Vitamins B - a group of chemically and pharmacologically different substances that play an important role in human metabolism. They are found in products of animal and vegetable origin: fish, liver, dairy products, broccoli or cabbage.
Vitamin B12, unlike any other water-soluble B vitamins, can be stored in the body. Recent studies show that vitamin B and iron are factors in the development of diabetes.
Vitamin B and Iron - Diabetes Risk Factors
A large Australian study showed that kidney function deteriorates more rapidly in patients using vitamins B and iron. If supplements are used on a regular basis, the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and kidney disease is increased.
Vitamins B play a crucial role in carbohydrate metabolism. Deficiency is primarily problematic for those tissues that receive energy from the processing of carbohydrates. An important example here is the human nervous system.
The link between diabetes risk and iron intake has emerged from studies of Europeans and African Americans.
Recent NHANES data also show that high ferritin levels roughly double the risk of metabolic syndrome.
Are Vitamins B Good for Diabetes?
B vitamins help restore normal functioning of the nervous system and prevent diabetic neuropathy. Many diabetics suffer from peripheral neuropathy, which is accompanied by pain and discomfort. As a dangerous disease develops, a person loses sensitivity in the limbs, which increases the risk of injuries, ulcers or infections.
The introduction of vitamin B6 reduces the level of hemoglobin A1c in plasma. A1c is a measure of blood sugar concentration over the past 3 months. Long-term use of pyridoxine reduces the risk of developing "diabetic blindness," as was shown in earlier studies.
About 1 out of 2 diabetics suffer from neuropathy. Such people develop trophic ulcers, diseases of the intestines, joints and skin, as well as impaired bladder emptying and impotence. Neuropathies can be caused by prolonged high blood sugar levels.
Recent NHANES data have shown that diabetics taking metformin have low serum vitamin B12 levels. Metformin, unlike sulfonylureas, does not act on insulin in the pancreas, but interferes with carbohydrate metabolism.
Studies have shown that metformin causes uptake of vitamin B12 and xylose. Further studies report that approximately 30% of diabetics with metformin showed a significant decrease in vitamin B12. After stopping the use of metformin, the level of absorption of vitamin B12 and B1 in blood plasma returned to normal.
Can vitamin B12 be eliminated without consequences?
Unfortunately, the exclusion of vitamin B12 contributes to the development of hypochondriacal and depressive symptoms up to paranoid psychosis.
Some studies also show that vitamin B12 deficiency impairs spatial memory and increases the risk of suicide.
To avoid irreversible secondary deficiency of vitamin B12, replacement vitamin therapy is recommended. Studies have shown that replacing B-vitamin can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. As a result, an ambiguous situation arises: the introduction of vitamins increases mortality, the absence also increases.
What to do if vitamins B are harmful?
Previously, doctors recommended the administration of B vitamins.
After 2010, the use of biological additives is not advised for safety reasons. In animals, B vitamins can slow the progression of diabetic nephropathy, but they are harmful to humans.
Most experts now advise giving up an additional dose of B vitamins.
Although in the case of a severe vitamin B deficiency, the further therapeutic procedure should be discussed openly with your doctor. This is especially true for vitamin B12 and metformin administration. In a Chinese study in January 2015, the problem of vitamin B6 deficiency was re-examined. Scientists have come to a similar conclusion: a high dose of vitamin B6 increases mortality.
It is not recommended to use ultra-high doses of vitamins B without consulting a doctor. The potential health risk exceeds the benefit.
