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The B Group Vitamins consist of 11 individual vitamins that are quite different in their chemical structures but are grouped together because they were first isolated as a vitamin complex from
yeast and liver. Yeast is still used to produce vitamin B Complex supplements. Enzymes are special proteins in the body that speed up chemical reactions. The B Group Vitamins are often called coenzymes
because their function is to help enzymes in the body perform chemical reactions. Each of the 11 B Group Vitamins has a specific role in the body. For example, thiamine is important for carbohydrate
metabolism and pyridoxine is important in amino acid metabolism. The human body does not require equal daily amounts of each B Group Vitamin. The B Group Vitamins are not stored by the body in great amounts
and because they are water soluble, they tend to be excreted fairly rapidly in the urine. Despite the ability of the body to excrete the B Group Vitamins, overdose can still occur when large amount of
certain B Group Vitamins are taken. |
