Micronutrients: Water Soluble Vitamins

       Micronutrients are nutrients that we need in small quantities and do not provide energy. The micronutrients we consume are vitamins (water soluble and fat soluble) and minerals. Water soluble vitamins are exactly as their name describes, vitamins that are soluble in water. The water soluble vitamins are the B vitamins and vitamin C. Throughout this post I will describe each water soluble vitamin, its function, what happens if we don’t get enough (deficiency), what happens if we get too much (toxicity), where we can find it in our diet, and how much we’re supposed to have each day.  Please note that the “recommended dietary allowance” is not the amount you should be supplementing each day, it is the amount you should be getting through food. Supplementing these amounts may lead to adverse effects.

Vitamin B1 (Thiamin):

• Function: Aids in CHO metabolism/energy production, essential for growth, normal appetite, digestion, and nerve health.
• Deficiency: Beriberi, Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome
• Toxicity: rare
•  Sources: pork, oatmeal, potatoes, liver, eggs, wheat germ, whole grains
• Recommended Dietary Allowance: 1.2 mg/day

Beriberi (thiamin deficiency) is a condition that can affect the peripheral nervous system, cardiovascular system, and digestive system. Typically patients present with weight loss, unstable emotions, impaired sensory perceptions, weakness, pain in extremities, and irregular heartbeat.

Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (WKS) is a combination of Wernicke’s encephalopathy and Korsakoff’s syndrome. WKS is usually caused by alcohol abuse that depletes thiamin stores and intake. WKS is a serious condition, 20% of people with this condition die, and many of the rest suffer from permanent brain damage.  Patients begin to experience impaired vision, memory impairment/dementia, trouble with balance, trouble speaking, impaired gross motor skills, or impaired sensory perception.

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)

• Function: aids in red blood cell formation, nervous system functioning and energy production. Essential for optical health and tissue repair.
• Deficiency: Ariboflavinosis, glossitis, angular stomatitis
• Toxicity: no toxicity
• Sources: enriched cereals, dairy products, bananas, popcorn, green beans, asparagus, organ meats, breads, eggs, dark green leafy vegetables.
• Recommended Dietary Allowance: 1.3 mg/day

Ariboflavinosis results in a painful red tongue (glossitis) with a sore throat, severely chapped lips, and inflammation in the corners of the mouth (angular stomatitis). Patients can also develop itchy, bloodshot, and watery eyes that are sensitive to light, as well as lesions around genitalia.

Vitamin B3 (Niacin)

• Function: aids in energy production, aids in nervous system functioning, aids in DNA production.
• Deficiency: Pellagra
• Toxicity: liver damage, flushing of face
• Sources: Meat, fish, eggs, mushrooms, tree nuts peanuts, legumes, liver, whole grains, milk
• Recommended Dietary Allowance: 16 mg/day

Pellagra can be caused by deficiency of niacin or the amino acid tryptophan. Pellegra presents with symptoms described by the “four D’s” (diarrhea, dermatitis, dementia, and death). Pellegra can also present symptoms such as sensitivity to sunlight, insomnia, aggression, glossitis, lack of coordination, and an enlarged, weakened heart.

Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid)

• Function: aids in normal growth and development
• Deficiency: feeling pins and needles on skin
• Toxicity:  diarrhea, nausea, heartburn
• Sources: meat, broccoli, avocados, eggs, salmon, yeast, liver
• Recommended Dietary Allowance: 5 mg/day

Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)

• Function: essential for protein and fat metabolism, aids in nervous system and immune function, aids in hormone and RBC production.
• Deficiency: anemia, peripheral neuropathy
• Toxicity: impairment of proprioception, nerve damage
• Sources: meat, tree nuts, bananas, whole grains, milk, egg yolk, legumes
• Recommended Dietary Allowance: 1.3-1.7 mg/day

Vitamin B7 (Biotin)

• Function: Aids in fatty acid metabolism
• Deficiency: dermatitis, enteritis (inflammation of the small intestine)
• Toxicity: N/A
• Sources: raw egg yolk, liver, peanuts, dark green leafy vegetables, liver, mushrooms, yeast, most vegetables, banana, grapefruit, tomato, watermelon, strawberries
• Recommended Dietary Allowance: 30 mcg/day

Vitamin B9 (Folic Acid/Folate)

• Function: aids in cell production, aids in RBC health and nerve function.
• Deficiency: megaloblastic anemia, neural tube defects (during pregnancy)
• Toxicity: may mask symptoms of B12 deficiency
• Sources: lentils, asparagus, yeast, beef, wheat, eggs, fish, dry beans, dark green leafy vegetables, pasta, bread, cereal, liver
• Recommended Dietary Allowance: 400 mcg/day

Folate is the form of folic acid that is found naturally in foods. Folate intake is especially important during the early stages of pregnancy (sometimes even before a woman may know that she is pregnant). The fetus starts out looking like a sting-ray in sorts, very flat with the neural tube in the middle. During development the two “fins” of the fetus begin to wrap around the neural tube in order for it to be in the central part of the body. When folate is absent this process can go hay-wire and the result is a fetus with the neural tube exposed. It is recommended that all women of child bearing age (whether planning on having a child soon or not) take folic acid supplements daily.

Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin)

• Function: aids in protein metabolism, nervous system function and immune function. Aids in the production of hormones and RBCs. Aids in cellular replication and bone health.
• Deficiency: pernicious anemia
• Toxicity: acne-like rash
• Sources: animal products (meat, eggs, poultry, etc.)
• Recommended Dietary Allowance: 2.4 mcg/day

Vitamin C

• Function: antioxidant, aids in iron absorption, aids in immune function, maintains healthy skin with the formation of collagen, blood vessels, bones and gums.
• Deficiency: scurvy
• Toxicity: rare, may experience mild diarrhea
• Sources: citrus fruits, liver, tomato, melon, peppers, raw cabbage, greens, guava, strawberries, broccoli, pineapple, potato
• Recommended Dietary Allowance: 90 mg/day

Scurvy, the pirate’s disease, presents as fatigue, red spots on the skin, spongy and bleeding gums, slow wound healing and easy bruising. Patients can also develop yellow-looking skin, neuropathy, tooth loss, and internal bleeding in the final stages of the disease. Scurvy was prominent on ships back in the 1500-1800’s when sailors (or pirates ;)) would be out to sea for months on end without access to citrus fruits or vegetables.

Most of the toxicities with water-soluble vitamins are rare due to their solubility. Usually, if we consume too much of a water-soluble vitamin it will be excreted through the urine. You may have noticed this by your urine changing to a vibrant color after starting to take a multivitamin. For this sake, please save your money—if you’re worried about getting a cough from an airplane, bring a few satsumas with you!

The supplement industry is a multi-billion dollar/year commerce. Talk to a dietitian or your  Some brands that USP verifies include Nature Made, Kirkland Brand, TruNature, and Berkley & Jensen—you can purchase any of their supplements with confidence that you are receiving what is marketed. On USP’s website you can also see specific items that USP has verified.

doctor before starting a supplement to see if it is actually necessary. When looking at a supplement, see the “%DV” on the nutrition facts label for each vitamin—try to find one that does not provide much higher than 100% for the water soluble vitamins, and less than 100% for the fat soluble vitamins. Also, make sure that your vitamins are actually made up of what you think they are—supplements are not regulated by any governing body to ensure that the product marketed is actually the product sold. Some supplement brands subject their products to an unbiased, separate company that tests the products for validity. You can ensure you’re getting quality products by looking for supplements with the “USP” logo on the bottle. The U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) only puts their logo on supplements that they have tested and have ensured that the product is what is marketed (eg. The bottle says 1000 mg Vitamin C, the pill actually contains 1000 mg Vitamin C).

Although supplementing can be helpful and sometimes required, keep in mind that the best source of the vitamins listed above are from FOOD. There should be no need for a healthy adult to supplement if they are eating a well BALANCED diet with VARIETY and MODERATION. Personally, the easiest way for me to remember I’m getting in what I need to is recognizing that my plate consists of many different colors—the more colors the more diverse the micronutrients, and the least amount of brain power I need to use to ensure adequacy!

Reference:  Food, Nutrition & Diet Therapy, 11th Edition, Krause & Mahan, W.B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia, 2004.

Lindsey's Quinoa Salad

• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 1 can black beans
• 1/2 cup corn, frozen & thawed
• 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 large carrot, sliced
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1/2 jalepeno, chopped (small!)
• 1/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook quinoa per package directions + chili powder & cumin.
2. Rinse black beans.
3. Combine all ingredients into a large bowl and mix together. Add salt and pepper to taste. 
4. Serve cold or warm.

** May want to tweak amounts of veggies and spices-- I make this in BIG batches to last me all week long, so amounts are a general guess for a reasonable amount.