Essential
- Vitamins B are essential to our health, but our body stores them badly, hence the need for a regular contribution.
- Some populations, such as the elderly or vegans, are more at risk of deficiencies.
- Conversely, excess can cause serious side effects, such as neuropathies or increased risk of cancer.
Persistent fatigue, nervous disorders, deficiencies during pregnancy … What if the remedy for these health problems was in the Vitamins B complex? Composed of eight distinct vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9 and B12), this group plays a crucial role in energy production, the functioning of the nervous system and cell renewal. However, our organism stocuses them badly, which requires a regular contribution.
The key role of a varied diet
“A balanced diet is enough to cover the needs of B vitamins for most people”reassures Dr. Joel Mason, gastroenterologist and researcher at TUFTS University (United States), in an article of Tufts Now. Some groups must however remain vigilant: the elderly (reduced absorption of the B12), the vegans (absence of B12 in vegetable foods), pregnant women or even patients made of bariatric and metabolic surgery. Certain drugs also slow down the absorption of B12, including metformin, anti -diabetic, or proton pump inhibitors (PPI), used to reduce gastric acid secretions.
“The more is not always better”warns the gastroenterologist. In the 1980s, women took up to 200 mg of vitamin B6 to relieve menstrual pain, 100 times the recommended dose. Result: sometimes irreversible peripheral neuropathies. Likewise, high doses of niacin (B3), prescribed against cholesterol, can cause hot flashes, itching and rashes.
Vitamin B9, between protection and risk
Added to flours since 1998 to prevent malformations of the neural tube (a type of congenital malformations of the brain and/or spinal cord), the folate (B9) allowed a 70 % drop in anomalies of the central nervous system. “But excess, he could promote certain cancers, alert Dr. Mason. Because the Folate acts as a cellular fertilizer. On precancerous cells, it could therefore accelerate their growth. “ Fortunately, epidemiological data suggest that this risk mainly concerns people who have several sources of supplements.
Finally, note that bariatric surgery complicates the absorption of thiamine (B1). “Repeated vomiting, confusion, weakness … These signs must alert emergency artists”insists the researcher. An untreated B1 deficiency can indeed lead to the Beriberian, a serious and sometimes fatal pathology.
Conclusion of the author: personalized and medical follow -up is essential to avoid both deficiencies and overdose. And, if in doubt, it is always better to consult a healthcare professional.