Q&A: What Are The Benefits Of Vitamin B?

Q: What are the benefits of vitamin B and are there any negative side effects? – S. Dodson

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A: There are several B vitamins:

• B1 (thiamine)
• B2 (riboflavin)
• B3 (niacin)
• B5 (pantothenic acid)
• B6
• B7 (biotin)
• B12
• Folic acid

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The B vitamins are responsible for making energy from the food we eat. They also help form red blood cells. A lack of B12 or B6 can cause anemia because they are responsible for forming red blood cells. Subsequently, too much B12 has been known to cause leukemia because B12 encourages cell division and it does not know the difference between bad cells and good cells, causing leukemia (blood cancer). A lack of folic acid in pregnant women can cause the baby to be born with a neural tube defect. B7 (biotin) is often taken when you want to grow hair and/or nails.

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If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ‘Ask Dr. Renee’. Follow me on Twitter @AskDrRenee and my website.