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B vitamins are a family of eight water-soluble vitamins that were initially thought to be one and the same substance. Together they are called the B-vitamin complex. We get the B vitamins from many different types of food, but you can also find them in the form of dietary supplements in pharmacies. The supplements are available in different dosage forms to suit everyone: tablets , capsules , drops , sprays and lozenges .
If you eat a vegan or vegetarian diet - or are a little older - then you may need to take a daily supplement of vitamin B. If you are planning to become pregnant , it is recommended to eat folate supplements from one month before the pregnancy until the end of the pregnancy.
Here you can read more about the function and health effects of the various B vitamins and about deficiency symptoms.
B1 - thiamine
Found naturally in: pork, entrails, beans, peas, asparagus and cereals.
Needed for: the metabolism of carbohydrates and protein.
Deficiency symptoms: The heart disease beriberi (occurs mainly among alcoholics).
Health effects: contributes to normal energy metabolism, normal psychological function, normal nervous system function and normal heart function.
B2 - riboflavin
Found naturally in: meat, poultry, eggs, entrails, sausages, dairy products, legumes, green leafy vegetables and whole grains.
Needed for: breakdown of fats, carbohydrates and protein.
Deficiency symptoms: Mucosal and skin changes such as angular rashes (sores / cracks in the mouth pores) and seborrheic dermatitis (dandruff).
Health effects: contributes to normal energy metabolism, to maintain normal vision, skin and mucous membranes, normal function of the nervous system, maintain normal blood cells, protect cells from oxidative stress and reduce fatigue and exhaustion.
B3 - niacin (nicotinamide and nicotinic acid)
Found naturally in: chicken, fish, meat, peanuts, hard bread and cereals.
Needed for: metabolism of fats, carbohydrates and protein.
Deficiency symptoms: the skin disease pellagra.
Health effects: contributes to normal energy metabolism, normal psychological function, maintaining normal skin and mucous membranes, normal function of the nervous system and reducing fatigue and exhaustion.
B5 - pantothenic acid
Found naturally in: most foods, especially meat, legumes and whole grains.
Needed for: metabolism of fats and carbohydrates.
Deficiency symptoms: no deficiencies have been reported in humans.
Health effects: contributes to normal energy metabolism, normal mental performance, reduces fatigue and exhaustion as well as normal metabolism of steroid hormones, vitamin D and certain neurotransmitters.
B6 - pyridoxine
Found naturally in: meat, poultry, sausages, eggs, dairy products, potatoes, cereals, berries and bread.
Needed for: metabolism of proteins and nerve function.
Deficiency symptoms: skin changes around mouth, nose and eyes, cramps and anemia (anemia).
B7 - biotin
Found naturally in: almost all foods. Liver, egg yolk, oatmeal and wheat groats are especially rich in content.
Needed for: fatty acid metabolism.
Deficiency symptoms: fatigue, nausea, dermatitis.
Health effects: contributes to normal energy metabolism and nutrient metabolism, to maintaining normal hair, skin and mucous membranes as well as the normal function and normal psychological function of the nervous system.
B9 - folate and folic acid
Found naturally in: almost all foods. High content in liver, dark green leafy vegetables, cabbage, beans, chickpeas, lentils, fruits and berries. Whole grain products, film milk and yoghurt also contain relatively much folate.
Needed for: new cell and red blood cell formation.
Deficiency symptoms: anemia (anemia). If a pregnant woman has folate deficiency, the fetus has an increased risk of spina bifida.
Health effects: contributes to normal psychological function, maternal tissue growth during pregnancy, normal amino acid production, normal blood formation, normal homocysteine metabolism, normal immune system function, reduced fatigue and exhaustion and plays an important role in cell division.
B12 - cobalamin
Found naturally in: fish, meat, seafood, eggs, liver, milk and cheese.
Needed for: the cells' metabolism, the formation of blood cells and for the function of the nervous system.
Symptoms of deficiency: anemia (anemia) and lack of nerve function. Vegans and the elderly are at risk of developing B12 deficiency.
To the product category B vitamins .