Free radicals are produced by normal metabolic reactions (for instance, cellular respiration) and by the influence of cigarette smoke and air pollution on the body. Free radicals can cause oxidative damage by taking electrons from DNA, carbohydrates, proteins, and fatty acids. This damage can lead to different diseases (cancer, heart disease, arthritis, etc.). Antioxidants donate electrons to free radicals and in such a way protect the organism from different diseases.
The B vitamins are an essential part of metabolic reactions. The B vitamins can be referred to by the name or by their number designation. Metabolic reactions take part in all parts of the cell. Folate functions as a coenzyme in DNA synthesis. Thiamin and vitamin B6 take part in protein synthesis. Thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, B6, biotin, and pantothenic acid take part in amino acid metabolism. Vitamin B6 is involved in gluconeogenesis and together with the chemical choline, it takes part in neurotransmitter synthesis. This process is important for the function of nerve. Such elements as riboflavin, niacin, biotin, and pantothenic acid take part in lipid metabolism. During this process triglycerides split into fatty acids and glycerol. Glycerol is used to synthesize pyruvate. Pyruvate in its turn is used to synthetize glucose or it can be converted to acetyl-CoA.
B vitamins also take part in each phase of cellular respiration (there are four of them). This process begins in the cytosol with glycosis and ends in the mitochondrion. Niacin is a coenzyme at this step of the process. As a result, some energy is produced in the form of ATP. The second step of the cellular respiration is the synthesis of acetyl-CoA. Acetyl-CoA enters the citric acid cycle and such elements as thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, and pantothenic acid are coenzymes at this cycle. ATP is generated at the final phase of the cellular …