Vitamin B Supplement Guide: Vitamins That Make A Difference
1. What is it and where does it come from?
These include thiamine (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2), niacin (vitamin B3), pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), pyridoxine (vitamin B6), biotin, folic acid and the cobalamins (vitamin B12).
The vitamin B-complex refers to all of the known essential water-soluble vitamins except for vitamin C.
Vitamin B was once thought to be a single nutrient that existed in extracts of rice, liver, or yeast. Researchers later discovered these extracts contained several vitamins, which were given distinguishing numbers. Unfortunately, this has led to an erroneous belief among non-scientists that these vitamins have a special relationship to each other.
Further adding to confusion has been the 'unofficial' designation of other substances as members of the B-complex, such as choline, inositol, and para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA), even though they are not essential vitamins.
Republished from Clayton South's Health Facts.
Big Cat's Vitamin B Info
Why you need it: B-vitamins have many anabolic properties separately and have often been the subject of supplementation. Hereby I think of Niacin (B3), Pyridoxine (B6) and Cobalamin (B12). But people often forget that for a lot less money they can get better gains by getting a B-complex which combines all of them in optimal doses (50-100 mg, there is no way you need 500 mg of Niacin). This harnesses the synergistic effect of B-vitamins which means better digestion and absorption of carbs, protein and fat and the fact that they comport themselves as enzymes in many bodily functions. You can't overdose on them anyway since water-soluble vitamins are readily excreted if you have too much.
How it works: In the stomach B-vitamins will release and control gastric juice, help absorb and digest macronutrients, which in turn get more out of the things you eat. Next to that all of them have a host of individual properties. B6 is a good for a healthy liver, B9 is good for absorbing things in cells, B12 is needed for energy and so on and so on. If we could get all our nutrients from food easily and eat enough, this would no doubt be my number 2 supplement. If you are a person who can eat big and watch his grocery bill and you have decent genetics, a B-complex and multi-vitamin is all you really need to grow.
How to use it: Take these with a meal as well, but not at the same one as your multi. Take one serving (with 50-100 mg of all B-vitamins) immediately after your meal. Say you get your multi, like most people, at breakfast, take one serving of B-complex after lunch.
1. What is it and where does it come from?
