B Vitamins Tips

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What are the some vitamin B benefits?

Vitamin B Benefits

The Vitamin B complex vitamins offer numerous benefits to our bodies. Studies indicate that B vitamins help support and increase the metabolism rate, which means they can help you burn more fat as part of a healthy lifestyle. They also help sustain healthy skin and muscle tone, and improve the function of the immune and nervous systems. They are thought to help cell growth and division — including red blood cell growth that help ward off anemia, and combined, they help battle the symptoms and causes of stress, depression, and heart disease. That's some pretty powerful benefits from one group of vitamins!

All of the B vitamins are water soluble, which means they are dissolved and carried in water throughout the body. You should take B vitamins every day, because any extra you may take or produce are not stored in the body, but excreted in urine every day.

   
What is Vitamin B deficiency?

Vitamin B Deficiency

Vitamin B has some special health benefits, but not getting enough Vitamin B can hurt your health, too. There are several notable Vitamin B deficiencies, including some that can be very harmful to your health if they continue. Some of the Vitamin B deficiency problems include:

  • Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) Deficiency can lead to the disease Beriberi, which can lead to a variety of health problems from weight loss to irregular heartbeat and other disorders of the nervous system.
  • Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin). Deficiency in this vitamin can lead to Ariboflavinosis, and the symptoms include cracked lips, an inflamed tongue, and extreme sensitivity to sunlight.
  • Vitamin B3 (Niacin). A deficiency in this vitamin can lead to Pellagra and symptoms include insomnia, mental confusion, diarrhea, and weakness. In severe cases it can lead to death.
  • Vitamin B9 (Folic Acid). A deficiency in this vitamin can lead to macrocytic anemia. In pregnant women this can lead to birth defects. Some studies show a deficiency can also lead to additional aging effects on the brain.
Some other B vitamins also lead to deficiencies in certain situations, so make sure to take your full does of Vitamin B complex vitamins every day.

   
What is Vitamin B, and what are B-complex vitamins?

Vitamin B

Originally, scientists thought the B vitamin group was made up of only one vitamin – Vitamin B, but today we know that a whole variety of vitamins makes up the Vitamin B complex, actually eight different vitamins in all, and many of them have very common names that are familiar to most people. Here are the eight vitamins and their common names:

  • Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)
  • Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
  • Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
  • Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid)
  • Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)
  • Vitamin B7, (sometimes called Vitamin H or Biotin)
  • Vitamin B8 (myo-inositol) is no longer classified as a vitamin because it is synthesized by the human body
  • Vitamin B9, (also called Vitamin M or Vitamin B-c or Folic acid)
  • Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)
All of these vitamins are essential for good health, and you can often find a healthy combination of them in Vitamin B supplements. There are also a host of other B-related substances that were thought to be vitamins at one time, but have been shown not to contain any nutritional value. Some of these include Vitamin B4, Vitamin B17, and Vitamin B22.

   
What foods contain vitamin B complex vitamins?

Vitamin B Complex

Vitamin B complex vitamins are some of the most essential nutrients for good health, including niacin and thiamin, and deficiencies in these vitamins can lead to a host of health concerns.

You can get your daily Vitamin B from a variety of sources, including brewer's yeast, molasses, lentils, potatoes, bananas, chili peppers, liver oil, liver, turkey, and tuna. You don't have to worry about eating too much vitamin B in these foods, because the extra is not retained in your body, but excreted when it is not needed. However, if you don't eat enough of these items to gain your daily Vitamin B needs, you should take a complete Vitamin B complex supplement, that includes all the B vitamins you need for daily health and well being.

   
Why is vitamin B important?

Vitamin B Supplements: B Good to Your Body

Vitamin B is essential for good health, and there are several types of B vitamins that work together to keep your body running smoothly. B vitamins are water-soluble, so they aren't stored in the body and you need to replenish them every day. Many factors can deplete B vitamins even more, including excessive exercise, dieting, smoking, alcohol consumption, and even taking oral contraceptives. That's where supplements can help.

For example, Vitamin B2, also known as riboflavin, is not stored in the body, so it's important to get enough in your diet from food and supplements. Vitamin B2 works in conjunction with other B vitamins to help the body release the energy it stores as carbohydrates. If you're participating in sports, or even if you are just moderately active, you get your energy from the body's ability to process carbohydrates.
Vitamin B3, also known as niacin, has been shown to lower triglyceride and cholesterol levels and can help prevent the narrowing of the blood vessels that can lead to a heart attack or stroke.

Also, anyone who follows a strict vegetarian or vegan diet needs vitamin B12 supplements because the best food sources for B12 are animal products. Although some non-animal products contain B12, the amounts are not enough to meet the body's needs. If you don't get enough B12 in your body, you can develop anemia or you may experience weakness, loss of balance, or tingling in the arms and legs.

But Vitamin B's benefits don't stop with physical health. A recent study in the Archives of General Psychiatry found that adults who were being treated for depression had high levels of the amino acid called homocysteine in their blood, which can make it difficult to break down folic acid. Consequently, anti-depressants appeared to be more effective in people who took folic acid supplements, although the connection between depression and problems processing folic acid remains unknown.

   
Where should I look for the best vitamin B supplement?

Vitamin B Supplements

One of the best ways to ensure that you get enough of all the Vitamin B complex vitamins is to take a Vitamin B supplement every day. Look for a natural Vitamin B supplement sold at quality health food or natural food stores, and look for a vitamin B supplement without added fillers or starches.

If you enjoy energy drinks, you may be getting enough vitamin B already, as it is often added to these drinks, so check the label for the vitamins it contains. And remember that alcohol can keep your body from using Vitamin B (and other vitamins) effectively.

   
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