Boost your Energy Levels Naturally: Unveiling the Power of Vitamin B

 

There is a lot of discussion about vitamin B and how important it is for the body. There are eight B vitamins that make up the B complex family:

• Thiamine (Vitamin B1)
• Riboflavin (vitamin B2)
• Niacin (vitamin B3)
• Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6)
• Cobalamine (Vitamin B12)
• Folic Acid
• Pantothenic Acid
• Biotin

The other related substances that are also in the B complex vitamin include:

•  Choline
•   inositol
• para-aminobenzoic acid.

Every part of the B complex vitamin performs its own individual function within the body but it is when they work together as the B complex family that they provide essential maintenance for the body to remain healthy, which are water soluble and essential that enough of these vitamins are consumed on a daily basis. The body cannot store water soluble vitamins such as the B complex vitamin and this leads to a regular intake being required.

Many people suffer from anxiety and stress at one time or another and research has found that the B complex vitamin can be beneficial in helping to control the symptoms of anxiety and stress. If a person has been unwell the B complex vitamin can be extremely valuable in supporting the recovery process. Fatigue can be a symptom of a multitude of illnesses as well as simply overdoing things but the B complex vitamin can help control general tiredness and lethargy.

Interestingly, some skin conditions, such as dermatitis, can also benefit from addition B complex vitamin intake. In fact, a number of creams and other skin preparations contain added vitamin B complex that can be absorbed by the skin to alleviate the condition. The condition of a person’s hair will also be greatly improved with sufficient B complex vitamin intake.

The Different Types of B Vitamins

• Thiamine, or B1, is the B vitamin that the body needs to keep all of its cells, especially the nerves, functioning correctly. It is especially important for memory and general mental health and is one of the B vitamins that is required to convert food into energy.

 

• Riboflavin, or B2, is the B vitamin that is essential for releasing the energy from food that has been consumed. Without this B vitamin the body cannot grow or develop properly as red blood cells will not be as healthy as they should be.

 

• Niacin, or B3, is the B vitamin that is involved in over fifty processes, ranging from detoxifying chemicals to making hormones and releasing energy from food.

 

• Pantothenic acid, or B5, works with several other B vitamins for a number of essential processes including breaking down fats, proteins, and carbohydrates into energy and is also the B vitamin that is needed to form vitamin D, a variety of hormones, and red blood cells.

 

• Pyridoxine, or B6, is the B vitamin that is largely responsible for redistributing the amino acids to create over five thousand proteins that are needed by the body and is also one of the B vitamins needed to form various enzymes.

 

• Biotin, or B7, is one of the B vitamins that are involved in several processes within the body, including breaking down fats, carbohydrates and proteins into useable energy forms.

 

• Folic acid, or B9, is the essential B vitamin for supporting in cell growth and division, especially during pregnancy. This B vitamin is also necessary to make natural chemicals which control the appetite, moods and quality of sleep. It is also the best B vitamin for helping lower the chances of suffering a heart attack or stroke by keeping the arteries open.

 

• Cobalamin, or B12, is one of the B vitamins that is important in the process of converting the carbohydrates, proteins, and fats into energy. This B vitamin is also vital in forming the protective covering of nerve cells and to keep red blood cells healthy and help prevent heart disease.

 

Spotlight on B5 Vitamin

 

The B5 vitamin (Pantothenic Acid) is the most present of all the vitamins and is found in every type of food. It is impossible for a person to consume less B5 vitamin than they need. That means that there is no little possibility that a person can have a B5 vitamin deficiency. For this reason, there is actually no recommended daily amount that health professionals can state as everyone obtains more than enough from their normal food consumption. However, even though there is no need to calculate a recommended daily allowance it does not mean that the B5 vitamin is not vital for a healthy body and mind. The B5 vitamin is essential for turning food into energy amongst other functions. The B5 vitamin is responsible for taking the fats and carbohydrates into energy. Some B5 vitamin can be found in almost every food whether it is animal or vegetable. There are some sources of the B5 vitamin that are better than others but a balanced diet will provide more than enough. The foods with the highest B5 vitamin content are organ meats, salmon, eggs, beans, milk, and whole grains.

They are the most effective when combined with other B vitamins especially thiamin or B1, riboflavin or B2, niacin or B3, pyridoxine or B6, and biotin. Along with these other B vitamins, the B5 vitamin is an integral part in a number of processes. The most important of these is the production of energy from food that is consumed and this is known as the Kreb’s cycle. The B5 vitamin is also required for releasing energy from fats. During periods of stress, the body produces more of certain hormones such as adrenalin and these require the B5 vitamin.

 

Spotlight on B6 Vitamin

 

The B6 vitamin (pyridoxine) is one of the most versatile of the B vitamins and the body requires a small amount.  The vitamin works closely with all the other B vitamins, especially niacin, folic acid, and Cobalamin and contributes to various functions in the body. Amino acids are converted by the vitamin into proteins, and it is also required for transforming stored sugar within the body into essential energy. They are essential for converting the proteins that are consumed into amino acids, that the body needs, and also for converting the carbohydrates from the form that they are stored in the body to a form that can be used for extra energy.

 

The body requires a number of different proteins and it is the B6 vitamin that ensures that the correct forms are available. For example, the B6 vitamin will create haemoglobin for carrying oxygen in the blood cells, hormones for regulating blood pressure, neurotransmitters and various enzymes.

 

 The best sources of the B6 vitamin are high-protein foods such as eggs, fish, poultry, and meat and it is also added to breakfast cereals and bread to ensure that everyone is able to consume their recommended daily allowance, even if they do not eat meat products. An additional amount of the b6 vitamin may be beneficial for the heart and immune system. B6 vitamin supplements are sometimes required by asthmatics and diabetics. However, it is important to be aware that large doses of the B6 vitamin can be toxic. As the B6 vitamin is found in many common foods the majority of people receive sufficient amounts of the vitamin from their normal diet. There are some groups that may need to take a B6 vitamin supplement to ensure that they obtain the recommended daily allowance. For example, pregnant or breastfeeding women will need a slightly higher amount of the B6 vitamin to allow for the amount of the vitamin that is being absorbed by the baby although it is possible to obtain the extra B6 vitamin from an increased consumption of high-protein foods. Strict vegetarians or vegans, however, and children who do not eat animal products may need a B6 vitamin supplement as vegetables and fruits are poor sources of the B6 vitamin.

 

B12 Vitamin Basics

 

The B12 vitamin (Cobalamin) is just one of the essential B vitamins that are needed to maintain a healthy body and mind. The body needs the b12 vitamin for several different processes including converting the fats, carbohydrates and proteins from all food that is consumed into energy. One of the most important processes that the b12 is essential for is to create healthy red blood cells. The prevention of heart disease relies on the production of healthy blood cells and therefore the b12 vitamin is vital. The b12 vitamin is also vital for keeping the immune system functioning at its maximum efficiency. Not only this, but the b12 vitamin also works to form the protective covering of all the nerve cells in the body.

 

The production of red blood cells is not the only type of cells that the b12 vitamin is essential for. All of the cells in the body require the b12 vitamin, including white blood cells and nerve cells. The white blood cells are an important part of the immune system and without the b2 vitamin the effectiveness of the immunity of the body to germs and viruses is heavily reduced. The nerve cells need the b12 vitamin to create the fatty layer that will protect them from damage. The brain cells are particularly open to disease and damage if there is not enough b12 vitamin present to form this protective layer.

 

 The body cannot absorb the b12 vitamin very easily and must create its own to help to the process. The intrinsic factor that the body produces helps the body to absorb the b12 vitamin that it needs from food but this still amounts to only half of the total b12 vitamin available. A deficiency in the b12 is extremely rare in most people and is made even less likely because the body can recycle the b12 vitamin that it already has absorbed.

 

I hope this article has provided a better understanding of the vitamin B family, and how important they are as part of a healthy lifestyle.