The Benefits of the Vitamin B Screen
Vitamins are a group of essential nutrients that you get from food. Over the last century, we have learnt that these nutrients are essential to our existence. More importantly, we must eat to take vitamins on board – if you don’t eat, you don’t get! Today, intense exercise and poor diets can leave your levels of these key nutrients low (deficient).
Because vitamins are essential, you need to eat them to prevent the symptoms of low levels. These symptoms all result from the lack of the vitamin doing its basic job. So, with each test below, we give you some information about the functions of that vitamin.
This test looks at a specific group of vitamins called the B-vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, biotin, Folic acid, and cobalamin). As a rule of thumb, the main job of the B-vitamins is to help your body to get or make energy from the food you eat. They also help form red blood cells, and are crucial to how well oxygen is carried around your body. What is more, they make sure your nervous system functions properly and help to keep your skin and other tissues in tip-top condition. They really are a useful group, especially for the sportsman! These powerhouse vitamins can boost your energy levels.
If you want to know more about your micronutrient status, consider our Full Vitamin Screen and our Mineral Test. If you want a truly comprehensive test, why not try our Sports Performance Test for a tailored report on your health and nutritional status.
Sources of Vitamin B.
More details can be found under the individual vitamin. In general, B-vitamins are richest in animal proteins such as fish, poultry, meat, eggs, and dairy products. However, leafy green vegetables, beans, and peas also have reasonable B vitamin levels. Many cereals and breads are fortified with B-vitamins. Supplements and meats are the only sources of vitamin B12.
Who Should Get The Vitamin B Test?
Because most B-vitamins are water-soluble and cannot be stored in fat, you must keep on top of your intake. Some groups are more likely to need a B vitamin screen.
- On average men need more B-vitamins than do women.
- If you exercise intensely. The B-vitamins are essential for releasing and using energy in your body. Intense exercise therefore uses more of the B-vitamins you consume.
- Older adults. As you age, you are more likely to suffer from poorer absorption.
- Alcohol consumption. Both alcoholics and regular users can suffer B-vitamin deficiency.
- Poor nutrition. If you are malnourished, or consume strict or faddish diets that limit the intake of certain foods.
- After bowel surgery. Particularly following surgery on the stomach and bowels; includes weight loss surgery.
- If you have conditions that reduce absorption. This includes coeliac disease and Crohn’s disease.
- Vegetarians and vegans. Some B-vitamins come from meat sources only.
- If you have any symptoms of general B-vitamin deficiency:
- Rash
- Dermatitis
- A large, Inflamed tongue
- Ulcers on the lips or in the mouth and/or cracks in the corner of the mouth
- Numbness, tingling or burning in the hands or feet (peripheral neuropathy)
- Anaemia
- Fatigue and/or insomnia
- Irritability, memory difficulties, depression
What Is Tested In The Vitamin B Screen?
At Alpha Healthlabs, we believe in balancing great value, practicality, and efficacy. We recommend this test to identify key nutritional deficiencies in your B-vitamins. However, we test only those vitamins that will make a real benefit to your health and wellness:
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine/Thiamin)
- What does this vitamin do?
The key functions of B1 are (1) to work with other B-group vitamins to break down and release energy from food, and (2) to keep nerves and muscle tissue healthy.
Specifically: it promotes growth and muscle tone; it assists carbohydrate (sugar or “carbs”) digestion; and it ensures proper functioning of the muscles, heart, and nervous system.
- What are good sources?
Vegetables, peas, fresh and dried fruit, eggs, wholegrain breads, liver, and most fortified breakfast cereals.
- Click here to find out what abnormal results could mean.
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
- What does this vitamin do?
The key functions of B2 are (1) to keep skin, eye, and nervous tissue healthy, and (2) to help the body release energy from carbohydrates.
Specifically: it keeps eye, skin, hair, and nail tissue healthy; helps to form antibodies to fight infection; helps to produce red blood cells; helps the body to use carbohydrates, fats, and proteins (i.e., it increases metabolism).
- What are good sources?
Milk, eggs, rice, and most fortified breakfast cereals.
- Click here to find out what abnormal results could mean.
Vitamin B3 (Niacin/Niacinamide)
- What does this vitamin do?
The key functions of B3 are (1) to help release energy from foods, and (2) to help keep the nervous and digestive systems healthy.
Specifically: it lowers blood cholesterol; it maintains healthy skin, tongue (including taste), and digestive system; it improves the circulation; and increases and releases energy in the body.
- What are good sources?
Meat, fish, wheat and maize flour, eggs, and milk.
- Click here to find out what abnormal results could mean.
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)
- What does this vitamin do?
The key functions of B6 are (1) to help the body use and store energy from proteins and carbohydrates, and (2) to help make haemoglobin to carry oxygen around the body.
Specifically: it helps to make and then breakdown the amino acids in proteins; it helps the body to use (metabolise) fats and carbohydrates; it supports the nervous system; and it helps to keep your skin healthy.
- What are good sources?
Pork, chicken, turkey, fish, bread, whole cereals (oatmeal, wheat germ and rice), milk, eggs, soya beans, peanuts, many vegetables (including potatoes), and some fortified breakfast cereals.
- Click here to find out what abnormal results could mean.
Vitamin B9 (Folic acid)
- What does this vitamin do?
The key function of B9 in adults is to work with vitamin B12 to form healthy red blood cells.
Specifically: it helps the liver to eliminate toxins; it promotes cell growth, repair, and development in the body; and it helps vitamin B12 to form red blood cells and bone marrow.
- What are good sources?
Dark green vegetables (e.g., broccoli, sprouts, spinach, asparagus, and peas), liver, chickpeas, brown rice, and most fortified breakfast cereals
- Click here to find out what abnormal results could mean.
Vitamin B12 (cobalamin)
- What does this vitamin do?
The key functions of B12 are (1) to promote growth (mainly in children), (2) to regenerate red blood cells with B9, (3) to help the body to use (metabolise) carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, and (4) to maintain a healthy nervous system.
- We discuss this test in detail on the Vitamin B12 Test page
What Will the Test Involve?
This test involves taking a small blood sample from a vein. We describe the process here .
What Could Abnormal Results Mean?*
On its own, no test can provide a definitive diagnosis, and can only provide important “clues” about possible problems. Normal results cannot entirely exclude disease: for example, normal results can exist in patients with serious disease, and occasionally, abnormal results can arise without any health problems. The normal ranges of tests can also vary between different laboratories, so it is not always possible to compare results directly.
At Alpha Healthlabs, we believe in giving you an unparalleled and ethically sound service. Therefore, the meaning of all your results will be explained and we will suggest the most appropriate next course of action. It is important that you do not initiate any action based on these results without first consulting your General Practitioner.
Common Issues Raised By This Test
In general, the B-vitamins have a low potential for toxicity. Official Reference Dietary Intakes (RDIs) for thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin B12, pantothenic acid, biotin, and choline, usually state that no adverse effects are associated with excess intake from food and/or supplements in healthy individuals. However, very high concentrations of a few of the B-vitamins may affect the liver or nervous system, and this will be explained in your results.
Your results are most likely to reveal a deficiency, which can be a major health issue. The common issues raised by this test include:
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine/Thiamin) deficiency & beri-beri
- Alcoholics, or those who consume alcohol above the recommended levels, are at particular risk.
- Beri-beri. In adults, two types are diagnosed based on the parts of the body affected, although both are usually present to different degrees:
- Wet beri-beri. This mainly affects the heart and circulation, leading to heart failure.
- Dry beri-beri. This mainly affects the nervous system, causing Wernicke syndrome first, followed by Korsakoff syndrome.
- Peripheral neuropathy. A loss of pain and touch sensation to the ends of the arms and legs. As it worsens, it “travels” up the arms and legs to the body. Although it can happen in isolation, it also happens in the context of dry beri-beri.
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) deficiency
- Deficiency can be associated with anaemia, mouth or lip sores, skin disorders, recurrent sore throats, and swelling of mucus membranes (i.e., your mouth, eyes, genitals etc.).
Vitamin B3 (Niacin/Niacinamide) deficiency & pellagra
- People who eat a lot of corn are at high risk as this prevents absorption.
- The classical symptoms are diarrhoea, dermatitis, and dementia.
- The dermatitis usually includes inflamed mucous membranes (i.e., your mouth, eyes, genitals etc.), and scaly skin sores.
- The dementia typically involves delusions (abnormal thoughts, and believing things that are not true) and confusion.
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) deficiency
As well as the general symptoms of anaemia, a folate deficiency may cause:
- Loss of sensation, such as a reduced sense of touch or pain.
- Muscle weakness.
- Depression and confusion.
- Itchy rashes, scaly skin on the lips, cracks at the corners of the mouth, and a swollen tongue.
- A weak immune system.
Vitamin B9 (Folic acid) deficiency
- Common symptoms include fatigue, greying of the hair, mouth ulcers, poor growth and repair, and a swollen tongue.
- If deficiency persists, it can lead to megaloblastic anaemia, and impair vitamin B12 function. It can also cause low levels of white blood cells and platelets in severe cases.
Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) deficiency
- We discuss this test in detail on the Vitamin B12 Test page
