Vitamin Supplements

At one time vitamin B was thought to be one single substance. Now we know there is a whole family of these vitamins, more than a dozen of them. We refer to them as the B complex vitamins. They are often found together in various foods. But they are all different in their effects upon the human body. Some are needed in the transfer of energy within the cells. Others are required for the formation of red blood cells. But they have other activities as well.

These vitamins are found in natural foods before they have been processed and refined. Whole- grain cereals contain large quantities of the B complex vitamins. These are found particularly in the outer covering of the grain. This is the part that is often thrown away in the refining and polishing process. There ought to be a law in every land preventing this destructive process, which results in so much misery among the poor. Well- to-do people can afford a wider variety in their diet. The poor often have to subsist on these highly milled products that have been robbed of their most important nutrients. This is a common cause of malnutrition in some areas of the world today. Proper education in both home and school is very important in preventing malnutrition.

Thiamine (vitamin B₁) is very important to both nerves and muscles. Neither can do their work well unless there is sufficient thiamine present. This vitamin enters into almost every cellular reaction within the body. Carbohydrates cannot be utilized unless thiamine is present in the cells. The nervous system cannot function properly without thiamine. This is the substance for which the word “vitamin” was first coined.

When thiamine is deficient in the diet, all kinds of aches and pains develop in various parts of the body. The individual suffers from nervous irritability, lack of appetite, digestive disturbances, weakness, anemia, and wasting of the muscles. In more extreme cases the heart begins to fail and swellings appear in the legs and other parts of the body. There may be shortness of breath and pains over the heart. This is the disease called beriberi. Constipation, flatulence, and other digestive complaints are common.

As the disease progresses, neuritis develops in various areas, due to degeneration of the covering of certain nerves. Some muscles become paralyzed, and the heart may be greatly enlarged. The damage to the nervous system may be permanent, although with treatment some of the muscles may recover their function. This is the more fulminating type of the disease. In extreme cases death may occur suddenly and unexpectedly.

Milder deficiencies of thiamine are very common. Alcoholics and those who live on poor diets are prone to have one of the milder forms of beriberi. Many people who are tired and irritable are suffering from a chronic lack of thiamine. Changing to a balanced diet may be all that is needed to make them feel well and strong again.

The most reliable sources of thiamine are whole-grain cereals, wheat germ, brewer’s yeast, fresh fruits, eggs, vegetables, dried beans, peas, and lentils. Thiamin is absent from most refined foods, such as ordinary white flour, starch, white sugar, polished rice, and fats. The bacteria that normally live within the human gastro-intestinal tract also produce small amounts of thiamine. People who use strong laxatives often lose these helpful bacteria, with the result there is a lowering of the thiamine available to the body.

Thiamine is essential to all life. For optimum health one should be well supplied with this vitamin. Unlike vitamin A, thiamine cannot be stored in the body. It must be included in the diet each day. Growing children and women who are pregnant need two or three times as much as adults. Nursing mothers need five times as much. An abundant supply of whole grains or wheat germ will usually meet these needs adequately. Baking soda should never be added to foods during cooking. The alkali destroys the vitamin.

Riboflavin (vitamin Bo), like the rest of the B complex, is water-soluble. It is easily lost or washed out of foods that are cooked with too much water. Riboflavin is needed for enzymes that help in the utilization of carbohydrates in the body. Deficiency symptoms include chronic sores at the angles of the mouth, an abnormal shiny redness of the lips, burning in the eyes, and a purplish-red discoloration of the tongue. There may be a “shark skin” appearance around the eyes, nose, and chin.

Best sources of riboflavin include milk, eggs, legumes, yeast, whole-grain products, and green leafy vegetables.

Niacin (nicotinic acid) is needed for enzymes within the body. A deficiency of this vitamin may result in the disease known as pellagra, a word that means “rough skin.” Pellagra is often associated with beriberi and riboflavin deficiency. This is understandable, for the same sources that supply one part of the B complex usually provide all the others, although not necessarily in the same adequate quantities.

The earliest symptoms of a niacin deficiency include a gradual loss of strength and perhaps a decrease in weight. There may be changes of mood with periods of mental depression. The condition is often incorrectly diagnosed as “neurasthenia.” Later the skin may become irritated, especially over the hands, elbows, knees, and feet. At first it may appear as a sunburn. Then the area becomes reddish-brown, rough, scaly, and pigmented.

There may be soreness of the tongue, especially at the tip and along the edges, with a burning sensation in the mouth, throat, and stomach. The stools are often foul. The patient complains of nervousness, dizziness, insomnia, and muscular weakness. The extremities “feel numb.” There may be hallucinations, delirium, and confusion. The disease is often aggravated by chronic alcoholism.

Patients with severe pellagra should be hospitalized. Milder cases may be treated at home. They should be given a diet high in calories with three pints of milk a day. Yeast, liver extract, and wheat germ should be added to the diet.

Prevention is not difficult. Any well-balanced diet is adequate in niacin. But some people live on a diet consisting largely of fats and carbohydrates. Appetite is a poor guide in the selection of a good diet. Even though pellagra is not seen so frequently as in times past, there is still much evidence of the disease in a mild form. A liberal diet of milk, eggs, fruit, fresh green vegetables, and whole grains is the best means of preventing this disease.

Pyridoxine (vitamin B₆) is another part of the B complex. Convulsions may occur when this vitamin is absent from the diet of young babies. Most of them quickly recover when the vitamin is administered. Adults may suffer from extreme nervousness and irritability. There may be a relationship between pyridoxine deficiency and convulsive seizures. Ordinary pasteurized or evaporated milk contains an abundant supply of vitamin B6. Vitamin B12 is the largest of all the vitamin molecules. It contains cobalt. Vitamin B12 has a profound effect on the production of red blood cells. A deficiency of this vitamin results in severe anemia. Pain, tingling, numbness, and stiffness of the extremities develop, and there may be a partial paralysis. Vitamin B12 is valuable in the treatment of tropical sprue and macrocytic anemia. Patients with pernicious anemia usually do better when the vitamin is given by injection. Vitamin B12, folic acid, and vitamin C are all closely related in the formation of red blood cells. A well-balanced diet provides ample vitamin B12.

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