Posted by IsoM on November 5, 2002, at 5:58:54
In reply to Re: Details, please... » BeardedLady, posted by Tabitha on November 5, 2002, at 0:51:57
Tabitha, B vitamins are water-soluble. Taking a larger amount once a day, especially on an empty stomach, will mean that most of what's taken is washed out, wasted, in your urine. Why waste your vitamins by flushing them down the toilet?
The B complex is found mainly in grains, seeds, meats (especially liver), & milk, so taking them with food makes far more sense - they're better absorbed. You also benefit from them better if you have smaller amounts taken with each meal than a large amount once a day. Your body tissues reaches a satutation level quickly with the rest wasted - another good reason to take smaller amounts with food.
I know that the B complex is often sold in formulations like B50 or similar & if you read the list of vitamins in it, you'll see something like:
thiamin (B1) 50 mg
riboflavin (B2) 50 mg
pyridoxine (B6) 50 mg
niacin (B3) 50 mg
B12 50 mcg
pantothenic acid (or calcium d-pantothenate) 50 mg
biotin 50 mcg
etc,etc.I try to explain so people will understand better that this formulation is like trying to make a cake with 1 cup of flour, 1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of butter, 1 cup of milk, 1 cup of eggs, 1 tbsp of salt, 1 tbsp of baking powder, 1 tbsp of spices, etc. It would be a pretty terrible recipe. It's the same with the B complex. Your body needs different amounts of the B vitamins. (if you don't believe this, look at the big difference in what the RDA of these are:
http://www.daily-vitamins.com/rda.htmlTherefore, if you're going to buy a B complex supplement to take, you're far better off buying what's called a "stress formulation". But do check the amounts given. Many are no different than these B50 or B100 formulas. The levels of B1, 2, & 6 should be much lower than niacin & most will have between 300-500 mg vitamin C too as a stress factor. This kind is a far more realistic balance than all the same amount. And to make use of B6, your body needs to have an adequate amount of magnesium too.
And you don't even need to take a whole tablet with each meal - most will be wasted. Better to break it into 2 or 3 pieces & take one piece with each meal. B vitamins taken on an empty stomach can cause nausea & stomach pain.
You might want to read what I wrote John at:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20021022/msgs/31977.html
poster:IsoM
thread:126299
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20021101/msgs/126487.html