Why you need B vitamins

Vitamin B is found in a variety of foods such as meat, whole grains, and fruits. NET PHOTO

What you need to know:

  • Getting the recommended amounts of vitamins each day is an important part of the nutrition equation, and B vitamins are essential for preventive care.

B vitamins are essential in preventive care, promoting metabolism and reducing neurological defects in newborns.

Vitamin B1 (thiamine)
According to Amanda Tumwebaze, a nutritionist, this particular B vitamin is found in whole-grain cereals, yeast, beans, nuts, and meats. It helps in the breakdown of food into energy and is important for preventing beriberi, a potentially life-threatening condition that affects the heart, digestive and nervous systems. People who suffer from beriberi get symptoms such as difficulty walking, loss of sensation in the hands and feet, and paralysis of the lower legs.

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
Riboflavin helps break down and use carbohydrates, fats and proteins and metabolise food into energy. It is also essential in keeping the skin, gut lining and blood cells healthy.
“A diet rich in vitamin B2 boosts the immune system, prevents migraines, muscle cramps, treat acne, and cataracts. Natural food sources such as nuts, green vegetables, meat, and dairy products are rich sources of this vitamin,” Tumwebaze says.

Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
We all need vitamin B3 in our diets to break down food we eat into energy and help control cholesterol levels. Legumes, nuts, dairy, fish, and lean meats are all good sources of this type of vitamin B.
Not getting enough of this vitamin causes pellagra, whose symptoms include both physical and mental difficulties, diarrhoea, inflamed mucus membranes, and dementia. Alcoholism can also lead to deficiency of this vitamin because the body fails to absorb the niacin.

Vitamin B5
Fausta Akech, a nutritionist at Healthy U, says this B vitamin is needed for biochemical reactions that go on in our cells, including the breakdown of carbohydrates and lipids for energy. It is necessary in the production of body hormones and growth.
The vitamin is found in vegetables such as broccoli and kale, as well as avocado. Also, whole-grain cereals, dairy, and organ meats are good sources.

Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)
Vitamin B6 is good for brain development as well as keeping the immune and nervous systems working properly. It is involved in various enzyme reactions in the body’s cells, helping in metabolism of amino acids and building new red blood cells.

People who eat poultry, fish, potatoes, chickpeas, bananas, beef liver, chicken, milk, lentils, sunflower seeds, wheat, beans, carrots, spinach can have enough vitamin B6.
“There are certain illnesses such as kidney disease that can cause a deficiency of the vitamin. Lack of B6 can result in a reduction of red blood cells, which leads to a weakened immune system,” Akech says.

Vitamin B9 (folate)
Some people with B vitamin deficiencies experience depression, anxiety, and mood swings. Findings show that a number of people with depression have lower levels of folate in the blood. Folate is found in dark-green leafy vegetables, asparagus, brussels sprouts, oranges, nuts, beans, and peas.

Vitamin B12 (cobalamin)
Vitamin B12 is essential for maintaining healthy nerve cells in the body, the formation of red blood cells and the production of DNA. It is important to note that most vitamin B12 sources are animal based and many times vegetarians suffer deficiency because there are no plant based vitamin B12 sources.
Natural sources rich in vitamin B12 are dairy products, fish, and beef liver.

Note:
B vitamins each have their own unique functions, but they depend upon one another for proper absorption and the best health benefits. Eating a healthful, varied diet will generally provide all the B vitamins a person needs.
People can treat and prevent B vitamin deficiencies by increasing their dietary intake of high-vitamin foods or taking vitamin supplements. Ask a doctor before taking any supplements to be sure they will not interact with medications.