Health Benefits of Vitamin B

Vitamin B is not a single vitamin, but is actually a combination of 8 vitamins: B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9 and B12. When people suffer from a deficiency in vitamin B, they can develop such health problems as encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), pellagra (a wasting disease caused by malnutrition) and anemia (impairment of the red blood cells).

Vitamins B1 and B2

Vitamin B1 is also known as thiamine. The vitamin helps protect the body from the effects of poor nutrition that are created through such situations as alcoholism or an improper diet. Vitamin B2, or riboflavin, provides energy and prevents a deficiency called ariboflavinosis that can cause such problems as sensitivity to sunlight and hyperemia.

Vitamin B3

Vitamin B3 (niacin) serves a plethora of purposes. It reduces and controls cholesterol, aids digestion, soothes arthritis, and improves circulation and memory.

Vitamin B5

Pantothenic acid, or vitamin B5, is a good supplement for people suffering from severe malnutrition, since panothenic acid is necessary to all life and its consumption helps the body's organs perform their necessary functions.

Vitamin B6

The benefits of pyridoxine, or vitamin B6, include converting food into energy, treating premenstrual syndrome, regulating hormones and fighting heart disease.

Vitamin B7

Vitamin B7, or biotin, regulates blood sugar, ensures the proper function of the metabolism, maintains the body's tissues, and keeps skin and hair healthy.

Vitamin B9

Vitamin B9 is commonly known as folic acid. It can help prevent cancer of the lung, cervix and colon, as well as heart disease and stroke, and combat colitis and bronchial cells that have turned abnormal or precancerous in smokers.

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin) provides good support for emotional health, improves energy and reduces the risk of heart disease.