This document discusses several B vitamins and vitamin C. It provides information on their functions, sources, toxicity, deficiency symptoms, and absorption. The vitamins covered are B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B8, B9, B12, and C. Their roles in energy production, metabolism, growth, and immune function are summarized.

1. WATER SOLUBLE VITAMIN
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine),antineuretic
factor, anti-beri-beri factor
Functions:
 It plays an important role in helping the
body metabolize carbohydrates and fat
to produce energy.
 It is essential for normal growth and
development and helps to maintain
proper functioning of the heart and the
nervous and digestive systems.

2. SOURCES:
 Green peas, Spinach, liver, Beef, Pork, Navy
beans, Nuts, Pinto beans, Bananas, Soybeans,
Goji berries, Whole-grains, Breads, Yeast,
Aleurone layer of unpolished rice, Legumes
TOXICITY:
 Large doses (5,000 to 10,000 mg) can cause
headaches, irritability, rapid pulse, and
weakness.
 DEFICIENCY:
 Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome
 Beriberi
 neurodegeneration
 ABSORPTION:
- upper & lower small intestine, some are in the
liver, heart, kidney

3. Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin,vitamin
G,lactoflavin,hepatoflavin,ovoflavin)
 FUNCTIONS:
It plays a key role in energy metabolism, and is
required for the metabolism of fats, carbohydrates,
and proteins.
 SOURCES:
 Cheese
 egg yolks
 almonds
 organ meats
 whole grains
 wild rice
 soybeans
 milk
 spinach
 mushrooms
 almonds
 poultry

4.  TOXICITY:
Riboflavin is not toxic when taken orally, as its low
solubility keeps it from being absorbed in dangerous
amounts from the gut. Although toxic doses can be
administered by injection, any excess at nutritionally
relevant doses is excreted in the urine, imparting a bright
yellow color when in large quantities.
 DEFICIENCY:
 Ariboflavinosis
 Symptoms of significant deficiency syndromes include
sore throat, swelling of mucous membranes, mouth or
lip sores, anemia, and skin disorders.
 ABSORPTION:
Most dietary riboflavin is efficiently absorbed by a
saturable carrier mechanism primarily in the proximal
small intestine.

5. Vitamin B3 (Niacin,nicotinamide acid,pellagra-
preventive factor)
 FUNCTIONS:
• Energy Production
• Metabolism of Fats
 SOURCES:
~Animal products: liver, heart and kidney;
chicken; beef; fish: tuna, salmon;
milk eggs
~ Fruits and vegetables: leaf, vegetables,
broccoli, tomatoes, carrots , dates,
sweet potatoes, asparagus,
avocados
~ Seeds:nuts, whole grain products, legumes,
saltbush seeds
~ Fungi: mushrooms brewer's yeast

6.  TOXICITY:
Due to high doses , effects:
an imbalance of other important B vitamins
 liver damage and stomach ulcers
 "niacin flush“
 DEFICIENCY:
 First symptoms
 Muscular weakness
 Inability to eat
 Indigestion
 Skin problems
 Canker sores
 Vomiting
 Depression
 Worst form of deficiency
 Pellagra
 ABSORPTION:
Niacin is rapidly absorbed in the proximal small intestine
by passive diffusion. Being a water-soluble vitamin it is not
stored in the body. Niacin can be synthesized from
tryptophan with vitamins B1, B2, and B6 as essential
cofactors.

7. Vitamin B5 (Panthothenic Acid )
 OTHER NAME: “Anti-Stress vitamin”
 FUNCTIONS:
 Assists in the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins
and fatty acids.
 Essential for cell metabolism.
 Works in the synthesis of cholesterol metabolism,
hormone production and hemoglobin .
 SOURCES:
Peas and beans (except green beans) , lean meat,
Organ meat (liver and kidney), Poultry, Fish, Shellfish,
Yeast, Cauliflower, Kale, Broccoli, Tomatoes, Lobsters,
Lentils, Avocado, Mushrooms, Sweet potatoes, Whole-
grain cereals and bread, Sunflower seeds

8.  TOXICITY:
- Because the B5 vitamin is water soluble, toxicity is
extremely uncommon.
- Vitamin could possibly cause diarrhea if the vitamin is
taking in excessive amounts.
 DEFICIENCY:
- Paresthesia
- Vitamin B5 deficiency causes depression, personality
changes, heart problems, increased risk of infections,
fatigue, abdominal pains, sleep disturbances, numbness and
altered sensation in the arms and legs, muscle weakness,
cramps, increased sensitivity to insulin, decreased blood
cholesterol levels and decreased potassium levels in the
body.
 ABSORPTION:
Vitamin B5 is easily absorbed from the intestines and is
distributed to all tissues in the body. The body does not
break down Vitamin B5 and excretes large amounts of this
vitamin in the urine.

9. Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine )
 FUNCTION:
 Helping amino acid and protein metabolism
 Enabling red blood cell metabolism
 Helping the nervous system function efficiently
 Helping the immune system function efficiently
 Converting tryptophan (an amino acid) to niacin (a
vitamin)
 Enabling the breakdown of glycogen to glucose
 Aiding in the metabolism, transportation, and
distribution of selenium
 Assisting in the metabolism of calcium and magnesium

10.  SOURCES:
 Fortified breakfast cereal
 Oatmeal, instant
 Potato, baked with skin
 Banana
 Chicken breast, roasted, no skin
 Garbanzo beans
 Tomato paste
 Pork loin, broiled
 Top sirloin, broiled
 Halibut, broiled
 Rainbow trout, cooked
 Brown rice, cooked
 Sweet potato, baked with skin
 Sunflower seeds, dry roasted
 Avocado
 Kidney beans, cooked
 Lentils, cooked
 Tuna
 Peanut butter
 Lima beans
 Soybeans, cooked

11.  TOXICITY:
 Too much vitamin B6 can result in nerve
damage to the arms and legs. It can also
result in increased urinary excretion of
other B vitamins, leading to imbalances.
 Symptoms of vitamin B6 toxicity include:
 Muscle incoordination
 Numbness of the hands and feet
 Impaired reflexes
 Abnormal plasma amino acid levels

12.  DEFICIENCY:
 Skin inflammation and irritation
 Glossitis (sore or inflamed tongue)
 Confusion
 Depression
 Irritability and nervousness
 Fatigue and sleepiness
 Convulsions
 Anemia (microcytic type)
 ABSORPTION:
 Cheilosis (cracking and scaling of the lips)
 The forms of vitamin B6 found in food are converted
to active forms in the liver.
 Vitamin B6 is readily absorbed in the upper small
intestine by simple diffusion.

13. Vitamin B7 (Biotin)
 OTHER NAME:
Vitamin H, anti-eggwhite injury factor
 FUNCTIONS:
 It helps our body's cells produce energy.
 It does this by working with four essential
enzymes that break down fat, carbohydrate,
and protein to yield energy.
 Biotin also plays a role in the synthesis and
function of DNA.

14.  SOURCES:
 Eggs, Liver, yeast breads, whole grains, sardines,
legumes, mushrooms, cereals, cauliflower, peanuts,
cheese
 TOXICITY:
There have been no reports of adverse effects due to
eating too much biotin.
 DEFICIENCY:
 Abnormal heart action,dermatitis, enteritis,hair
loss(alopecia),depression,muscle
pain,weakness,fatigue,nausea
 A biotin deficiency is rare in healthy people who eat a
healthful diet, since we usually get enough from the
bacteria living in our digestive tracts.
 ABSORPTION:
Biotin absorption takes place in the proximal small
intestine.

15. Vitamin B8 (Myo-Inositol)
 OTHER NAME:
Inositol, Inositol Monophosphate, and Inositol
Hexaphosphate
 FUNCTION:
 Inositol as the basis for a number of signaling and
secondary messenger molecules, is involved in a number
of biological processes, including:
 Insulin signal transduction
 Cytoskeleton assembly
 Nerve guidance (Epsin)
 Intracellular Calcium (Ca2+) concentration control
 Cell membrane potential maintenance
 Serotonin activity modulation
 Breakdown of fats and reducing blood cholesterol
 Gene expression

16.  SOURCES:  Fresh Vegetables
oats and bran
 Fruits

 milk
 Beans  yogurt
 Grains
 Nuts
 TOXICITY:
No toxic effects are known, but diarrhea
has been noted with the intake of very high
dosage of inositol, as well as an increased
secretion of creatine.

17.  DEFICIENCY:
 Inositol deficiency is not common.
 Deficiency symptoms that do occur, are:
 constipation
 eczema
 elevated cholesterol levels
 hair
loss
 ABSORPTION:
 Inostiol has no known interactions with drugs.
However, when inositol combines with minerals,
especially calcium, zinc, and iron, the phytic
acid may hinder mineral absorption in the
intestine.

18. Vitamin B9 (Folic Acid,folate,vitamin M,vitamin
Bc,pteroylglutamic acid)
 FUNCTIONS:
 Maintain healthy skin and muscle tone
 Enhance immune and nervous system function
 Promote cell growth and division — including that of the red
blood cells that help prevent anemia.
 Reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer
 SOURCES:
 Leafy greens such as spinach and turnip greens
 Broccoli
 Asparagus
 Mushrooms
 Liver
 Dry beans and peas
 Fortified cereals and grain products
 Fortified juices

19.  TOXICITY:
 High doses (above 15 mg) can cause:
 stomach problems,
 sleep problems,
 skin reactions
 Seizures
 DEFICIENCY:
 Deficiency results in a megaloblastic or macrocytic
anemia, and elevated levels of homocysteine
 Folate deficiency can cause
diarrhea,
 anemia,
 loss of appetite,
 weight loss,
 sore tongue
 ABSORPTION:
Folic acid also assists in digestion, and the nervous
system, and works at improving mental as well as
emotional health. This nutrient may be effective in treating
depression and anxiety.

20. Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin,cyanocobalamin,anti-
pernicious anemia factor)
* FUNCTIONS:
 also keeps your central nervous system
healthy
 works with folic acid to produce healthy
red blood cells
 SOURCES:
 Meat
 Milk products
 Eggs
 Cheese
 Chicken
 Fish

21.  TOXICITY:
- Vitamin B12 has a very low potential for
toxicity.
 DEFICIENCY:
 Pernicious anemia
- Vitamin B12 deficiency impairs the body’s
ability to make blood, accelerates blood cell
destruction, and damages the nervous system.
- B12 deficiency can cause a type of anemia
marked by fewer but larger red blood cells that's
called pernicious anemia
 ABSORPTION:
- The absorption of dietary vitamin B12 occurs
in the small intestine.

22. Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid, anti-scorbutic
factor)
 FUNCTIONS:
 helps to heal wounds
 prevent cell damage,
 promote healthy gums and teeth,
 strengthen the immune system.
 It also helps the body absorb iron
 SOURCES:
 Citrus juices and fruits
 Tomatoes
 Berries
 Potatoes with skins
 Green and red peppers
 Broccoli
 Spinach

23.  TOXICITY:
 High intake of vitamin C (more than 1500 mg) may
decrease the absorption of copper in the intestine.
 Excessive doses of vitamin C can cause
diarrhea,nausea,abdominal
cramps,headache,fatigue,insomnia,hot flashes,rashes
in the skin,aggravation of gout symptoms,excessive
urination,kidney stones,interference with medical tests
 DEFICIENCY:
Scurvy
 ABSORPTION:
Vitamin C, travel through the bloodstream.