By: Dr. Dorian Richardson (bio below)
There are eight B vitamins including thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), pyridoxal-5’-phosphate (B6), biotin (B7), folate (B9), and cobalamin (B12).
B Vitamins are involved in many physiological processes including metabolism and energy production.*
Metabolism is a physiological process that uses energy (anabolic reactions) and produces energy (catabolic reactions).
If your body produces more energy than it uses, your body stores the excess energy by building fat molecules. On the other hand, if your energy usage is higher than the energy produced, your body will use stored energy.
B Vitamins are critical cofactors (assistants) in metabolism for several reasons:
- B Vitamins play a vital role in the catabolic process to breakdown food into energy throughout your body (1, 2, 3).*
- B12 is essential for metabolizing protein and fats.*
- B6 also plays a role in metabolizing protein.*
- Thiamine (or B1) enhances the metabolism of fat, protein, and carbohydrates.*
- A B Vitamin deficiency greatly disrupts your body’s ability to have a healthy metabolism.*
B Vitamins also help power your energy production cycle (aka. Kreb’s Cycle or Citric Acid Cycle) to provide you with immediate energy needs (1, 4).*
During this cycle, B Vitamins are essential co-factors that help produce what is known as ATP (1, 3).
ATP stands for adenosine triphosphate (a scientific name that helps chemists know what the molecule looks like) and is used for energy demand in all cells throughout your body.*
B Vitamins are used by every cell in your body and are a great supplement to add to your daily routine to support healthy metabolism and energy levels!
But, there’s a caveat…
B Vitamin supplements are available in two different forms -- their active form and their inactive form.
The active form is already bioavailable, meaning the vitamins are ready to be used by your body immediately.*
If it is inactive, the B Vitamin needs to go through the liver to be converted (or, “methylated”) into its active form before your body can use it.*
Unfortunately, this process can be timely and many of the vitamins are eliminated from the body before they can be used.*
That's why Jigsaw Health provides you Jigsaw Activated B w/SRT® -- the conversion is already done for you, so your body gets the B Vitamins it needs in the forms you can use instantly.*
References: 1) Kennedy, David O. “B Vitamins and the Brain: Mechanisms, Dose and Efficacy-A Review.” MDPI, Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 27 Jan. 2016, www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/8/2/68/htm.2) OpenStax. Anatomy and Physiology, OpenStax, 6 Mar. 2013, opentextbc.ca/anatomyandphysiology/chapter/24-1-overview-of-metabolic-reactions/ 3) Gaby, Alan R. Nutritional Medicine. Fritz Perlberg Publishing, 2011. pg 60-96 4) Depeint, Flore, et al. “Mitochondrial Function and Toxicity: Role of the B Vitamin Family on Mitochondrial Energy Metabolism.” Chemico-Biological Interactions, Elsevier, 1 May 2006, www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/8/2/68/htm.
About Dr. Dorian...
Dorian Richardson graduated from Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine with her ND.
Dorian is also a public speaker and has spoken in multiple arenas. She finds that speaking and motivating others is one of her greatest passions.
Her foundation in everything is that she is governed by the principle of agape. In greek, agape means love for everyone. Everything she does is from a place of love.
