vitamin B
vitamin B n. any one of a group of water-soluble vitamins that are often found together in the same kinds of food, such as liver, yeast, and eggs, and all function as coenzymes. B1 (thiamin, aneurine) a vitamin deficiency of which leads to beriberi. Recommended daily intake: 1 mg. B2 (riboflavin) a vitamin important in tissue respiration. A deficiency causes ariboflavinosis. Recommended daily intake: 1.7 mg. B6 (pyridoxine) a vitamin from which the coenzyme pyridoxal phosphate is formed. Deficiency is very rare. B12 (cyanocobalamin) a vitamin that can be absorbed only in the presence of intrinsic factor, secreted in the stomach. A deficiency can lead to pernicious anaemia and degeneration of the nervous system. Recommended daily intake: 3–4 μg. See also biotin, folic acid, nicotinic acid, pantothenic acid.
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vitamin B
