Six Benefits of Vitamin B

Vitamins B 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.

Recommended Levels #

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH)Trusted Source, the recommended daily intake for women is as follows

• B1: 1.1 milligrams (mg)

• B2: 1.1 mg

• B3: 14 mg NE

• B5: 5 mg

• B6: 1.3 mg

• Biotin: 30 micrograms (mcg)

• Folic acid: 400 mcg DFE

• B12: 2.4 mcg

For men, the NIH recommends the following daily intake as follows

• B1: 1.2 mg

• B2: 1.3 mg

• B3: 16 mg NE

• B5: 5 mg

• B6: 1.3 mg

• Biotin: 30 mcg

• Folic acid: 400 mcg DFE

• B12: 2.4 mcg

Food Rich In vitamin B #

A lot of foods contain B vitamins, making it easy to get enough from the diet. It’s best to get your B vitamins from a wide variety of food sources.

You can find vitamin B in the following

• Milk

• Cheese

• Eggs

• Liver and kidney

• Meat, such as chicken and red meat

• Fish, such as tuna, mackerel, and salmon

• Dark green vegetables, such as spinach and kale

• Vegetables, such as beets, avocados, and potatoes

• Whole grains and cereals

• Beans, such as kidney beans, black beans, and chickpeas

• Nuts and seeds

• Fruits, such as citrus, banana, and watermelon

• Soy products, such as soy milk and tempeh

Benefits Of vitamin B #

Vitamin B1 Is Important for Prevents Beriberi #

• Vitamin B1 plays a major role in metabolizing food into energy.

• B1 is found in whole grain cereals, yeast, beans, nuts, and meats.

• Too little vitamin B1 causes beriberi, a disease affecting the heart, digestive system, and the nervous system.

• Beriberi is found in patients who are malnourished, and in those who are heavy drinkers of alcohol.

• Symptoms of beriberi include difficulty walking, loss of sensation in the hands and feet, and paralysis of the lower legs and it may even lead to congestive heart failure.

• People who consume large amounts of alcohol should take a vitamin B complex supplement to be sure they get enough B1.

• Also, taking any one of the B vitamins for a long period of time can result in an imbalance of other important B vitamins.

• For this reason, you may want to take a B-complex vitamin, which includes all the B vitamins.

Vitamin B2 Boosts the Immune System #

• A diet rich in vitamin B2, also known as riboflavin, is needed to avoid riboflavin deficiency.

• You can get this B vitamin from natural sources such as nuts, green vegetables, meat, and dairy products.

• Riboflavin helps your body break down and use the carbohydrates, fats, and proteins in your diet and helps metabolize food into energy.

• This type of B vitamin also functions to keep your skin, the lining of your gut, and your blood cells healthy.

• Getting enough riboflavin may be preventive for migraine headaches and cataracts, according to the National Institutes of Health. Riboflavin may also increase energy levels, boost the immune system, and treat acne, muscle cramps, and carpal tunnel syndrome.

Vitamin B3 Breaks Down Food Into Energy #

• We need vitamin B3, also called nicotinic acid or niacin, in our diets every day to break down food we eat into energy we can use.

• Legumes, nuts, enriched breads, dairy, fish, and lean meats are all good sources of this type of vitamin B.

• Not getting enough niacin in your diet causes the disorder known as pellagra.

• Symptoms of pellagra include both physical and mental difficulties, diarrhea, inflamed mucus membranes, and dementia.

• Pellagra can also result when the body is not able to absorb enough niacin because of alcoholism.

• Health benefits of niacin include its use as a treatment to help control high blood levels of cholesterol.

• Doses of niacin high enough to lower cholesterol are associated with several side effects and should only be taken with a physician’s supervision.

Vitamin B5 for Healthy Hormones #

• You can find vitamin B5 in vegetables of the cabbage family, such as broccoli and kale, as well as in avocado.

• In addition, whole-grain cereals, potatoes, dairy, and organ meats are good sources.

• This type of B vitamin is needed for many of the biochemical reactions that go on in our cells each day, including the breakdown of carbohydrates and lipids for energy.

• Because it’s a water-soluble vitamin, you need vitamin B5 in your diet every day.

• Pantothenic acid is necessary for our bodies to produce hormones, and it’s also needed for growth.

Vitamin B6 May Help Reduce Heart Disease Risk #

• Vitamin B6 is important because it’s involved in more than 100 enzyme reactions in the body’s cells, helping us metabolize amino acids from our food and build new red blood cells.

• There is intriguing research that B6 may help reduce the risk of heart disease, but this benefit has not yet been definitely established.

• The health benefits of vitamin B6 uncovered by clinical research include reduction in heart disease risk.

• Although deficiency in this vitamin is rare in the United States, it can lead to muscle weakness, depression, irritability, short term memory loss, nervousness, and difficulty concentrating.

Vitamin B12 Avoids Anemia #

• Adults need only 2.4 micrograms of vitamin B12, also called cyanocobalamin, each day.

• Pregnant or breastfeeding teens and women need more: 2.6 to 2.8 mcg daily.

• Vitamin B12 is not naturally occurring in plant foods, so vegetarians and vegans may not get enough in their diets and may need to take a B supplement.

• Natural sources rich in vitamin B12 are dairy products, fish, meat, and in particular beef liver and clams.

• This type of vitamin B can also be found in fortified items like breakfast cereals and nutritional yeast.

Symptoms of vitamin B Deficiency #

The following are the symptoms of vitamin B deficiency

• Skin rashes

• Cracks around the mouth

• Scaly skin on the lips

• Swollen tongue

• Fatigue

• Weakness

• Anemia

• Confusion

• Irritability or depression

• Nausea

• Abdominal cramps

• Diarrhea

• Constipation

Causes of excess intake of vitamin B #

• That said, as with most supplements, it’s possible to consume too much at once especially if you’re taking a supplement without receiving a deficiency diagnosis from your doctor.

• When consumed in excess, a few different B vitamins can have specific side effects.

For instance

• Vitamin B6 - Too much B6 may lead to peripheral neuropathy, which is a loss of feeling in the arms and legs.

• Folate or folic acid - Too much of this vitamin can cover up the symptoms of a vitamin B12 deficiency, which can eventually lead to nervous system damage.

• Niacin - Too much niacin may cause skin flushes. Long-term excessive use may lead to liver damage.