B vitamins - are one of the essential nutrients to ensure the cells in the body function properly.
Launching from Medical News Today, B vitamins are useful for helping the body convert food into energy, make new blood cells, and maintain healthy brain cells, skin cells, and body tissues. Many B vitamins are obtained through a variety of nutrient-dense foods.
If it is difficult to meet the daily requirement of B vitamins from food, a person can take supplements under the supervision of a doctor.
A person may be deficient in B vitamins if their body deprives them of too many nutrients because they have certain health conditions or are taking certain medications.
B vitamin varieties and their benefits
Launching the NHS, B vitamins do not only consist of one type but up to eight types. Together, these eight B vitamins can be referred to as the B complex.
These various types of B vitamins are frequently found together in the same food. The following is a further explanation of each of the B vitamins and their benefits to the body:
The body needs thiamin (vitamin B1) to:
- Break down and release energy from food
- Maintain a healthy nervous system -Make
- certain neurotransmitters brain chemistry) -Producing fatty acids
- Synthesizing certain hormones
Vitamin B1 can be found in many types of food. Good sources of vitamin B1 include:
- Peas
- Fresh fruit such as bananas and oranges
- Nuts
- Whole wheat bread
- Some breakfast cereals fortified with this vitamin
- Liver
Then, how much vitamin B1 does the body need? The amount of vitamin B1 in adults required is 1 mg daily for men and 0.8 mg daily for women. Because vitamin B1 cannot be stored in the body, you need it in your diet daily.
Riboflavin (vitamin B2)
Riboflavin, also known as vitamin B2, is beneficial in a variety of ways, including:
- Maintain healthy skin, eyes, and nervous system
- releases energy from food
- assists the body in the breakdown of fats, drugs, and steroid hormones.
- Convert tryptophan into niacin (vitamin B3)
- Turns vitamin B6 into a coenzyme the body needs
Vitamin B2 can be found in many types of food. Here are some foods that are high in vitamin B2:
- Milk
- Eggs
- This nutrient-fortified breakfast cereal
- Mushrooms
- and Plain yogurt.
Because UV rays can destroy riboflavin, these foods should be kept out of direct sunlight.
The amount of riboflavin an adult needs is about 1.3 mg daily for men and 1.1 mg daily for women. Your daily diet should provide you with all of the vitamin B2 you require.
Riboflavin cannot be stored in the body, so it must be consumed on a daily basis.
Niacin (vitamin B3)
The body converts niacin into a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) coenzyme.
NAD is required for over 400 different enzyme reactions in the body, making it the most important vitamin-derived coenzyme.
This enzyme helps by:
- converting the energy in carbohydrates, fats, and proteins into forms that the body can use
- metabolic processes in the body's cells
- communication between cells
- expression of DNA in cells
The body requires two types of vitamin B3, nicotinic acid and nicotinamide. Both can be found in food. Foods that contain vitamin B3 include Meat, Fish, Wheat flour, and Eggs. So, how much vitamin B3 is needed? Adults need to consume about 16.5 mg of niacin daily for men and 13.2 mg daily for women.
Your daily diet should provide you with all of the niacin you require. This vitamin B3 cannot be stored in the body, so you need it in your diet every day.
Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5)
Vitamin B5 is needed by the body to make new coenzymes, proteins, and fats. Red blood cells carry this vitamin B5 throughout the body so that it can use the nutrient in various processes for energy and metabolism. Vitamin B5 can be found in varying amounts in almost all vegetables, whole grain foods, and meats, but good sources include:
- Chicken
- beef
- offal liver and kidneys
- eggs
- mushrooms
- avocado
Breakfast cereals are also good sources of enriched with this vitamin B5. So, how much vitamin B5 is needed? Adult men and women need to consume the same amount of vitamin B5, which is about 5 mg a day. This is because pantothenic acid cannot be stored in the body, so you need it from your diet every day.
Also Read: Apart from sunlight, this is an effective way to get vitamin D.
Vitamin B6
Pyridoxine is required by the body for:
- Using and storing energy in food from protein and carbohydrates
- Forming hemoglobin, a substance in red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout the body development
- Immune function
This Vitamins B6 can be found in a variety of foods, including:
- Poultry, such as chicken or turkey
- Some fish
- beans
- tofu
- Avocados
- Bananas
- Milk
So, how much vitamin B6 is required? Vitamin B6 adults need about 1.4 mg a day for men and 1.2 mg daily for women. Your daily diet should provide you with all of the vitamin B6 you require. This is because the bacteria that live naturally in your gut can also produce vitamin B6.
Biotin (vitamin B7)
Biotin is required in trace amounts to aid the body.:
- Break down fats, carbohydrates, and proteins
- Communication between cells in the body
- Regulation of DNA
Biotin can be produced by bacteria that naturally live in the intestines. So it's not clear whether you need additional biotin from food. However, biotin can also be found in various foods at very low levels. Food sources that contain B7 include:
- Red meat
- Seeds
- Nuts
- Eggs
Folate and folic acid (vitamin B9)
Folate is vitamin B9 that can be found in many foods. Folic acid is a synthetic derivative of Folate. Folate is also known as folacin. Folate which can help the body:
- Form healthy red blood cells
- Reduce the risk of congenital disabilities called neural tube defects, such as spina bifida, in the unborn baby.
Folate deficiency alone can cause folate deficiency anemia, and you can find vitamin B9 in small amounts in many foods.
Foods containing folic acid include Broccoli, Brussels Cabbage, Green leafy vegetables, such as cabbage, kale, spring greens, spinach, Peas, and kidney beans. Liver (but avoid these during pregnancy) Breakfast cereals fortified with folic acid,
Every day, adults require 200 micrograms (mcg) of Folate. Because there are no long-term stores of Folate in the body, you must consume it frequently. Most people should be able to meet their folate requirements by eating a varied and balanced diet.
If you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, it is recommended that you take a supplement of 400 mcg of folic acid daily until you are 12 weeks pregnant. This supplement is important to help prevent neural tube defects, such as spina bifida, in your baby.
Also Read: Benefits of Vitamin B Complex for Health
Some women have an increased risk of pregnancy affected by neural tube defects and are advised to take higher doses of folic acid 5 mg daily until they are 12 weeks pregnant. This is important and is unlikely to cause harm, as it is taken in the short term, but it would be best to talk to your doctor first.
Learn more about vitamins and minerals during pregnancy, including who should take higher folic acid doses.
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 assists the body in the following ways:
- Generate red blood cells and maintain a healthy nervous system
- Release energy from food
- DNA synthesis
- Use of Folate
- Support brain and neurological function
Vitamin B12 deficiency itself can cause vitamin B12 deficiency anemia. Many foods contain vitamin B12. Good sources include:
- Cheese
- Eggs
- Meat
- Fish
- Milk
- Some fortified breakfast cereals
So how much vitamin B12 is needed? Adults need about 1.5 mcg of vitamin B12 a day. You should be able to get enough vitamin B12 from your diet if you eat meat, fish, or dairy products.
Also Read: Sources of Vitamin A that exist in Vegetables, and Fruits
But because vitamin B12 is not found naturally in foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, vegans may not get enough of it.