What Are Water Soluble Vitamins?

When talking about water soluble vitamins we are discussing about vitamin c and the B-complex vitamins, which include B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B6 (pyridoxine), niacin (nicotinic acid), B12, folic acid, biotin and pantothenic acid. These vitamins are not active when present in free states and they need to be activated to achieve their coenzyme forms. To put it simple, water-soluble vitamins (vitamin C and B-complex vitamins) are not stored in our body. This means that they have to be taken in daily, usually through food or a multivitamin supplement. All the water soluble vitamins except vitamin B12 are directly absorbed into the intestine and passed to the blood. They are then transported to the tissues that need them. In order for this to be achieved by vitamin B12 there is a need for an extra substance named “intrinsic factor for absorption”.

All water soluble vitamins are usually found in our urine every day. Pantothenic acid, vitamin C (ascorbic acid), B6, B2, B1 and biotin will be found in urine as free vitamins. The human body comes with a limited tissue storage capacity for water soluble vitamins and this is very important as it keeps us from getting an overdose. When the tissue tends to become saturated the excretion rate will become higher. This is why we do need to have intakes of these vitamins on a daily basis. The only difference stands in vitamin B12 as it is only eliminated from the body through feces. We can find small quantities of biotin and folic acid that are removed in this way although most are eliminated through urine. The source of water soluble vitamins that are eliminated through feces is believed to be intestinal bacteria that synthesize these vitamins and not the ones that we take in through eating or supplements.

Water soluble vitamins act as coenzymes that help us get energy from what we eat. They play an important part in our appetite, skin health, vision, formation of red blood cells and keeping our nervous system healthy. If we end up with a deficiency of Vitamin B, we might end up with pellagra, beriberi and pernicious anemia. Alcoholics are actually very prone to a deficiency of thiamin as they do not eat as much as normal and they usually do not get the foods they need in order to get water soluble vitamins intake that is necessary for a healthy body. Vitamin B deficiency can also appear if you choose to eat polished rice, which is rice that has the outer layer removed. The result is usually thiamin deficiency or beriberi.

It is important to understand that water soluble vitamins will dissolve in water and can not be stored, thus the excess is eliminated through urine. This is why we need them on a daily basis and lacks will lead to a lot of problems. Any good multivitamin supplement can aid us and having all of the needed vitamins in our body is crucial for good health and nutrition.