Why?
Because it’s an entire subset of vitamins, each labeled as a B vitamin.
Long ago, it was realized that vitamin B was actually made up of more than 20 distinct vitamins.
The B complex, however, is made up of only eight vitamins. These eight are the only ones essential to humans.
Not coincidentally, people with celiac disease are deficient in all eight.
They are grouped together because they help break down fat, protein, and carbohydrates, producing energy.
Individually, they all do something a little bit different.
Celiacs Must Have a Sense of Urgency around Vitamin B Deficiency
Symptoms of vitamin B deficiency show in as little as 4 weeks. This is much quicker than symptoms of other vitamin deficiencies.
B vitamins are retained for a much shorter period of time than other vitamins as well: about 14-18 hours, with all excess leaving the body through urine.
So, B vitamin consumption needs to be consistent on a daily basis.
B vitamins are water-soluble vitamins. Just like fat-soluble vitamins dissolve in and thus depend on fat, water-soluble vitamins dissolve in and depend on water. The more water in the body at the time of vitamin B consumption, the better they’ll be absorbed and used.
Rather than list them out by number, arbitrarily, it makes more sense to discuss them by importance as they relate to celiac.
In my opinion, B12, B9, and B6 are most important, B3 and B2 come next, and B1, B5, and B7 last. That said, people with celiac are deficient in all of them, and all eight are part of essential processes that take place in the human body every day.
Vitamin B12: Cyanocobalamin / Methylcobalamin. Vitamin B12 is the most important of all since deficiency causes anemia, which is very closely associated with celiac. Often, celiac is diagnosed as a result of anemia and vice versa. Vitamin B12 has a role in normal brain and nervous system function, and it’s involved in metabolism in every cell in the body. It not only serves a role in energy production, but unlike most other water-soluble B vitamins, it even plays a role in fatty acid synthesis. The best sources are fish and meat: snapper, sardines, salmon, halibut, shrimp, scallops, beef tenderloin, and lamb.
Vitamin B9: Folic acid. This is a core deficiency for celiac disease, since breads and other grains in the US are mandated by law to be fortified with folic acid, and 25% of American consumption of folic acid comes from these grains. Folic acid is essential to many bodily functions, most notably those related to DNA. It is especially important for rapid cell division and cell growth during infancy and pregnancy. Good sources include spinach, asparagus, legumes like beans and lentils, and egg yolks. While egg yolks are most often associated with high cholesterol, this is one of the few benefits.
Because of the link between celiac and heart disease, which Brian Dean, one of the lead medical professionals on the CeliAct product development team, wrote about in the Summer 2011 Journal of Gluten Sensitivity, I recommend sticking with the above leafy greens and legumes.
Vitamin B6: Pyridoxine, pyridoxal, or pyrodoxamine. Most often referred to as vitamin B6, it serves a vital role in the balancing of sodium and potassium as well as promoting red blood cell production. It also decreases homocysteine formation, which adversely affects collagen and ultimately increases the odds of bone fractures. Since bone density is a core issue for people with celiac disease, vitamin B6 can help decrease the chance of bone fractures. Good sources of B6 include garlic, cauliflower, leafy greens such as spinach, asparagus, broccoli, collard greens, and kale, and fish like tuna and cod.
Vitamin B3: Niacin. Niacin plays a role in the production of certain hormones in the adrenal glands and in helping the liver remove harmful chemicals from the body. As a result, your liver produces small amounts of niacin. However, it’s not enough for you, since you also need it for carbohydrate, protein, and fat breakdown and thus conversion of food to energy. Deficiency can result in pellagra, a disease that can cause skin problems, and adverse effects in the digestive tract and the nervous system. The best gluten free sources of niacin are tuna, salmon, ground beef, and peanuts.
Vitamin B2: Riboflavin. Like other vitamin B micronutrients, riboflavin is important for cell metabolism, specifically in flavoproteins. Flavoproteins, simply, are proteins that require riboflavin to be broken down. Milk, cheese, eggs, leafy greens, legumes, mushrooms, and almonds are all good sources.
Vitamin B1: Thiamine. You are more likely to be deficient in thiamine on a gluten free diet since the most common source is grain cereals. In addition, processed flour in the US is mandated to be enriched with thiamine mononitrate (another lost source). Since you’re not eating either, make sure you’re eating flax, asparagus, pork, or eggs, four naturally gluten free foods that are high in thiamine.
Vitamin B5: Pantothenic Acid. A lesser-known component of the B complex, vitamin B5 synthesizes coenzyme A. Coenzyme A is important in energy metabolism and in the biosynthesis of many important compounds such as fatty acids, cholesterol, and acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter in the peripheral nervous system. Several foods have small quantities of vitamin B5, and the best sources are meats, broccoli, and avocado.
Vitamin B7: Biotin. Biotin is a coenzyme in the metabolism of fatty acids and leucine, an essential amino acid. Since people with celiac disease are deficient in omega 3 fatty acids, as well as protein, this can be quite important. It also plays a role in gluconeogenesis, a series of reactions that generate glucose (one of two major reactions that keep blood glucose levels from dropping too low).
Because B vitamins exit your body so quickly, and you need to keep close tabs on your intake, supplementation is definitely the best route.
While there are many naturally gluten free foods like meat and vegetables to ensure you get adequate amounts of B vitamins, you’re taking a huge risk by not supplementing. CeliAct has a strong B vitamin complex to ensure you’re getting the right amounts of B vitamins regularly.
Remember: 14-18 hours and they’re gone.
And a few weeks without daily attention can cause serious problems.
This article is from:
http://www.celiact.com/blog/2011/08/04/47-b-vitamin-deficiency-in-celiac-disease
There is a good book out there on the need for B vitamins. The Heart Revolution by Kilmer McCully M.D. You can get it from the library.
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