Vitamin B

The Vitamin - B Complex: Types of Vitamin B.

B vitamins are water-soluble, quite delicate, and easily destroyed by heat and alcohol. It is the main reason why people who take alcohol are deficient in most of the Vitamins in Vitamin-B complex class. There are different types of Vitamin-B, all available in Kenya 🇰🇪. Here are the basic types of Vitamin-B Complex:

• Thiamine (B1) - Deficiency causes Beriberi
• Riboflavin (B2) - Deficiency is rare except for people who take excessive alcohol & cow milk.
• Niacin (B3) - Deficiency causes Pellagra, common to people who excessively drink alcohol or people who live on an exclusive corn (maize) diet.
• Pantothenic acid (B5) - Deficiency is extremely rare but can be detected in people who drink alcohol excessively.
• Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) - Deficiency in people who drink excessive amounts of alcohol, women (especially those on the contraceptive pill), the elderly, and people with thyroid disease the most at risk.
• Biotin (B7) - Deficiency is rare. Supplementation may benefit nails and hair growth.
• Folate or folic acid (B9) - Women of childbearing age should take folic acid supplements. Deficiency causes neural tube defects in unborn children like spina bifida.
• Cyanocobalamin (B12) - Deficiency common in the elderly and vegans.