Vitamin B - Can it make you feel sick?

[plowmeow]

I have been feeling mild nausea for a couple of months and have felt better in the last two days, which co-incides with me running out of my vitamin B tablets - could these be the cause?

Thanks in advance for the help!

[fo3nix]

I'm no expert by a long way in this field, but I do remember reading somewhere that some vitamins (probably some of the B vitamins) can cause nausea.

Try taking them with some food, an hour or so after you get up in the morning.

Better still, try getting your daily requirement from fruit and veg, but you know that already.

[theprof]

Yes, these tablets could indeed be the cause.

The most likely culprits are Niacin and/or Pantothenic Acid.

Taking them with food is a good suggestion. Never take them on an empty stomach.

The availability of B vitamins in fruit and vegetables can vary tremendously. They are easily destroyed by moderate cooking and boiling. Potatoes are often given as a good source, but once the potatoes are boiled, baked or fried their nutritional value can drop to almost zero as far as the B group are concerned. Leafy, green vegetables are usually a good source of some of the group. B12 is nowadays a virtual necessity for those on vegetarian or vegan diets unless they're fond of marmite or Brewer's Yeast.

If you can stomach marmite, (I love it!), it will provide you with all the necessary B group vitamins.

If you're taking the tablets for medical reasons rather than as a nutritional supplement, it's important you don't stop them without consulting your GP or other medical advisor. They may suggest trying an alternative brand of tablet some of which are released slowly in the body.