What are B Complex Vitamins Good for Men and Women?
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What are B Complex Vitamins Good for?
There are eight different B vitamins which make up the B complex vitamins, the B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9 and B12. The all play an important role in keeping your body running properly and on top of its game. They help to convert the food that you eat into fuel, so that your body is sustained and you can keep going throughout the day. Essentially, they all work in tandem, but they also all have different specific benefits.
While it’s considered a good idea, you don’t have to necessarily take a Vitamin B supplement if you are already following a healthy and balanced diet. However if you are omitting certain foods from your diet, then you should consider taking a supplement.
So what is the B group of vitamins all about?
Vitamin B1
B1 is called Thiamine and it helps your body to make healthy new cells. It’s also a vitamin that helps reduce your levels of stress by effectively boosting your immune system. If you’re an athlete and often find yourself on the carbo-loading wagon, then this vitamin is essential to help break down the simple carbohydrates and convert them into glucose, which is like fuel for your body’s engine. By eating foods such as peanuts, beans, spinach, kale, blackstrap molasses and wheat germ, you can be sure that you’re getting your dose of B1.
Vitamin B2
Riboflavin acts as an antioxidant which helps fight free radicals in your body and can help with the battle against early signs of aging. It’s also a fighter of heart disease and is very important for the production of red blood cells, which is necessary for transporting oxygen throughout your body. It has been said that B2 also helps to ward odd migraines. If you want to up your intake of B2 then choose foods such as almonds, wild rice, milk, yogurt, eggs, Brussel sprouts and spinach.
Vitamin B3
Niacin’s prime use is to boost HDL cholesterol (that’s the good type), which means that your bad cholesterol levels will automatically become reduced. You can use B3 topically as well as taking a supplement, but if you want to eat your way to good health, then opt for red meat, milk, eggs, beans and leafy green vegetables.
Vitamin B5
Pantothenic Acid literally means “from everywhere” so you can understand that trace elements of B5 can be found in just about any food type out there. B5 helps to break down fats and carbohydrates and is responsible for the production of sex and stress related hormones including testosterone. B5 has also been found to help reduce the signs of aging skin, reduce redness and help smooth away skin spots. Great sources (high in B5) include avocado, yoghurt, eggs, eat and legumes.
Vitamin B6
Pyridoxine helps to regulate your body’s homocysteine – an amino acid associated with heart disease. It furthermore helps to produce serotonin, melatonin and norepinephrine, which all contribute to bettering your sleep patterns. It’s also a great aid in the battle against reducing inflammation and if you want to get more B6 into your diet, then you should be consuming more white meat, salmon, lentils, sunflower seeds, cheese, brown rice and carrots.
Vitamin B7
Biotin has been making waves with its amazing abilities to help keep hair, skin and nails healthy and in tip-top form. Essentially, B7 is the beauty vitamin, but it does more than just that, it also helps control blood glucose levels, and is also plays an important role in fetal development during pregnancy. To get more B7 in your diet, try eating foods such as barley, liver, chicken, fish, potatoes, cauliflower, egg yolks and nuts.
Vitamin B9
Folate or folic acid helps to keep depression at bay and also helps to prevent memory loss. Folic acid is highly recommended during pregnancy, as it helps prevent neurological birth defects and supports the growth of the fetus. To naturally up your intake of B9, you can turn to foods such as dark leafy greens, asparagus, beets, salmon, root vegetables milk, bulgur wheat and beans.
Vitamin B12
Cobalamin works with Vitamin B9 to help produce red blood cells and also help iron in your body to create hemoglobin, which is an oxygen carrying protein. Vitamin B12 can only be found in animal products, so the non-meat eaters have a greater risk of suffering a deficiency. You can find B12 in sources such as fish, shellfish, dairy, eggs, beef and pork.
Essentially, what it comes down to, is that the B complex vitamins all work together to keep your body in tip top form, and the best way to intake them is through a healthy, balanced diet. You might also want to consider taking a B Complex Supplement, which ensures that you get all the nutritional power from all the different groups of B vitamins in one single dose. Some of the brands that we recommend are:
1. Nature Made Super B Complex Tablets
This supplement supports cellular energy production. It comprises of all 8 B Vitamins and also has an added boost of Vitamin C that helps your body to get the most out from the foods you consume.
2. Garden of Life Vitamin Code B Complex
This is another great brand of Vitamin B Complex Supplements that we recommend. The once a day dose delivers sufficient levels of all the B group vitamins that your body needs and leaves you with mental and physical energy, supports healthy blood pressure, promotes a healthy heart, helps strengthen your immune system and reduce your body’s stress levels.
3. Vitafusion B Complex Gummy Vitamins for Adults
If taking a tablet is not your thing, then these gummies are the perfect alternative. They provide a great source of 5 of the B group vitamins and have a great taste of wild strawberry. Together with the B vitamins, these gummies also have the added nutritional power of Vitamin C. The gummies contain no gluten, milk, egg, peanut or soy traces and have naturally sourced colors.
4. NOW Foods B-100 Caps – Vitamin B Complex Tablets
B-100 Caps are a blend of the key B group vitamins and makes taking your B supplements easy. The other nutritional factors that are present in the caps help your body to run at optimal pace and are recommended for enhanced synergism.
5. Nature’s Way Vitamin B-100 Complex
The Nature’s Way Vitamin B-100 Complex is a blend of all 8 B group vitamins and helps your body to convert cellular energy, manufacture hormones and proteins and maintain healthy nerve structures. The once a day serving is perfect and delivers the required daily intake of all B group vitamins recommended for adults.
Now that you have this information, you’ll be able to easily incorporate more vitamin B into your daily life and ensure the good health and optimal functioning of your body. Remember that you should always consults with your physician first before embarking on any special diet or before taking any supplements. The good health of your body is something that you need to always strive for; you only get one body, and one shot at treating it right!
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