The B Vitamins – A Strong Team
Like interlocking gears, B vitamins work together in our bodies and are responsible for numerous functions. Together, they are essential for metabolism, blood formation, hormone production, and the nervous system.
Insgesamt kennen wir acht B-Vitamine, die grundsätzlich in ihrer Struktur sehr unterschiedlich sind, aber eine Gemeinsamkeit haben, sie alle sind wasserlöslich und fungieren als Co-Faktoren in enzymatischen Reaktionen.
The B vitamin complex and a brief look at its history
Der Komplex besteht aus folgenden Vitaminen:
- Vitamin B1 (thiamine)
- Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
- Vitamin B3 (niacin)
- Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)
- Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxin)
- Vitamin B7 (biotin, also known as vitamin H)
- Vitamin B9 (Folic Acid)
- Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)
The numerical naming may seem a bit odd at first glance and is sometimes mistakenly linked to the composition or structure of a single vitamin. In fact, more substances used to be classified as B vitamins, but over time, this turned out to be incorrect. Instead of creating a new numbering system, the misclassified substances were removed from the complex—along with their numbers.
As early as the beginning of the 20th century, Gowland Hopkins studied the effects of diets on growth in animal experiments. He found that a lack of essential substances can lead to significant growth disorders.
It was the biochemist Casimir Funk who took a renewed interest in this issue and attempted to isolate an active ingredient to treat the rare disease beriberi, which had emerged in Japan. It turned out that the deficiency was due to the introduction of modern machines that began polishing rice. In 1914, Funk isolated a substance from rice and wheat bran that could cure the disease. Further analysis revealed that this substance was a nitrogen-containing compound, an amine. Funk therefore proposed calling the newly isolated substance a vitamin (vita for life, amine for the nitrogen-containing compound).
Vitamin B – the Stress Vitamins
Today, we live in a fast-paced world where performance and pressure are a part of everyday life. But we’re also burdened by anxieties and worries. Whether it’s small, personal crises or global ones, it feels like these unpleasant and stress-inducing events are constantly increasing. New ways and means of communication, faster and more intense news coverage, and the flood of media stimuli add extra stress and make us reflect. Fears about the future are taking up more and more space in our minds.
All of these are stressors that we are not always resilient to in sufficient measure. They affect our well-being, sometimes even without us noticing—or wanting to notice.
Stress increases our need for vitamins; we use up more vitamins in stressful situations than when we are calm and relaxed. But even at work, in school, or while studying, we often face situations that require strong nerves or maximum concentration. These are all mental efforts that can lead to mental exhaustion. Burnout is not just a fad or trendy diagnosis—even if it’s often portrayed that way, it’s a syndrome that is strongly linked to our modern times.
B vitamins are especially important! Thanks to their many functions in the body—especially in oxygen supply and blood formation—they’re an essential partner for thinking, concentration, and the ability to handle problems and stress. This is particularly true in everyday work life.
The next time you say or think, “oh, my nerves”, it’s a good idea to check your B-vitamin intake!
Vitamin B – der Einfluss auf unser Äußeres
Abgesehen davon, dass Stress und mentale Erschöpfung einen negativen Einfluss auf unser Äußeres, wie Haut, Haare oder Nägel haben, bieten die B-Vitamine durch ihre vielseitigen Funktionen auch direkt sehr viele Vorteile. Und dementsprechend kann ein Mangel natürlich auch zum Nachteil gereichen.
B vitamins are involved in almost all metabolic processes. This means they play a key role in energy supply, carbohydrate and fat metabolism, and protein metabolism. All of these processes are also very important for our skin. Particularly noteworthy in this context is their influence on cell division and regeneration. Our stressed skin, in particular, depends on a functioning system and needs the cell-protective properties of many B vitamins.
Bei Biotin, also Vitamin B7, wird vermutet, dass seine Rolle bei der Enzymproduktion einen direkten Einfluss auf gesunde Haut, gesundes Haar und feste Nägel hat. In gleichem Zusammenhang geht man davon aus, dass dies auch einen direkten Einfluss auf das frühzeitige Ergrauen der Haare hat.
Biotin fördert im Kohlenhydratstoffwechsel die Neubildung von Zuckerstoffen aus Proteinen und Fetten. Da die Ernährung heute stark zucker- oder fettlastig ist, kann es passieren, dass der Abbau oder Umbau von Nährstoffen stark überlastet wird und es dadurch zu einer Störung im Nährstoffkreislauf kommen kann. Bei diabetischen Stoffwechsellagen konnte schon mehrfach nachgewiesen werden, dass der Biotinspiegel einen direkten Einfluss auf den Nüchtern-Blutzucker hat. Biotin wirkt dort als ausgleichenden und senkenden Faktor, also reguliert den Nährstoffkreislauf.
Because skin, hair, and nails also rely on a supply of nutrients, biotin can play an important role here as well.
Our skin is quite sensitive to stress or poisoning from foreign substances. Rashes and other skin irritations are often the first signs of exposure to foreign substances or medications. This is not surprising, since our skin is an excretory organ and plays a direct role in the body’s detoxification process. Vitamin B2, often called the detox vitamin, supports detoxification reactions in the body and can therefore also benefit the skin.
Extrem vielseitig – extrem wichtig
B vitamins are incredibly versatile and play many extremely important roles in the body. Their effects on the nervous system or skin are just a small part of the many benefits of the B vitamin complex. Hardly any metabolic process can do without them!
We’d also like to provide a brief overview of which vitamins primarily support or take over which functions.
Vitamin B1 contributes to the normal function of energy metabolism and supports heart function.
Das Vitamin B2 findet sich in allen Körperzellen. Es spielt eine besondere Rolle bei der Umwandlung von Fetten, Eiweißen und Kohlenhydraten in Nährstoffe.
Vitamin B3 findet sich in allen Zellen und wird in der Leber gespeichert. Es ist für viele Stoffwechselvorgänge notwendig und vor allem für die Haut und die Schleimhäute wichtig.
Vitamin B5 hat eine wichtige Funktion im gesamten Energiestoffwechsel.
Vitamin B7 trägt zu einem normalen Energiestoffwechsel und Stoffwechsel von Makronährstoffen bei und ist besonders wichtig für Haut, Haare und Nägel.
Vitamin B9 is important for the immune system, mental function, and cell division.
Vitamin B12 wirkt vor allem bei Stoffwechselvorgängen mit, die mit der Zellteilung und dem Wachstum zu tun haben. Es ist ein wichtiger Faktor bei der Blutbildung.
Since B vitamins often work closely together, it’s important to get enough of all eight.
Viele Vorteile – gibt es auch Nachteile?
In fact, almost all B vitamins have one small drawback. As water-soluble vitamins, they are very difficult to store. Most B vitamins cannot be stored by the body, so it's essential to ensure you get enough B vitamins every day!
Our conclusion
Whether it’s for our nerves, our skin, or our entire body, making sure we get enough vitamin B deserves plenty of attention!
It’s important to know that most B-complex vitamins cannot be stored, which means you need to pay close attention every day to avoid a deficiency in these extremely important vitamins!
Hier findest Du einen vollständigen und ausgewogenen VITAMIN B KOMPLEX AKTIV mit allen B Vitaminen plus Alpha Liponsäure, Cholin und Coenzym Q10:
Here you’ll find the VITAMIN B COMPLEX FORTE, a powerful blend of high-dose B vitamins:
Wenn Dir die B Vitamine für Deine Haut, Haare und Nägel wichtig ist, dann findest Du hier die richtige Kombination ausgewählter B Vitamine und weiteren, wichtigen Inhaltsstoffen:
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