Did you know that the vitamin B complex is composed of eight essential nutrients? These are vitamin B1 (thiamine), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B3 (niacin), vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid), vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), vitamin B7 (biotin), vitamin B9 (folic acid), and vitamin B12 (cobalamin). Each of these essential vitamins plays a vital role in maintaining good health and well-being. B vitamins, as the building blocks for a healthy body, have a great impact on your energy levels, brain function, and cell metabolism.
B vitamins are important to make your body cells function properly. They help the body convert food into energy (metabolism), create new blood cells, and maintain healthy skin cells, brain cells, and other body tissues. Vitamin B complex also helps in the prevention of infections as well as the support or promotion of good eyesight, healthy brain function, good digestion, healthy appetite, proper nerve function, hormone and cholesterol production, cardiovascular health, and muscle tone. These are important for pregnant and breastfeeding women. These vitamins promote fetal brain development and can lower the risk of birth defects. In addition, B vitamins may increase energy levels, alleviate nausea, and reduce the risk of developing preeclampsia in expectant mothers. B vitamins can boost testosterone levels in men which naturally decline as they get older. Furthermore, these can help men to build muscle and increase their strength. However, human studies that will confirm these claims are insufficient until today.
It is best to get your B vitamins from a variety of foods. Vitamin B can be found in milk, cheese, eggs, liver, and kidney, meat (chicken and red meat), fish (tuna, mackerel, and salmon), shellfish (oysters and clams), dark green vegetables (spinach and kale), vegetables (beets, avocados, and potatoes), whole grains and cereals, beans (kidney beans, black beans, and chickpeas), nuts and seeds, fruits such as citrus, banana, and watermelon, as well as soy products such as soy milk.
If you have Vitamin B deficiency, you may experience different symptoms depending on which B vitamins you are deficient in. If left untreated, deficiency can lead to anemia, digestive problems, skin conditions, infections, and peripheral neuropathy. Lack of vitamin B-12, in particular, may increase your risk of neuropsychiatric disorders. Babies born from mothers who were folic acid deficient during pregnancy were more likely to have birth defects. A healthy, varied diet will usually provide all of the B vitamins needed for the body. People can treat and prevent B vitamin deficiencies by increasing their intake of Vitamin B- rich foods or taking vitamin supplements. People who are 50 years old or older, pregnant, have certain chronic health conditions, or those who practice a vegetarian diet may require supplementation of the said vitamins. Before taking any supplements, consult your doctor to keep you SAFE!
-PNFP Rowence F. Zorilla
References:
1. Why Is Vitamin B Complex Important, and Where Do I Get It?
https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/vitamin-b-complex#_noHeaderPrefixedContent
2. A complete guide to B vitamins
Medically reviewed by Alan Carter, Pharm.D. — Written by Jennifer Berry on May 28, 2019
