After writing about folates and vitamin B12, we have 6 more important vitamins to describe ( Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Pantothenic acid, B6 and Biotin). Most of their roles are related to metabolism, especially energy-producing pathways.
- Thiamin (also known as B1) has an essential role in energy production from food (mostly carbohydrates) and connects carbohydrates, proteins and fat metabolism. It is also active in neurons. Thiamin is widely found in foods (outer layer of cereals, but not white maize of white flour). The alcohol is reducing the thiamin absorption in intestine, and thiamin deficiency has two versions: dry beriberi (affecting the nervous system) and wet beriberi (affecting the cardiovascular system). There is also the Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome or cerebral beriberi, associated with chronic alcoholism combined with limited food consumption, a very frequent illness in the Western hemisphere. In low and middle income countries the disorder is related to the use of highly refined foods (milled rice, unfortified sifted white rice and seafood), for example in Laos the infant death among ethnic groups in north is quite high. There are several risk groups: human milk fed infants if moms are deficient, alcoholics eating unbalanced diet, people having bariatric surgery and people undergoing dialysis. In 2004, there was a soy based formula tested in Israel, with less thiamin than the most used ones, threatening the life of many infants.
- Riboflavin (also known as B2) is the essential component for two coenzyme playing a role in the energy metabolism, aminoacids metabolism and steroid hormones production. Most important sources of B2 are eggs, organs (kidney, liver), lean meat and milk. Fruit and vegetables are low in vitamin B2, but riboflavin deficiency is very uncommon these days, only occurring if all the vitamins are deficient.
- Niacin (also known as vitamin B3) has two vitamers (nicotinamide and nicotinic acid) forming NAD and NADP, essential for more than 200+ enzymes (actually i was curious and counted them, are 370 enzymes). NAD is involved in energy-generating reactions (biochemical degradation of carbs, fats and aminoacids), but also in DNA replication, DNA repair, cell differentiation and cellular signal transduction. NADP helps in reactions requiring energy, synthesis of fatty acids and cholesterol. Most important dietary sources of B3 are fish, meat, nuts and legumes. Milk and some of the vegetables are low in niacin. In cereals they have low bioavailability. The aminoacid tryptophan, found mainly in milk, can be a precursor for the nicotinic acid in the body, up to 66% of the total niacin), so if you get enough tryptophan from milk, eggs and meat, your body can synthetize its own vitamin B3. This vitamin deficiency is called pellagra (from the italian 'raw skin'), as the sunlight exposed skin hardens and swell, forming blisters. It is still occurring in India, parts of China and Africa (where barley and maize are staple foods). In industrialized countries can occur only in people with chronic alcoholism.
I will write about the remaining three vitamin B in the next post.
Yours truly,
George
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