorders. Otherwise, once a day seems to be sufficient for someone in good, general health.
Inositol
Another pseudo-B vitamin that works closely with them. It also functions within cell membranes similar to choline.
Food sources: Citrus fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes, and whole grains. It’s found mostly as a fiber component as inositol phosphate or phytic acid. Our beneficial bacterial within our gut breaks down this version of inositol to make it useable for us.
No know deficiency symptoms known, however, it is useful within our bodies. In particular, it helps moves fat out of the liver & helps prevent liver disorders. Some studies believe that inositol has an anticancer effect and try to use it as a reason to why high-fiber diets protects against many cancers.
Supplements will have inositol in the form as inositol monophosphate, and there is currently no RDA values for it. Some nutritionists suggest using 100 to 500 mg for liver health, more for diabetes, and much higher still for mental issues. There are currently no known side effects with the exception that it makes some people sleepy. There are also no known drug interactions.
So, this wraps up this series on the B vitamins! Overall, the B vitamins are a team of nutrients that everyone should take to help our various processes within us. Energy, nerves, mood, cells, skin, bones, etc….we all want our bodies to be the best it can be! Along side a good multivitamin and flax oil supplement, a B-vitamin complex rounds up the must have list of supplements that everyone should take.
Got questions? Feel free to ask for clarification, journal citations, or for more info! What I've presented over the last three weeks is just skimming of what Vitamin B can do for you!!
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