B Complex Vitamins
What are the health benefits of B Complex vitamins?
B vitamins play a vital role in maintaining good health and well-being. As the building blocks of a healthy body, B vitamins have a direct impact on your energy levels, brain function, and cell metabolism.
The B vitamins are also useful in managing chronic pain, especially neuropathy pain, and can also be helpful with fatigue and headache. There is research that reports reversal of neuropathy with some forms of B vitamins. The B vitamins are especially important if you drink alcohol or smoke, as these activities deplete B vitamins. Daily multivitamins usually contain some B vitamins, but people with chronic pain often feel better when they take an additional B complex supplement. Unless you take very high doses, toxicity is very rare, but B vitamins will make your urine a very bright yellow. The doses in over-the-counter vitamin B complex tablets or capsules, taken as directed, are unlikely to cause any problems.
Vitamin B complex may help prevent infections and help support or promote:
• cell health
• growth of red blood cells
• energy levels
• eyesight
• brain function
• digestion
• appetite
• proper nerve function
• hormones and cholesterol production
• cardiovascular health
• muscle tone
What is vitamin B complex?
Some B vitamins have shared functions — for example, most of them help convert food into energy. But each B vitamin also has a unique and crucial role. Vitamin B complex does everything from boosting brain function to supporting a healthy immune system.
Note: B vitamins are water-soluble, which means they can’t be stored in your body. You have to replenish your supply on a daily basis.
List of all eight B vitamins:
Vitamin B1: Thiamin
Thiamin is necessary for the growth and development of cells. You need it for energy production and a healthy nervous system.
Vitamin B2: Riboflavin
Riboflavin helps break down nutrients from food so your body can use them. It also works with folate, B12, B6, and choline to keep your levels of homocysteine (an amino acid) in check. High homocysteine levels are associated with an increased risk of heart disease.
Vitamin B3: Niacin
Niacin helps produce sex and stress hormones. It also builds and repairs DNA. It even acts as an antioxidant to help keep inflammation levels low.
· What are antioxidants?
· Antioxidants are substances that help prevent or slow down cell damage caused by free radicals — unstable molecules your body creates naturally in response to everyday stresses.
· You’ll find antioxidants in plant-based foods like fruits and veggies. You can even find them in chocolate, coffee, tea, and wine!
Vitamin B5: Pantothenic acid
Pantothenic acid is super important for the production of energy, hormones, and cholesterol. You need cholesterol for vital things like hormone production and synthesizing vitamin D from the sun.
Vitamin B6: Pyridoxine
Your body needs vitamin B6 to create neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine. These chemicals help you feel good.
B6 is also important for the production of hemoglobin, which helps oxygen travel to your cells. And, like riboflavin, B6 helps regulate homocysteine levels and keeps inflammation levels down. Vitamin B6 helps with nerve function and immune health. Rheumatoid arthritis can cause a deficiency of this vitamin which further worsens the condition – and therefore the pain. Supplementing with it may be recommended to ease the symptoms.
Vitamin B7: Biotin
Biotin is best known for keeping hair, skin, and nails on point. A biotin deficiency can lead to brittle nails and thinning hair.
Biotin also helps you metabolize carbs and fats.
Vitamin B9: Folate
Folate supports red blood cell production, healthy cell growth and function, and DNA synthesis.
Vitamin B12: Cobalamin
Vitamin B12 is necessary for red blood cell formation, DNA synthesis, and healthy brain function.
Vitamin B12 specifically is a vitamin for nerves and joints – it protects the nerves, stimulates nerve regeneration, and could help reduce the pain from old injuries.
Having leg cramps? If you’re troubled by shooting pain in your calf at night, it is likely to be muscle spasms that bring on cramps. Taking a vitamin B complex capsule that contains vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, and B12 is believed to help.
Foods with B vitamins
To increase the dose of B vitamins in the body, it is good to combine the intake of tablets with foods that contain any of the vitamins mentioned above. Some of the most common are:
· Legumes (B1, B2, B5, B6): Black Beans, Garbanzo, Green Soybeans, Green Peas, Kidney Beans, Lentils, Pinto beans, Roasted Soy Nuts.
· Chicken-Turkey (B2, B3, B5, B6, B12): Breast 100gr skinless well cooked.
· Yogurt (B2, B12): It depends on the brand and if the product is non-dairy. If you are on "diet-only” products, avoid buying it unless it specifies that it contains B vitamins. Be careful with added sugar brands.
· Pork (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12): 100gr fat free slices are the best to eat and get all the B’s.
· Cereal & Supplements: Many breakfast cereals include a long list of B vitamins. Supplements like protein powder are rich in nutrients and vitamins.