The B vitamins at a glance

"That's quite normal at your age!" The first signs of mental decline are often simply dismissed as a side effect of old age. But the causes can lie somewhere else: for example in a vitamin B deficiency! The deficiency can be remedied by a suitable diet or supplementation and the store replenished. It is important to interpret the symptoms correctly and to treat them.

Vitamin B comprises a group of 8 essential, water-soluble vitamins. They are found in animal and plant foods, with vitamin B12 being an exception because the content in plant foods is negligible. Like all water-soluble vitamins, the B vitamins cannot be stored in the body and must be ingested daily. Vitamin B12 is again an exception: It is the only water-soluble vitamin that can be stored in the body for a longer period of time.

• Vitamin B1 (thiamine)
• Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
• Vitamin B3 (nicotinic acid)
• Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)
• VitaminB6 (pyridoxine, pyridoxal, pyridoxamine)
• Vitamin B7 (biotin)
• VitaminB9 (folic acid)
• VitaminB12 (cobalamin)

There are numerous interactions between the 8 B vitamins and their functions are closely related. Together they contribute to an efficient metabolism. They affect the entire body and are a prerequisite for your health and well-being. Their main functions can be summarised in four points:

1. Energy production: Together with enzymes, the B vitamins are significantly involved in the production of energy from carbohydrates, fats and proteins. They form enzymes that break down carbohydrates into glucose and thus supply the brain and nerve cells with energy.
2. Nervous system: Vitamin B1 is necessary for the functioning of the nervous system, and B12 protects the brain and nervous system from damage in old age. Vitamin B6 ensures the correct ratio of sodium and potassium in our body fluids, which is the only way our nervous system can function properly.
3. Mood, mental balance: The B vitamins have a positive effect on mood, help to cope with anxiety and support the production of the happiness hormones serotonin and dopamine.
4. Skin, hair and nails: The B vitamins ensure healthy skin, beautiful hair and strong nails, have an anti-inflammatory effect and promote the healing process of the skin.

A deficiency of B vitamins often manifests itself in non-specific symptoms and therefore often remains undetected over a long period of time. Physical symptoms such as fatigue or reduced performance are attributed to advancing age or mistaken for general mood disorders. But a long-lasting deficiency is a risk factor for old-age diseases or slowly progressing long-term damage: only years later do mental and physical dysfunctions such as depression, arteriosclerosis or neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia become apparent. Some of these diseases cannot be reversed despite the administration of high doses of vitamin B or other therapeutic methods.

A vitamin B12 deficiency in particular only becomes visible after years of insufficient supply. This is because B12 is the only one of the water-soluble vitamins that can be stored in the body over a longer period of time. With sufficient vitamin B12 intake, the body builds up a store. If too little vitamin B12 is subsequently taken in, the body can be supplied from the store for a long time. Only when the store is empty do deficiency symptoms appear.

If you eat a healthy diet, you can get most of the vitamins of the B group in sufficient quantities from your food. This means: plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grain products, nuts and seeds, animal products such as dairy products, meat (in moderation) and occasionally fish, little alcohol and no nicotine.

Vitamin B12 has a special position: it is only marginally present in plant foods, and the requirement cannot normally be covered by it. Vitamin B12 supplementation is especially recommended for vegans, vegetarians should make sure they get enough from dairy products.

But even if you eat a diet rich in vitamin B, your body cannot absorb the vitamin under certain conditions. For one thing, chronic inflammatory stomach or intestinal diseases reduce the absorption of the vitamin. Secondly, some medications, such as acid blockers or blood thinners, can reduce the absorption of the vitamin.

In old age, some people no longer have the opportunity to eat a vitamin-rich diet. This is because shopping for fresh food requires a certain degree of mobility, which is often no longer given in old age. And your own body can no longer do what you want it to do: dental problems make you resort to soft white bread and soft-cooked convenience foods, your stomach can no longer tolerate raw vegetables. So it is becoming more and more difficult to supply the body with sufficient vitamins through food.

Symptoms of fatigue and the first signs of forgetfulness should not be accepted as natural ageing, because these symptoms can also indicate a vitamin deficiency. By taking a blood and urine sample, your doctor can determine whether you are sufficiently supplied with all vitamins. If you have a vitamin deficiency, a dietary supplement is often prescribed, as it becomes increasingly difficult, especially in old age, to supply the body with sufficient vitamins and vital substances through food.

If a vitamin B12 deficiency is diagnosed, high-dose vitamin B12 is administered in a first phase of therapy to replenish the store. In the second stage, an increased daily dose is administered. In some cases, for example if there is an absorption disorder, vitamin B12 is administered via injections.

Typical signs of ageing such as declining mental and physical performance can indicate a vitamin B deficiency. Vitamin B comprises a group of 8 vitamins that are closely linked and interact in their functions. They contribute to an efficient metabolism and are essential for health and well-being. A deficiency manifests itself in non-specific symptoms and is often not recognised as such, but dismissed as a normal ageing process. A long-lasting deficiency can cause serious mental and physical dysfunctions, which in some cases cannot be treated. If a deficiency is known, it can be treated.