Benefits of B Vitamins for Overall Health

Blogs09 Aug 2024

Nutrition is vital when it comes to good health. The nutrients we get through our food enrich our lives, strengthen our bodies, and help with the smooth functioning of several bodily functions. A group of nutrients that comes to mind are B vitamins. They are a total of eight crucial nutrients for our health and wellness. We don’t naturally produce these vitamins, but we can get them from food sources.

In this article, we will delve deep into B vitamins as a group. We will understand their importance, roles and benefits for health and discuss how to meet your daily B vitamin requirements.

Why Do We Need to Focus On Our Nutritional Intake as We Age

Ageing can naturally reduce our calorie intake and make our nutrient intake more important. Why does this happen? Older adults may do less physical activity and face issues like slower metabolism, age-related bone and muscle loss, and chronic health conditions. Changes in diet, weight, intake of certain medications, poor lifestyle, and more can be reasons for nutritional deficiencies. These deficiencies can further hamper our health and lead to other conditions. This is why it’s important to focus on our nutritional intake as we age.

What are B Vitamins?

There are eight main B Vitamins that are water-soluble and have unique purposes and benefits. A deficiency in each of them correlates to different conditions and health issues. Let’s look at each B Vitamin and understand them better.

1. Vitamin B1 or Thiamine

Thiamine is useful for breaking down carbohydrates for energy. It helps make adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the energy source stored in cells all over the body. B1 is found in brown rice, soybeans, nuts, peas, and fortified products such as bread, cereals, etc.

A deficiency in this vitamin can cause fatigue, weakness, and gastrointestinal symptoms, meanwhile, a more serious deficiency can cause nerve damage, heart issues, swelling, weakness, pain, etc.

2. Vitamin B2 or Riboflavin

Riboflavin, or Vitamin B2, is a major component of two enzymes, flavin mononucleotide (FMN; also known as riboflavin-5’-phosphate) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD). These enzymes help with energy production; cellular function, growth, and development, and the breakdown of fats, drugs and steroids.

Some sources of Vitamin B2 are oats, yoghurt, almonds, eggs, cheese, mushrooms, quinoa, etc. While uncommon, a deficiency in B2 can cause thyroid hormone deficiency, skin disorders, lesions, hair loss, sore throat, itchy eyes, degeneration of the nervous system and liver, etc.

3.Vitamin B3 or Niacin

B3, or Niacin, plays a role in metabolising several compounds in the body. It’s also found to reduce elevated total cholesterol and bad cholesterol, also known as LDL. It can also increase good cholesterol levels (HDL) in patients with dyslipidemia or high cholesterol.

Food sources of Vitamin B3 are bran, yeast, eggs, poultry, peanuts, red meat, fish, whole-grain cereals, legumes and seeds. Some symptoms of a B3 deficiency are alopecia, muscle weakness, diarrhoea, etc.

4.Vitamin B5 or Pantothenic acid

B5 is the vitamin responsible for helping in energy production, hormone synthesis, and maintaining your skin, nails and hair, which is why it’s a relevant ingredient in dermatology. You can find B5 in meat, whole grain cereals and broccoli. Some signs that you are deficient in B5 are numbness, burning sensation in extremities, diarrhoea etc.

5.Vitamin B6 or Pyridoxine

Vitamin B6 is a generic name for 6 compounds or vitamers. It is a versatile type of water-soluble vitamin. They are involved in nearly 100 enzyme reactions in the body, especially protein metabolism. It also helps cognitive development, immune function, and haemoglobin formation. Some food sources of B6 are chickpeas, fish, chicken, potatoes, bananas, cottage cheese etc. Some symptoms of this deficiency to look out for are seizures, rashes, anaemia, and mental status changes.

6.Vitamin B7 or Biotin

Biotin can help turn carbohydrates, fats, and proteins in food into energy. Biotin is often tied to better skin, nail and hair health too, however, more research is needed to solidify this connection. Foods that contain biotin are meat, fish, eggs, organ meats, sweet potatoes, broccoli, spinach, seeds and nuts. Having a biotin deficiency can cause issues like thinning hair, loss of body hair, rashes, high levels of acid in urine, seizures, skin issues, brittle nails etc.

7.Vitamin B9 or Folate

Folate is one of the most important vitamins for red blood cell formation and healthy cell growth and function. Folate is associated with a healthy pregnancy as it is known to help reduce the risk of birth defects of the brain and spine. Some common sources of folate are green leafy vegetables, beans, peas, nuts, strawberries, bananas, lemons, oranges, fortified cereals, pastas etc. Some symptoms of folate deficiency are paleness, irritability, dizziness, mouth ulcers, and confusion.

8.Vitamin B12 or Cobalamin

B12 is the vitamin that keeps our nerve cells healthy and helps form DNA, or our genetic material. It’s helpful for red blood cell production, energy production, and metabolism. It’s found in fish, poultry, eggs, dairy products, nutritional yeast, and fortified cereals. If you have a deficiency in this vitamin, you could feel tired or weak, and face loss of appetite, weight loss, poor memory to name a few.

How Much Vitamin Should You Consume in a Day?

Knowing how much of these nutrients you should consume is important if you want to prioritise them in your regular diet. Here are some numbers from the Indian Council of Medical Research to guide you:

Conclusion

Maintaining your daily vitamin levels is crucial for overall health and wellness. It primarily involves consuming a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains, each providing various essential vitamins. However, age, certain medications, and digestive disorders can influence vitamin B absorption. As we age, our body's ability to effectively absorb B vitamins may decrease, potentially leading to deficiencies. That’s why it’s always important to consult a healthcare professional for personalised advice on B vitamin intake to ensure your body receives the nutrients it needs.

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