Advanced B Vitamin Complex
Award winning B-Complex Vitamins
HIGHLIGHTS
Includes the most active forms of the B-vitamins for greatest efficacy
Balanced ratios and clinically-supported doses
Support for energy, stress, metabolism and nerve function
2018 National Nutrition Silver Award winner in the Best Overall category
THE CRITICAL ROLE OF B VITAMINS
The vitamin B family is a group of eight vitamins that play a critical role in many bodily functions. They are all needed for proper processing of the three major groups of macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates and fat). Specific members of the B complex are required for support of the brain and central nervous system, the growth and development of red blood cells, immune function and hormone activity and maintenance of healthy muscle tone, skin, hair and nails. B vitamins are also well known for their role in mood regulation and offseting the effects of stress.
Deficiency of this critical group of vitamins can be due to a number of factors:
They are essential vitamins that cannot be made by the body so they must be consumed.
A diet high in processed foods tends to be deficient in B vitamins.
These vitamins need to be taken daily because they are water soluble and cannot be stored.
Fourthly, certain groups such as vegans, vegetarians and the elderly are at greater risk for becoming deficient.
THE AOR ADVANTAGE
Advanced B Complex by AOR delivers the biologically active and most efficient forms of these vitamins in balanced doses to ensure that you get the most out of your B-complex. While many multivitamins provide B complex vitamins in a form that has to be converted by the body before it can be used, AOR delivers these vitamins in their active, coenzyme form which are immediately active and are not dependent on the conversion process which can be lacking in some individuals due to their genetic make up or illness. This form of vitamin also works longer in the body and provides a lasting metabolic energy source.
WHO CAN BENEFIT FROM VITAMIN B SUPPLEMENTATION
Apart from taking a high quality, complete multivitamin such as MultiBasics 3 or OrthoCore, many people choose to take Advanced B complex to increase their level of energy and overall metabolic function. However the people that benefit the most would be the elderly or those with liver disorders, high alcohol intake, diabetes or other illnesses.
ESSENTIAL B VITAMINS
Vitamin B1 (thiamin)
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
Vitamin B3 (niacin)
Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)
Vitamin B7 (biotin)
Vitamin B9 (folic acid or folate)
Vitamin B12 (cobalamin)
Vitamin B1 (A.K.A. THIAMIN):
Thiamin is required to convert glucose and amino acids into energy as well as to develop red blood cells and maintain muscle tissue. Thiamin is converted by the body into its active coenzyme form thiamin pyrophosphate (TPP). TPP is a catalyst for pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH), a key enzyme responsible for the conversion of pyruvate into the all-important acetyl- CoA, which is central to the Kreb’s Cycle that in turn generates energy for the cells.
In ‘underdeveloped’ countries, B1 deficiencies are usually found where foods made from white flour are staples. In the ‘developed’ world, where such foods are often fortified with thiamin, the main reasons for deficiencies are alcohol consumption (which impairs thiamin absorption) and poor dietary choices. The most serious deficiencies can lead to degenerative nerve disorders such as beriberi and Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, diseases also common among chronic alcoholism. Thiamin deficiency has also been linked to unstable blood sugar levels, particularly in the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). Simply put, AGEs are cellular proteins that are damaged as a result of being exposed to glucose without the mediating action of a co-enzyme. Increased AGE occurrence is also commensurate with the aging process.
AOR’s Advanced B Complex incorporates benfotiamine which is a lipid-soluble form of thiamin that has been shown in studies to be 5 times more bioavailable than regular thiamin. In fact, clinical trials have demonstrated that benfotiamine can improve nerve function by 30% and decrease nerve pain by 50% in those affected.
VITAMIN B2 (A.K.A. RIBOFLAVIN):
While playing a role in the energy metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, B2 is particularly active in skin and vision health. B2 has long been used as an adjunct in the treatment of neonatal jaundice and has recently been added to anti-migraine protocols as well. Ariboflavinosis is the specific condition caused by riboflavin deficiency and its
symptoms include sores around the mouth and swelling of the throat, cheilosis (cracks on the lips), and glossitis (inflammation of the tongue).
VITAMIN B3 (A.K.A. NIACIN):
The derivatives of B3 form the basis of the oxidized and reduced forms of Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD and NADH). The interaction between these coenzymes forms part of the basis (along with acetyl-CoA mentioned above) of the Kreb’s cycle, generating cellular respiration and energy in the form of ATP. ATP is the energy currency of all cells in the body. B3 also plays an essential role in DNA repair, removing toxic chemicals from the body, and assisting in hormone production. Niacin is also effective at inhibiting the release of low- density lipoproteins (or LDL [bad] cholesterol) into the blood from the liver, making it a treatment of choice for hyperlipidemia.
Deficiency in B3 (combined with a deficiency in the essential amino acid tryptophan) can lead to a disease known as pellagra, characterized by dermatitis, insomnia, diarrhea, weakness and progressive cognitive decline. Most niacin supplements are in nicotinic acid form, which has been associated with a ‘flushing’ effect, an unpleasant warming and itching of the skin when taken at significant doses. AOR Advanced B Complex incorporates the Inositol Hexanicotinate form of niacin that is free of this flushing effect.
VITAMIN B5 (A.K.A. PANTOTHENIC ACID):
B5 is needed to form coenzyme A (later becoming acetyl-CoA), which is central to cellular respiration and energy production. Vitamin B5 has also been shown to have a positive effect on cholesterol levels, including lowered total and LDL (bad) cholesterol levels.
VITAMIN B6 (A.K.A. PYRIDOXINE):
Vitamin B6 is most commonly known as pyridoxine, but in fact B6 is comprised of three organic forms, namely pyridoxal, pyridoxine, and pyridoxamine. Each represents a different stage in the body’s metabolism of this important vitamin. Pyridoxal-5′-phosphate, or P5P, represents the advanced stage of this metabolism, the stage at which B6 has been converted into a coenzyme, a catalyst for at least 113 known essential enzymatic reactions in the body. These include the metabolism of all endogenous amino acids, including such particularly crucial ones as tyrosine, glutamine, cysteine and glycine. P5P is also important for the proper metabolism of essential fatty acids as well as the formation of red blood cells and neurotransmitters, making P5P a factor in optimal cognitive function as well. Notable features of the latter include the fact that P5P is required to convert tryptophan into serotonin as well as to release glucose from glycogen. Indeed, a deficiency in vitamin B6 can lead to anemia, dermatitis, hypertension, elevated levels of homocysteine and water retention, insomnia, premenstrual tension, irritability, muscle twitching, convulsions, and kidney stones.
B6 has been successfully studied for its ability to enhance the immune system and alleviate the symptoms of autism, carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), anemia, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), hyperhomocysteinemia and other conditions. While the aforementioned studies used conventional B6 supplementation (mainly pyridoxine hydrochloride), it must be remembered that only the P5P converted from pyridoxine can be used for nitrogen and protein metabolism and heme synthesis. This underlines the potential for P5P in supplement form, especially in cases where the body’s ability to synthesize it from its organic B6 forms is compromised in any way. In fact, it was found that in patients with impaired liver function, only 33% responded to pyridoxine hydrochloride supplementation with an increase in plasma P5P, where as all of the patients receiving P5P supplementation experienced an increase. AOR Advanced B Complex incorporates P5P as opposed to the more common and potentially less effective pyridoxine hydrochloride most commonly used in multivitamins.
VITAMIN B12 (A.K.A. COBALAMIN):
Vitamin B12 has distinguished itself among the B-vitamins with the volumes of research attributable to its specific effects on neurological health. B12 is also very important to the methylation cycle. The successful studies with B12′s neuroprotective and neurogenerative benefits were conducted with the methylcobalamin (the active coenzyme) form of B12. This is the form of B12 offered by AOR Advanced B Complex.
VITAMIN B9 (A.K.A. FOLIC ACID OR FOLATE):
Folic acid is needed for the synthesis of new red blood cells (which carry oxygen throughout the body) and DNA. Folic acid is often prescribed during pregnancy, as it reduces the risk of neural tube defects such as spina bifida in the fetus. A deficiency can also lead to megaloblastic anemia, a specific form of anemia caused by the inhibition of DNA synthesis in red blood cell production, as well as elevated levels of homocysteine.
VITAMIN B7 (A.K.A. BIOTIN):
Biotin is another B vitamin that is involved in the metabolism of protein, carbohydrates and fats, and finally, although not strictly a vitamin, choline is an essential nutrient that is often grouped with the B-complex.
CHOLINE & INOSITOL
Choline, a nitrogen-based organic compound that is found in the lipids of cell membranes, is a member of the B-vitamin family without a numeric designation. It plays an important role in the structural integrity of cells as well as in the movement of essential lipids across cell membranes, in important metabolic processes and in the synthesis of the key neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Inositol was also once considered a member of the b-vitamin family but now is not since the body can produce it. It is an important component of structural lipids and signaling molecules.
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