Be vitamins?

We all hear people talk about vitamins. The B vitamins, in particular, seem to be coming up more often. So what is a vitamin, and specifically what are B vitamins?

A simple definition of a vitamin is a small molecule that the body needs to carry out certain reaction(s). In our bodies, there are an unbelievable number of chemical reactions happening every second, and, though only effecting a small portion of those reactions, vitamins are crucial to our health and survival.

So where did the letters and numbers for vitamins come from? Essentially the vitamin names came from the order in which they were discovered and whether or not they were water soluble (i.e. can be dissolved in water). But more on that in a future post...

Here is a brief overview of the B vitamins as well as links for more information.

Vitamin B1
B1, or thiamine, is most notable for its role as a cofactor in the production of energy, in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), in our bodies.

Vitamin B2
B2, or riboflavin, is important in reduction and oxidation reactions, or redox (pronounced like "re-docks") reactions. Essentially, these reactions allow for transfer of electrons.

Vitamin B3
B3, or niacin, like vitamin B2, is also important in redox reactions. Niacin can also decrease lipid (fat) levels in the blood.

Vitamin B5
B5, or pentothenate, is needed for energy production and for the production of fatty acids.

Vitamin B6
B6, or pyridoxine, is a cofactor in a number of very important reactions. Vitamin B6 helps in the production of vitamin B3, in the production of properly functioning red blood cells (via its role in heme synthesis), and in the production of important neurotransmitters such as dopamine, just to name a few.

Vitamin B7
B7, or biotin, is involved in the production of fatty acids and glucose in our bodies, among other roles.

Vitamin B9
B9, or folate, is important in DNA and RNA production.

Vitamin B12
B12, or cobalamin, is important in DNA and RNA production, metabolism, and maintenance of the central nervous system (including the brain and spinal cord).