MARION B COMPLEX

Vitamin B refers to not one, but eight different vitamins.

All B vitamins play a role in converting food into energy in the body. Each vitamin also has a unique role in a person’s health. Many people get all the vitamin B they need from a varied, healthful diet, but others benefit from taking a vitamin B-complex supplement.

What is in the vitamin B complex?

Vitamin B-1 – thiamin is vital to the healthy growth and function of organs, including the brain and heart.

Vitamin B-2 – riboflavin. The body needs vitamin B-2 to break down fats.

Vitamin B-3 – niacin. The body needs niacin to maintain healthy skin, nerves, and digestion. Doctors sometimes prescribe high doses of niacin to help improve cholesterol levels.
Vitamin B-5 – pantothenic acid is essential for the health of the brain and nervous system.
Vitamin B-6 – pyridoxine helps the body make new red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout the body. It also helps keep the immune system strong.

Vitamin B-7 – biotin is essential for healthy hair, nails, and nerve function.
Vitamin B-9 – folic acid to make DNA and genetic material. During pregnancy, folic acid may reduce the risk of certain birth defects.

Vitamin B-12 – cobalamin. The body’s nerve and blood cells require vitamin B-12. Adequate levels of B-12 also prevent pernicious anaemia, which is a deficiency of this nutrient.

Benefits & Uses:

Vitamin B-complex supplements may help with certain health problems. If a person has any of the conditions listed below, they may benefit from taking a supplement that contains B vitamins:

Migraine episodes
Some research suggests that certain B vitamins could help prevent migraine with aura, specifically:
vitamin B-6
vitamin B-9
vitamin B-12

The researchers also suggest that vitamin B-2 could help prevent migraine by influencing mitochondrial dysfunction, which occurs at the cellular level.
Depression and anxiety
A meta-analysis found that B vitamins could help with depression in certain cases. The researchers said that taking some B vitamins regularly for several weeks to years could reduce the risk of depression relapse.

Skin wounds
B vitamins may help the skin heal.
One study found that B-12 improved wound healing in mice with diabetes.

Canker sores
Vitamin B-12 may be helpful in treating canker sores, also known as oral ulcers. A double-blind study found that a B-12 ointment relieved pain better than a placebo.

PMS
Some evidence suggests that taking a combined supplement of B-6 and calcium improves symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

Who should take B-complex vitamins?

Vegetarians and vegans
People who follow a vegetarian diet do not eat meat, including beef, poultry, and fish. People following a vegan diet do not eat any animal products, including meat, eggs, and dairy products.
Vegetarian and vegan diets can increase a person’s risk of B-12 deficiency. The vitamin is present in many animal-based foods, including meat, eggs, and dairy.
People who have had gastric bypass surgery.

Research indicates that this surgery increases a person’s need for B-12. 

Older adults
People who are 65 or older may benefit from a B-complex supplement.
Research shows that older adults are more susceptible to vitamin B-12 deficiency. Some evidence suggests that having higher levels of B-12 may help slow the ageing of the brain. Low levels of B-12 and folate — a dietary equivalent of folic acid, or vitamin B-9 — may be associated with depression in older people.

People with other health conditions
A person with any of the following health conditions may benefit from a vitamin B-complex supplement:

Alcohol dependence an autoimmune condition, such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, or type 1 diabetes,s depression, diabetes a malabsorption condition, such as celiac disease or Crohn’s disease
kidney disease, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, AIDS, Side effects and risks, B vitamins are water-soluble. This means that most of the time, the body excretes extra B vitamins in the urine.