Vitamin B, Role of Gut Microbiota and Gut Health

Abstract

The human gastrointestinal system is constantly exposed to pathogenic microorganisms and beneficial compounds, such as food components and commensal bacteria. Vitamin B are a class of water-soluble organic compounds obtained through diet, supplementation, and gut microbiota synthesis. B vitamins are absorbed for host metabolism in the small intestine, whereas microbes produce and absorb B vitamins in the large intestine. The authors have accumulated evidence from various studies that each B vitamin plays an essential role in gastrointestinal health and has a reciprocal relationship with the gut microbiota. Previous studies have also proven that microbial imbalance in the gut lead to competition for the utilization of B vitamins between the host and microbes, affecting the gut microbial composition, gut health, and host metabolism. This review aims to explain further the types of B vitamins in human digestion, the mechanism of B vitamin synthesis, and the role of B vitamins in the composition of the gut microbiota and the health of the gastrointestinal tract. Thus, it can help practitioners to consider administering B vitamins to maintain the patient’s gut health.