The B complex vitamins are involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins and fat in the body.
The B vitamins are important for antibody production and red blood cells, and assist with stress related behaviors.
The signs and symptoms of early vitamin deficiency are often more elusive and subtle than those of the major diseases.
Deficiency of certain B vitamins can cause loss of energy, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, depression, numbness and tingling in the arms and legs, muscle cramps, respiratory infections, hair loss, poor growth in children, and birth defects in the fetuses of pregnant women.
It also include digestive disorders, poor muscle tone, sores on the skin and anemia.
If the thiamine or vitamin B1 is deficient in the body, thymus gland and lymph tissue will shrank and the body will reduce antibody response and decrease white blood cell response.
Clinical manifestation of deficiency of some B vitamins such as beriberi, peripheral neuropathies, pellagra, and oral and genital lesions were once major public health probes in some parts of the world.
A deficiency of B vitamins also often causes depression. All the B vitamins working harmony to keep the liver healthy to stabilize brain functions and to metabolize sugar correctly. Consequently, this prevents irritability and fatigue.
Antibiotics deplete the B vitamins and the typical canine diet of processed foods is low in B vitamins increasing the need for supplementation.
Vitamin B deficiency