Vitamin B8

Vitamin B8 (inositol) was discovered by the German biochemist Liebig in 1848. Few people know that most sedatives are made from this vitamin. Thanks to this vitamin, you can forget about insomnia, as it is also included in sleeping pills. We will now find out what other useful properties vitamin B8 has.

General information about vitamin B8

Vitamin B8 is scientifically called inositol and inositol. A large amount of it is concentrated in tears, semen, nerve cells and the liquid of the lens of the eye. Vitamin B8 enters our body in the form of glucose, and then is synthesized from it into the final product - inositol.

Experiments on mice showed that in the absence of this water-soluble factor in food, in addition to growth cessation, a peculiar loss of hair coat and fatty infiltration of the liver with cholesterol deposition are observed. Adding liver extracts to the animals' food eliminated these phenomena. The substance with a therapeutic effect was called a factor against alopecia and was later identified with the phosphorus ester of inositol. Phytin, a salt of inositol phosphoric acid, also has vitamin properties.

Inositol is a cyclic hexahydric alcohol of cyclohexane.

The vitamin is resistant to acids and alkalis. The most common is inactive mesoinositol. In animals on an iso-deficient diet, in addition to specific baldness, neurotrophic disorders, impaired coordination of movements, limb cramps and complete loss of vision are observed. Inositol is involved in the metabolism of phosphotides.

A whole group of inositol phosphatides has been identified, the structure and role of which is being studied.

Inositol is also found in the blood in a free form at a concentration of 0.37-0.76 mg/dl. Its additional source is synthesis in the intestine. Sulfonamides and some other drugs can suppress its formation by microflora. Inositol excretion with urine is small - up to 12 mg per day, it increases sharply in diabetes mellitus and chronic nephritis. Inositol in the body is destroyed with the formation of glucuronic acid with its subsequent oxidation.

Amount of vitamin B8 required per day

An adult needs 1-1.5 g of this vitamin per day. The maximum daily dose of the vitamin has not yet been determined.

How is vitamin B8 absorbed?

It is known that vitamin B8 is well absorbed together with vitamin E and other vitamins belonging to the "B" group. Inositol interacts well with choline (vitamin B4) with the subsequent formation of lecithin.

The beneficial effects of vitamin B8 on the human body

Vitamin B8 in the body promotes the synthesis of fats in the body, normal passage of nerve impulses. If there is enough inositol in the body, the liver, skin and hair remain healthy. Vitamin B8 also promotes the dissolution of cholesterol, protects the walls of blood vessels from fragility. The motor activity of the stomach and intestines is maintained precisely due to inositol. As already mentioned, inositol can have a calming effect on the body.

Inositol is found in the composition of phosphoglycerols (phosphatidic acid derivatives), it is a component of phosphatidylinositol. The biological role of inositol is associated with the exchange of phosphoglycerols and the formation of inositol-1,4,5-triphosphate - one of the most active secondary messengers of intracellular signals. Inositol has a powerful lipotropic effect, inhibits the development of liver dystrophy in animals on a protein-free diet, and in humans with malignant neoplasms.

Inositol is found in the cerebrospinal fluid, and its content does not decrease in meningitis and epidemic encephalitis. In tuberculous meningitis, its concentration increases. With prolonged inositol deficiency, animals die. Death occurs faster with a simultaneous deficiency of para-aminobenzoic acid in the diet. The absence of inositol in the diet also has a negative effect on the function of the gastrointestinal tract. The motor function of the stomach and intestines is impaired. Inositol is essential for fetal development and in early infancy. For the development of the lungs in premature babies with respiratory distress syndrome (levels in the first 2 months of life are approximately 4 times higher than in adults).

Signs of Vitamin B8 Deficiency

People with a lack of vitamin B8 experience insomnia, excessive irritability, and suffer from frequent constipation. Baldness and skin diseases can also indicate a lack of inositol in the body. Growth retardation in children is a clear sign of vitamin B8 deficiency. Scientists have recently made a discovery: a lack of vitamin inositol in the body can "disarm" all other B vitamins, i.e., due to a deficiency of one vitamin, the others lose their properties.

Signs of excess vitamin B8

Excess inositol in the body does not manifest itself in any way, except that science does not yet know about it.

Factors that can reduce the amount of vitamin B8 in foods

It is known that inositol is very resistant to any changes in temperature. Alkaline and acidic environments also do not affect the amount of inositol contained in food products.

Why can vitamin B8 deficiency occur?

Alcohol and, of course, caffeine can destroy inositol in the human body, so in order not to harm your health, you should limit the intake of these two substances into the body.

What foods contain B8?

Inositol is widely distributed in nature. In addition to yeast and liver, it is found in fruits, berries, vegetables, cereals, milk, meat, and internal organs of animals.
In products of animal origin, inositol is found mainly in a bound form, and in plants in the form of fetin.

Inositol is used for medicinal purposes in liver diseases. In medical practice, phytin is used as a source of phosphorus in nervous diseases. It is prescribed orally in a dose of 0.25 - 0.5 g 3 times a day for 6-8 weeks.

A sufficient amount of inositol is contained in various cereals. Lentils contain 130 mg of the vitamin, rice bran can contain up to 460 mg, sprouted wheat can contain up to 770 mg, oatmeal and barley groats contain from 270 to 390 mg of inositol. Green peas contain up to 240 mg of vitamin B8, and regular roasted peanuts - up to 180 mg. Fruits are products that contain inositol. Grapefruit, for example, contains up to 150 mg of inositol, and orange - 210 mg. Choose what you like best and eat more often.