Vitamins B7, B9 and B12

B7 (Biotin)

Biotin is a B vitamin made by the flora of your gastrointestinal tract. It is involved in the metabolism of fats and proteins. Excessive amounts of biotin synthesize with bacteria and kill it. If you take antibiotics all of the time, the bacteria that synthesizes biotin are killed off and you will not make enough.

Functions of B7 in your body

• Increases insulin sensitivity
• Needed for fatty acid synthesis
• Strengthens nails
• Used in energy metabolism

Diseases / disorders that can be treated with B7

• Brittle nails
• Diabetes mellitus
• Diabetic neuropathy
• Seborrheic dermatitis

B9 (Folic Acid)

Vitamin B9 has many functions in the body but is especially important for energy production and the immune system. Part of the B9 you need is made in your intestine, while the rest can be found in food or supplements. The synthetic form of B9 is folic acid; the natural form found in food is called folate.

Functions of B9 in your body

• Detoxifies hormones (such as estrogen)
• Detoxifies phenols (by-products of manufacturing) from the environment
• Essential for central nervous system function
• Essential for DNA synthesis
• Involved in methylation (which decreases homocysteine)
• Metabolic conversion of dopamine, a neurotransmitter
• Needed for proper health of all tissues, especially mucous membrane tissues of the digestive tract, vagina, and cervix
• Needed for the synthesis of hemoglobin
• Produces complex phospholipids for neurological function
• Produces S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe), an important compound found in all living cells
• Protects baby from neural tube defects, such as spina bifida

Side effects and contraindications

Dosages should not exceed 400 micrograms per day since folic acid supplementation may mask the symptoms of B12 deficiency. Large doses can cause insomnia, irritability, and gastrointestinal problems. If you are taking phenytoin (an anticovulsant), do not take high doses of folic acid. Folic acid also interferes with seizure medications such as valproic acid, carbamazepine, and primidone, so consult your doctor before taking this vitamin if you are on any of these medications.

B12 (Cobalamin)

Vitamin B12 is called either cobalamin or cyanocobalamin, and is synthesized by bacteria. It performs many important functions in the body, and exists in most animal foods. Vegetarians and vegans should take B12 supplements or eat fortified breakfast cereals, which are a valuable source of this vitamin. Hydrochloric acid releases B12 from food, at which point the vitamin can be absorbed by the body.

Functions of B12 in your body

• Facilitates the metabolism of folic acid
• Functions as a methyl donor, which lowers homocysteine levels (high levels of which can be a risk factor for heart disease and memory loss)
• Helps synthesize proteins
• Involved in the production of neurotransmitters
• Needed for carnitine metabolism (which breaks down fat to provide energy)
• Needed for nervous system function
• Needed for red blood cell metabolism
• Required for proper digestion

Causes of B12 Deficiency

• Antacids (which can decrease absorption from food but not from supplementation)
• Colchicines (gout medication)
• Digestive disorders
• Nitrous oxide
• Potassium citrate and chloride
• Some oral hypoglycemic agents (which lower blood sugar)

USANA Vitamins Body Rox contains balanced amounts of essential vitamins and co-factors that young people need. The Body Rox™ supplement is specially formulated by USANA to help meet the nutritional needs of growing adolescents.

Vitamin B12: Maximum Brain Support

The mind shuts down without vitamin B12. It might even start shrinking! You need this B vitamins to ensure your brain cells can send messages back and forth quickly, so you have no trouble putting two words together, remembering a friend’s name or staying quick-witted. It’s no wonder that studies, like one from the University of Oxford, repeatedly find that you lose your ability to think, remember and react in direct proportion to your B12 levels. Even happy people tend to tumble into depression when B12 levels are low. Studies show that people with markers for low vitamin B12 status have a more rapid drop-off in mental function at younger ages compared to people with optimal vitamin B12 status. In fact, many researchers speculate that doubling a person’s vitamin B12 levels by taking supplements could slow cognitive decline by one-third or more.

Even people who are tested for vitamin B12 and are found to be in the low-normal range could be deficient, according to a study from the University of Oxford. Tamara knows firsthand how powerful and influence vitamin B12 has on mood. She had battled serious depression for five years despite taking a variety of antidepressant medications. In desperation and at the age of 42 years, she turned to her doctors one more time for help. Routine blood tests had shown she wasn’t anemic or even low in B12 but her doctor decided to put her on supplemental vitamin B12 and folic acid anyway. Within weeks, her depression completely vanished. A year later, she was still blues-free. “I’ve not had a miserable day since”, she adds.

Many studies also find that people living in nursing homes because of memory loss often improve beyond anyone’s wildest dreams when they are given high doses of vitamin B12.

The older you are, the more vitamin B12 you need, with young people needing as little as 2 micrograms a day, while anyone over the age of 50 years needs at least 25 micrograms, maybe more. It would be difficult to get that much from diet alone, and besides, vitamin B12 is another nutrient better absorbed from supplements than from foods. You might even need to take shots instead of pills.

Vitamin B12 requires a substance in the stomach, called Intrinsic Factor, for absorption. Ample stomach acid is needed to trigger intrinsic factor, but acid often decreases as a person ages and definitely decreases when people take antacids or other medications for heartburn. Consequently, risk for vitamin B12 deficiency increases steadily as some people get older. Increased supplemental intake of this vitamin can offset this reduced absorption in many cases, but some people might require vitamin B12 shots, especially if they are on heartburn medications or have low stomach acid.

Ingest Inositol

Not only does a high-fiber diet cause your body to burn more energy during the digestive process, it also is the best way to make sure you get enough inositol. The nutrient, once known as B8, is crucial for the muscular and nervous systems to work effectively, and may improve the mood of those suffering from depression. Along with folacin, vitamins B6 and B12, choline, betaine, and methionine, inositol stops fat from building up in the liver, and it helps in the digestion of fat and reducing blood cholesterol levels.

Eat Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin)

Supplement your diet with B12 and you may find that your mood improves, you sleep better, and you have a newfound knack for remembering where you put your car keys. If you take it with B6 and folate, cyanocobalamin can help lower levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that can cause arterial breakdown. It helps boost metabolism by aiding digestion and nutrient absorption, so remember to add it to your diet by dining on enriched dairy products, beef, poultry, tuna and certain shell fish, beef, oysters, crab, and tuna. Vegetarians may need supplemental vitamins.