Folic acid, or folate, is a B complex vitamin (also known as Vitamin B9) used by the body to produce red blood cells. These complex vitamins are necessary to correctly metabolize proteins and fats and help to maintain the digestive tract, skin, hair, nervous system, muscles, and other tissues in the body. Folic acid assists in producing RNA and DNA and is essential in periods of rapid growth such as pregnancy, adolescence, and infancy. Working alongside vitamin B12, folic acid helps control the production of red blood cells and helps iron work correctly in the body. Anemia can be onset by deficiency of this vitamin.

Folic acid can be found in high levels in certain plants. Most Americans, however, do not eat enough of these plants to get the necessary amounts of folic acid, potentially leading to folic acid deficiency. Those with celiac disease, alcoholism, or irritable bowel syndrome are at high risk of folic acid deficiency, which can pave the way for numerous other health problems.
Pregnancy causes an extremely high risk of folic acid deficiency. The fetus quickly uses the mother’s supply of folic acid which can potentially cause a number of health problems including neural tube birth defects in babies.
Folic acid also helps to control blood levels of homocysteine. High levels of homocysteine in the blood can lead to various diseases such as heart disease. Certain B vitamins, including folic acid, work with enzymes to lower homocysteine levels. Folic acid is apparently the most important of all B vitamins in lowering homocysteine levels and supplementation aids in the reduction of these levels. Diseases such as coronary artery disease and peripheral vascular disease have been linked to folic acid deficiencies in those with regular levels of homocysteine. This suggests that folic acid may have preventative effects beyond regulating levels of homocysteine.
Folic acid has been used to treat those with the following conditions:
Birth defects prevention

• Depression
• Gingivitis (periodontal disease) (rinse only)
• High homocysteine (in combination with vitamin B6 and vitamin B12)
• Pap smear (abnormal) (in women taking oral contraceptives)
• Pregnancy and postpartum support
• Schizophrenia (for deficiency)

Vitamin B9 (Folic Acid) Deficiency

Most people do not intake necessary amounts of folic acid. Elevated levels of homocysteine are often discovered in those with heart disease. These levels could be maintained by taking supplements. A large number of people have slight folic acid deficiencies in Western countries. It is estimated that close to 13,500 deaths from cardiovascular diseases could be prevented annually by increasing intake of folic acid.

Those taking birth control, suffering from malabsorbtion disorders, liver disease, and alcoholics often have folic acid deficiency. Deficiency has also been commonly found in elderly people suffering from hearing loss. Folic acid can be interfered by certain prescription drugs such as antacids, triamterene, anticonvulsants, cimetidine, anticancer drugs, and sulfasalazine.

Recommended Dosage

400 mcg of folic acid should be taken daily by pregnant women or those who could become pregnant to reduce birth defect risks. Doctors sometimes recommend these dosages to reduce the risk of heart disease. Because the FDA required grains to be fortified with folic acid, people who regularly eat grains only need 100 mcg of folic acid supplementation each day. However, this low level of supplementation often does not maintain high enough levels of folic acid in the body. Pregnant women should supplement with 300-400 mcg daily to prevent folate deficiency.

Vitamin B6 is a group of three related compounds: pyridoxine (PN), pyridoxal (PL) and pyridoxamine (PM), and their phosphorylated derivatives, pyridoxine 5′-phosphate (PNP), pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP) and pyridoxamine 5′-phosphate (PMP). These six vitamers make up vitamin B6; however vitamin B6 is often used to refer to the vitamer pyridoxine. In the main form of the coenzyme pyridoxal 5′-phosphate, vitamin B6 participates in various biochemical reactions such as the synthesis of neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), the metabolism of glycogen and amino acids, and the synthesis of nucleic acids, hemogloblin, sphingomyelin and other sphingolipids.
Amino acids, the building blocks for proteins and various hormones, are processed by vitamin B6. The vitamin is responsible for making and taking various amino acids apart. Vitamin B6 is also used to make dopamine, hormones, melatonin, and serotonin.
Vitamin B6 is a nutrient needed to help regulate mood and mental processes. This is because it helps form several neurotransmitters.

Along with vitamin B12 and folic acid, vitamin B6 helps to control homocysteine levels. High levels of this amino acid have been linked to diseases including Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, osteoporosis, and stroke.

Vitamin B6 has been used in people with the following health problems:

• Anemia (if deficient and for genetic vitamin B6-responsive anemia)
• Autism
• Depression(in women taking oral contraceptives)
• High homocysteine (in combination with folic acid and vitamin B12)
• Morning sickness
• Premenstrual syndrome

Vitamin B6 Deficiency
Deficiencies of vitamin B6 are uncommon. Vitamin B6 deficiency can cause mental confusion, impaired immunity, and skin lesions. Deficiencies are most often found in women using oral contraceptives, alcoholics, those with chronic fatigue syndrome, and kidney failure patients. Experts think that normal diets generally do not provide good enough amounts of this vitamin.

Vitamin B5, or pantothenic acid, is water-soluble and is used to make neurotransmitter acetylcholine and works in the Kreb’s cycle of energy production. It also helps release, produce, and transport energy from fats. Pantothetic acid also plays a crucial role in synthesizing cholesterol and in activating adrenal glands. A byproduct of pantothenic acid, Pantethine, has shown to lower levels of triglycerides and cholesterol in the blood.
Suggested Dosage
Supplementation of pantothenic acid is not generally necessary. 10-25 mg are found in most multivitamin supplements. Researchers using pantethine to treat cholesterol usually give patients 300 mg three times daily.

Vitamin B3 is water-soluble and used by the body to help release energy from carbohydrates. It is also necessary to process alcohol and to form fats from carbohydrates. Niacin is responsible for regulating cholesterol.

Niacin, or nicotinic acid, and niacinamide, or nicotinamide, are the two forms of vitamin B3. Inositol hexaniacinate is a variation of niacin that can be acquired in some supplements. This form of niacin is sometimes recommended by doctors for those needing large amounts of niacin because it is not currently thought to cause niacin toxicity.

Vitamin B3 has been used to treat those suffering from:

• Acne (topical niacinamide)
• High cholesterol
• High triglycerides (niacin)
• Intermittent claudication (niacin–inositol hexaniacinate)
• Osteoarthritis (niacinamide)

Dosage Recommendations

Because white flour is fortified with vitamin B3, most people intake enough of the vitamin in their diet to avoid a deficiency. B-complex multivitamin supplements do contain between 10-25 mg of the vitamin. Certain health problems necessitate higher levels of the vitamin.

Vitamin B2 is used to help process fats and amino acids, to help convert carbohydrates into fuel for the body (ATP), and to activate vitamin B6 and folic acid. Vitamin B2 can also work as an antioxidant in some cases.

Vitamin B2 Deficiency

Alcoholics can suffer from vitamin B2 deficiency. Those suffering from sickle cell anemia or cataracts are also likely to develop a deficiency. The deficiency is a risk factor for developing preeclampsia in pregnancy in developing countries.

Vitamin B Complex
The vitamin B-complex includes all known imperative water-soluble vitamins excluding vitamin C. These vitamins include vitamin B1 (thiamine), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B3 (niacin), vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid), vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), vitamin B12 (the cobalamins), biotin, and folic acid.
All B-complex vitamins perform specific body functions and have unique structures. Biotin and vitamins B1, B2, and B3 all have roles in energy production. Vitamin B6 assists with amino acid metabolism, and folic acid and vitamin B12 make cell division possible. These vitamins also each perform numerous other jobs. However, the body never needs to use all B-complex vitamins at the same time to perform a job.
Daily requirements of B-complex vitamins vary. 18 mg of vitamin B3 and 3 mcg of vitamin B12 are recommended for adult males. Equal amounts of each vitamin should not be taken, as are provided by numerous supplements. Megadoses of B-complex vitamins have not been supported by research to help increase energy, fight stress, or control food cravings unless a person suffers from deficiency. There has been no evidence to support that the other B vitamins should be taken to create balance when a certain B vitamin is used to treat a health condition.
Multivitamins usually include B-complex vitamins. These supplements are recommended because they not only provide B-complex vitamins, but only essential vitamins and minerals that help prevent deficiencies and improve nutritional intake.
 

Vitamin A is made up of fat-soluble substances that have the biological activity of and are structurally similar to the parent substance all-trans retinol or retinol. Vitamin A is essential to growth, bone development, vision, reproduction, epithelial differentiation, brain development, pattern formation during embryogenesis, and hematopoiesis. Alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, and beta cryptoxanthin are Vitamin A’s dietary precursors. As a whole, these carotenoids are referred to as provitamin A. Retinoids include retinol and its metabolites, including retinoic acid and other structurally similar synthetic analogues that may perform different biological activities than retinol.
Vitamin A can help those suffering from conditions including:

Anemia (for deficiency)
Childhood disease
Cystic fibrosis
Leukoplakia
Measles (for deficiency)
Leukoplakia
Night blindness
Dosage Recommendations
For the average person, 25,000 IU (7,500 mcg) of Vitamin A daily is safe. People with liver disease or those older than 65, should not take more than 15,000 IU of Vitamin A each day unless directed by their physician. Recommendations for pregnant women are being re-determined. Currently, experts believe that less that 10,000 IU, or 3,000 mcg is safe. Larger amounts could possibly cause birth defects.
Vitamin A Deficiency
Vitamin A deficiency occurs when people do not intake enough vegetables with beta-carotene, dairy foods, and liver. Infants born weighing 2.2 pounds or less are likely to have a deficiency. Double-blind research studies have administered shots to these infants to try to lower the risk of lung disease. Deficiency symptoms include poor night vision, higher risk of infections, dry skin, and a precancerous condition called metaplasia. Extreme deficiencies can cause blindness, but are very rare in Western countries.
Some deficiencies occur more often accompanying other conditions that lead to malabsorption. Those infected with HIV often have vitamin A deficiencies. Hypothyroidism causes a weakened ability to change beta-carotene into vitamin A. Those suffering from hypothyroidism are often advised to take vitamin A supplements (5,000-10,000 IU daily) if their bodies do not absorb sufficient amounts from their diet.
Elderly people suffering from type 2 diabetes often have a decline in vitamin A blood levels due to their age and despite sufficient dietary intake.