B Vitamins

[MommaDogs]

The B vitamins are a group of 8 different vitamins.

 

* thiamine (B1)

* riboflavin (B2)

* niacin (B3)

* pantothenic acid (B5)

* pyridoxine (B6)

* cyanocobalamin (B12)

* folic acid

* biotin

 

The B vitamins give us energy by helping our bodies break down carbohydrates into glucose, as well as fats and proteins. They are essential for healthy skin, eyes, hair, and livers. There is much more, so stay tuned, and please - contribute what you know.

 

B vitamins are one of those that are easy to get from fermented foods as fermentation increases them.

 

B12 is that vitamin that is most often deficient in our society, as vegetarians do not get enough of it unless they are conscious of it.

[Homemaker]

Kombucha contains lots of the B vitamins. I make my own, so I don't know how much it contains, but I'll give you the stats on the bottled kind from my health food store.

 

Serving size: 8 oz

Folic acid 25%

B2 20%

B6 20%

B1 20%

B3 20%

B12 20%

 

Not bad, considering it's just a beverage. It also has all those good probiotic buggies for your digestive system.

[Becca_Anne]

B vitamins are also a precursor to make a very important neurotransmitter for your brain called Seratonin! I take it every day and it is the reason I don't need antidepressants anymore. I notice the next day if I forget to take it because I get very weepy for no reason. It is my lifesaver

[farmgirlwannabe]

B6 can help with PMS. B6 has also been shown to help prevent strokes.

[Homemaker]

B vitamins Work as a team to promote healthy nerves, skin, eyes, hair, liver, muscle tone and cardiovascular function: they protect us from mental disorders, depression and anxiety. Deficiency of the B vitamin complex can result in the enlargement and malfunction of almost every organ and gland in the body. The best source is whole grains.

Sugar consumption depletes stores of some of the B vitamins.

 

I copied the stuff above from the Nourishing Traditions cookbook on page 38. If you have it, look it up. There's a lot of good info there.

Be careful focusing on just one componant of the B vitamin family. They work together and you can really throw things off balance if you suppliment with just one kind. That's why whole foods are your best source. Your body was designed to process the nutrients from real food.

[farmgirlwannabe]

Be careful focusing on just one componant of the B vitamin family. They work together and you can really throw things off balance if you suppliment with just one kind. That's why whole foods are your best source. Your body was designed to process the nutrients from real food.

 

I totally agree with that. Using whole foods to make sure you are getting what you need is always the best way! And I'm sorry if I gave the wrong impression about using the B6. I do not, nor would I suggest that anyone uses specific B supplements. That can actually be very dangerous, even doing some permanent damage to your body is possible.

 

Ex: More than 500 mg of B6 can cause irreversible nerve damage.The nerve damage can cause impaired walking, numbness, tingling and poor sense of touch.

 

I just wanted to state that each of the B vitamins can have it's own special importance in the mix.

 

 

There are so many foods that are rich in usable B vitamins. Whole-grain products, bread, red meat, egg yolks, green leafy vegetables, legumes, sweet corn, brown rice, berries, watermelon, bananas, peas, cheese, liver, soybeans, yeast....the list could go on and on.....

[CrabGrassAcres]

I've just been reading about nicotinamide treatment for lupus.

[Homemaker]

It's okay, Farmgirl, I wasn't getting on your case about the B6. Just sounding a general warning. It's so easy to grab a bottle of just one kind when you hear that it helps with an ailment you're suffering from. I know... I've done it.

I'm sure there are times when just one componant can be useful in treatments, like the lupus Crabgrass mentioned. I would want to be sure first that my overall diet/ supplimentation was complete in order to rule that out as the cause of my problem before I started high doses of one type of vitamin.

[DoopsDipseply]

In CA you can order them from the companies that you get your quartely packages from. I just sent my fiance a package with multi vitamins in it. There were a whole bunch of different vitamins to choose from.

[MommaDogs]

From U of Maryland http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/vitamin-b1-000988.htm

 

Vitamin B1 (thiamine)

Overview:

Vitamin B1, also called thiamine or thiamin, is one of 8 B vitamins. All B vitamins help the body to convert food (carbohydrates) into fuel (glucose), which is "burned" to produce energy. These B vitamins, often referred to as B complex vitamins, also help the body metabolize fats and protein. B complex vitamins are necessary for healthy skin, hair, eyes, and liver. They also help the nervous system function properly.

All the B vitamins are water-soluble, meaning that the body does not store them.

Like other B complex vitamins, thiamine is considered an "anti-stress" vitamin because it may strengthen the immune system and improve the body's ability to withstand stressful conditions. It is named B1 because it was the first B vitamin discovered.

Thiamine is found in both plants and animals and plays a crucial role in certain metabolic reactions. For example, it is required for the body to form adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which every cell of the body uses for energy.

Thiamine deficiency is rare, but can occur in people who get most of their calories from sugar or alcohol. People with thiamine deficiency have difficulty digesting carbohydrates. As a result, a substance called pyruvic acid builds up in their bloodstream, causing a loss of mental alertness, difficulty breathing, and heart damage (a disease known as beriberi).

Beriberi

The most important use of thiamine is to treat beriberi, which is caused by not getting enough thiamine in your diet. Symptoms include swelling, tingling, or burning sensation in the hands and feet, confusion, difficulty breathing (from fluid in the lungs), and uncontrolled eye movements (called nystagmus). Although people in the developed world generally do not have to worry about getting enough thiamine because foods such as cereals and breads are fortified with the vitamin, people can develop a deficiency fairly quickly, because the body does not store thiamine.

Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome

Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome is a brain disorder caused by thiamine deficiency; as with beriberi, it is treated by giving supplemental thiamine. Wernicke-Korsakoff is actually two disorders: Wernicke's disease involves damage to nerves in the central and peripheral nervous systems and is generally caused by malnutrition stemming from habitual alcohol abuse. Korsakoff syndrome is characterized by memory impairment and nerve damage. High doses of thiamine can improve muscle coordination and confusion, but only rarely improves memory loss.

Cataracts

Some preliminary evidence suggests that thiamine -- along with other nutrients -- may lower risk of getting cataracts. People with plenty of protein and vitamins A, B1, B2, and B3 (niacin) in their diet are less likely to develop cataracts. Getting enough vitamins C, E, and B complex (particularly the B1, B2, B9 [folic acid], and B12 [cobalamin) may further protect the lens of your eyes from developing cataracts. More research is needed to be sure.

Alzheimer's disease

Because lack of thiamine can cause dementia in Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, it has been proposed that thiamin might help reduce severity of Alzheimer's disease. Scientific studies have not always shown any benefit from thiamin, however. Much more research would be needed before thiamine could be proposed as an effective treatment for Alzheimer's disease.

Heart failure

Thiamine may be related to heart failure in two ways. First, low levels of thiamine can lead to "wet beriberi," a condition where fluid builds up around the heart. However, it isn't clear that taking thiamin will help people with heart failure not related to beriberi.

Many people with heart failure take diuretics (water pills), which help rid the body of excess fluid. But diuretics may also cause the body to get rid of too much thiamin. A few small studies suggest that taking thiamin supplements may help. A multivitamin, taken regularly, should provide enough thiamine.

Dietary Sources:

Most foods contain small amounts of thiamine. Large amounts can be found in pork and organ meats. Other good dietary sources of thiamine include whole-grain or enriched cereals and rice, wheat germ, bran, brewer's yeast, and blackstrap molasses.

Available Forms:

Vitamin B1 can be found in multivitamins (including children's chewable and liquid drops), B complex vitamins, or if can be sold individually. It is available in a variety of forms including tablets, softgels, and lozenges. It may also be labeled as thiamine hydrochloride or thiamine mononitrate.

How to Take It:

As with all medications and supplements, check with a health care provider before giving vitamin B1 supplements to a child.

Daily recommendations for dietary vitamin B1 are listed below.

Pediatric

• Newborns to 6 months: 0.2 mg (adequate intake)

• Infants 7 months to 1 year: 0.3 mg (adequate intake)

• Children 1 - 3 years: 0.5 mg (RDA)

• Children 4 - 8 years: 0.6 mg (RDA)

• Children 9 - 13 years: 0.9 mg (RDA)

• Males 14 - 18 years: 1.2 mg (RDA)

• Females 14 - 18 years: 1 mg (RDA)

Adult

• Males 19 years and older: 1.2 mg (RDA)

• Females 19 years and older: 1.1 mg (RDA)

• Pregnant females: 1.4 mg (RDA)

• Breastfeeding females: 1.5 mg (RDA)

Doses for conditions like beriberi and Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome are determined by a doctor. For Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, thiamine is given intravenously.

A daily dose of 50 - 100 mg is often taken as a supplement. Thiamine appears safe even at high doses; however, you should talk to your doctor before taking a large amount.

Precautions:

Because of the potential for side effects and interactions with medications, you should take dietary supplements only under the supervision of a knowledgeable health care provider.

Thiamine is generally nontoxic. Very high doses may cause stomach upset.

Taking any one of the B vitamins for a long period of time can result in an imbalance of other important B vitamins. For this reason, you may want to take a B complex vitamin, which includes all the B vitamins.

Possible Interactions:

If you are currently being treated with any of the following medications, you should not use vitamin B1 without first talking to your health care provider.

Digoxin --Laboratory studies suggest that digoxin (a medication used to treat heart conditions) may reduce the ability of heart cells to absorb and use vitamin B1; this may be particularly true when digoxin is combined with furosemide (Lasix, a loop diuretic).

Diuretics -- Diuretics (particularly furosemide, which belongs to a class called loop diuretics) may reduce levels of vitamin B1 in the body. It's possible that other diuretics may have the same effect. If you take a diuretic, ask your doctor if you need a thiamine supplement.

Phenytoin (Dilantin) -- Some evidence suggests that some people taking phenytoin have lower levels of thiamine in their blood, and that may contribute to the side effects of the drug. However, that is not true of all people who take phenytoin. If you take phenytoin, ask your doctor if you need a thiamine supplement.

Alternative Names:

Thiamine

• Reviewed last on: 8/28/2007

• Steven D. Ehrlich, N.M.D., private practice specializing in complementary and alternative medicine, Phoenix, AZ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

Supporting Research

Ambrose, ML, Bowden SC, Whelan G. Thiamin treatment and working memory function of alcohol-dependent people: preliminary findings. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2001;25(1):112-116.

Antoon AY, Donovan DK. Burn Injuries. In: Behrman RE, Kliegman RM, Jenson HB, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. Philadelphia, Pa: W.B. Saunders Company; 2000:287-294.

Boros LG, Brandes JL, Lee W-N P, et al. Thiamine supplementation to cancer patients: a double-edged sword. Anticancer Res. 1998;18:595–602.

Bruno EJ Jr, Ziegenfuss TN. Water-soluble vitamins: research update. Curr Sports Med Rep. 2005 Aug;4(4):207-13. Review.

Cumming RG, Mitchell P, Smith W. Diet and cataract: the Blue Mountains Eye Study.Ophthalmology. 2000;107(3):450-456.

Gibson GE, Blass JP. Thiamine-dependent processes and treatment strategies in neurodegeneration. Antioxid Redox Signal. 2007 Aug 8; [Epub ahead of print]

Jacques PF, Chylack LT Jr, Hankinson SE, et al. Long-term nutrient intake and early age-related nuclear lens opacities. Arch Ophthalmol. 2001;119(7):1009-1019.

Kelly GS. Nutritional and botanical interventions to assist with the adaptation to stress. Alt Med Rev. 1999;4(4):249-265.

Kuzniarz M, Mitchell P, Cumming RG, Flood VM. Use of vitamin supplements and cataract: the Blue Mountains Eye Study. Am J Ophthalmol. 2001;132(1):19-26.

Leslie D, Gheorghiade M. Is there a role for thiamine supplementation in the management of heart failure? Am Heart J. 1996;131:1248–1250.

Lindberg MC, Oyler RA. Wernicke's encephalopathy. Am Fam Physician. 1990;41:1205–1209.

Lonsdale D. A review of the biochemistry, metabolism and clinical benefits of thiamin(e) and its derivatives. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2006 Mar;3(1):49-59.

Lubetsky A, Winaver J, Seligmann H, et al. Urinary thiamine excretion in the rat: effects of furosemide, other diuretics, and volume load [see comments]. J Lab Clin Med. 1999;134(3):232-237.

National Academy of Science. Recommended Daily Allowances. Accessed August 1, 2007.

Nutrients and Nutritional Agents. In: Kastrup EK, Hines Burnham T, Short RM, et al, eds. Drug Facts and Comparisons. St. Louis, Mo: Facts and Comparisons; 2000:4-5.

Ott BR, Owens NJ. Complementary and alternative medicines for Alzheimer's disease. J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol. 1998;11:163-173.

Rieck J, Halkin H, Almog S, et al. Urinary loss of thiamine is increased by low doses of furosemide in healthy volunteers. J Lab Clin Med. 1999;134(3):238-243.

Rodriquez-Martin JL, Qizilbash N, Lopez-Arrieta JM. Thiamine for Alzheimer's disease (Cochrane Review). Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2001;2:CD001498.

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Thompson J. Vitamins, minerals and supplements: part two. Community Pract. 2005 Oct;78(10):366-8. Review.

Witte KK, Clark AL, Cleland JG. Chronic heart failure and micronutrients. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2001;37(7):1765-1774.

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[MommaDogs]

Northwestern University makes the distinction that thiamin should be consumed from food sources only http://www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/nutri...vitamin-b1.html

 

Nutrition Fact Sheet: Thiamin (vitamin B1)

 

Physiological Functions

 

Thiamin is a coenzyme in two reactions involved in oxidative metabolism of glucose. The vitamin works in tandem with other niacin and riboflavin in glucose oxidation to yield useful metabolic energy in the form of ATP. Because nervous tissue is dependent solely on glucose for energy, these tissues are most sensitive to the effects of thiamin deficiency. Thiamin is also a cofactor in conversion of glucose to other sugars. This pathway is a major source of NADPH, a coenzyme required for biosynthesis of glucose and fatty acids.

 

Factors Affecting Availability

 

The requirement for thiamin is determined by the total amount of carbohydrate and energy consumed. Thiamin is also required for metabolism of alcohol by microsomal detoxification when intakes are high.

 

Thiamin is both water-soluble and heat-sensitive. Thus, losses of the vitamin are enhanced when sources are cooked at high temperatures in large volumes of liquid. Thiamin losses occur during milling of grains. To compensate for these losses, white flour and white rice are "enriched" with this vitamin to levels provided by whole grain sources.

 

Deficiency

 

Mild thiamin deficiency can result in difficulty in concentration, irritablity, depression, muscle weakness and poor coordination. Severe thiamin deficiency known as beriberi is associated with mental confusion, and peripheral neuropathy. Edema characterizes the "wet" form of the disease while muscular atrophy, tachycardia, and cardiomegaly are characteristics of the "dry" form. Thiamin-enriched grain products are widely available in the U.S. Consequently, clinical deficiencies are rarely observed except with severe alcoholism. Demands for thiamin are increased with excessive consumption of alcohol while typically both vitamin intake and absorption are decreased. Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome is a neurological condition that has been linked to thiamin deficiency among alcoholics. Symptoms can range in severity from delusion to psychosis. Brain lesions have been identified during autopsies of alcoholics suffering from this condition which resemble lesions found in animals with experimentally-induced thiamin deficiency. These lesions are thought to occur from accumulation of lactic acid that occurs when the thiamin-dependent step that bridges the nonoxidative pathway with the oxidative pathway of glucose metabolism is blocked.

 

Toxicity

 

Since thiamin is a water-soluble vitamin, amounts consumed in excess of needs are excreted in the urine so toxicity is rarely observed. Doses of thiamin administered parenterally in amounts 100 times the requirement have been reported to cause headache, convulsions, muscular weakness, cardiac arrhythmias, and allergic reactions.

 

The upper limit of safety for thiamin has not been determined due to lack of data substantiating adverse effects at high intakes. The Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine recommends that thiamin should be consumed only from food sources to prevent intake of potentially toxic levels.

 

Requirements

 

The Daily Reference Intakes (DRI) for thiamin are shown in the table below.

 

Life Stage Thiamin (mg)

Infants

0-6 months .2

7-12 months .3

Children

1-3 years .5

4-8 years .6

Males

9-13 years .9

14-18 years 1.2

19-30 years 1.2

31-50 years 1.2

51-70 years 1.2

> 70 years 1.2

Females

9-13 years .9

14-18 years 1.0

19-30 years 1.1

31-50 years 1.1

51-70 years 1.1

> 70 years 1.1

Pregnancy

< 18 years 1.4

19-30 years 1.4

31-50 years 1.4

Lactation

> 18 years 1.4

19-30 years 1.4

31-50 years 1.4

 

Dietary Sources

 

Thiamin is provided by consumption of whole grains, nuts, fish, pork, dried beans, and enriched grain products. See table below for dietary sources of thiamin.

 

Dietary Sources of Thiamin

 

 

FOOD Thiamin Content (mg)

Yeast, brewer's, 2 Tbl 2.3

Pork chop, lean, 3.5 oz 0.9

Ham, lean, 3.5 oz 0.7

Sunflower seeds, 1 oz 0.6

Catfish, 3.5 oz cooked 0.4

Bagel, 2 oz enriched 0.4

Milk, soy, 1 cup 0.4

Pasta, 1 cup cooked 0.3

Beans, baked, 1 cup 0.34

Oatmeal, 1 cup cooked 0.26

Rice, white, cooked, 1 cup 0.26

Green peas, 1/2 cup cooked 0.23

Potato, one medium baked 0.22

Orange juice, 1 cup 0.20

Black beans, 1/2 cup cooked 0.21

Navy beans, 1/2 cup cooked 0.19

Soy nuts, 1/2 cup 0.20

Cashews, 1/2 cup 0.15

Peanuts, 1/2 cup 0.10

 

[MommaDogs]

One of the notes that I want to make about B vitamins again is that fermenting foods increases vitamin B in those foods.

 

Here's an excerpt from a study found from Cornell University http://www.unu.edu/unupress/food/8F072e/8F072E04.htm

 

There are many more such studies, but suffice it to say that if you are worried about vitamin B in a SHTF scenario, then please, learn how to ferment foods.

 

A PROCESS FOR RAISING THE PROTEIN CONTENT OF HIGH-STARCH SUBSTRATES

 

Millions of people in the world today, particularly the poor, use cassava (manioc, yuca) as a stapte in the diet. It is an excellent source of calories but is entirely too low in protein to provide the needs of the consumer. The Indonesians centuries ago developed a fermentation process whereby the protein content of cassava or any other substrate rich in starch can be increased, improving its overall nutritive value. The product is called tape ketan when rice is the substrate and tape ketela when cassava is the substrate.

 

The essential micro-organisms are Amylomyces rouxli and a yeast of the Endomycoosis burtonii type (2, 14). The organisms are available in the markets of most South East Asian countries as a ragi cake. Glutinous rice is steamed, cooled, and inoculated with powdered ragi. Incubated in a warm place, the rice becomes a delicious sweet/sour alcoholic food within two or three days. The micro-organisms utilize a portion of the starch, and the protein content of the tape ketan reaches approximately 16 per cent (dry basis) - about double the initial protein content of the rice. Of considerable nutritional importance, Iysine-the first limiting amino acid in rice-is selectively synthesized, increasing about 15 per cent, and thiamine, which is very low in polished rice, increases 300 per cent, reaching a level close to that found in unpolished rice.

 

If cassava is the substrate, the tubers are peeled and steamed and inoculated with the powdered ragi cake. The tubers become sweetlsour and alcholic. Again a portion of the starch is utilized, and the protein content on a dry basis can reach as high as 3 per cent, or even higher if the microorganisms use a higher proportion of the starch in the tuber. The product can be sun-dried and used as an ingredient in soups.

 

The tape fermentation, which provides a means of raising the protein content of high starch substrates and also increases the Iysine and thiamine content of starchy substrafes, is a potentially valuable industrial resource. It should be noted that tape ketan would very likely be a highly acceptable new food in many developing countries if it were produced by small factories and distributed in an attractive preserved form.