B vitamins are the most important vitamins your body needs. Obviously, they are not a means to all ends, but their role is still highly pivotal in sustaining your body and enhancing its capabilities.

Because B vitamins are so important this post is probably going to be the longest in all of the other vitamins, I covered on Soulo.

Before we dive into learning about the B Vitamins and their extremely important role in maintaining your health, I want to tell you about why I am covering nutrition on Soulo.

The reason I am doing this series is that many times our cognitive or physical abilities are hampered, and we feel sick or demotivated because of improper nutrition, and not because we are disabled in any way. So, such a hidden roadblock must be brought to light and removed because it comes between us and the attainment of our goals.

In a previous larger article, I covered nutrition in general and how to properly consume the 6 essential nutrients your body needs for health and fitness. Building upon that I am doing a series of articles to expound on those nutrients and help you find the best sources of carbohydrates, lipids (fats and oils), proteins, vitamins, and minerals.

Because just telling you how to consume them properly won’t help. I must tell you where to get the best quality of them.

So, in this article, we will cover the best sources of Vitamin B, understand its functions in necessary detail, and comprehend what its deficiency can result into.

Please take note that I am doing this based on thorough research on the internet and from the benefits or trouble I have experienced by adhering to a healthy or unhealthy diet.

So, although all the information presented here is from trusted sources this is simply a guide and not professional advice.

I strongly recommend taking professional advice if this article sparks that curiosity in you.

 

Basics of Vitamin B

 

Do you constantly feel tired? A vitamin B deficiency might be the cause of it. Low levels of vitamin B6 and B12 are linked to anemia. A condition in which the body doesn’t get enough O2 due to a lack of red blood cells, which can make you extremely exhausted and fatigued.

There are 8 types of B vitamins in total and while all of them serve their own unique functions, all of them also share the common role of converting food into energy and forming red blood cells that carry oxygen in your body. It is B vitamins that help generate energy in your body by turning carbohydrates into fuel or any energy-containing nutrient for that matter.

Types of B Vitamins

  • Thiamin (vitamin B1)
  • Riboflavin (vitamin B2)
  • Niacin (vitamin B3)
  • Pantothenic acid
  • Pyridoxine vitamin B6
  • Biotin (vitamin B7)
  • Folate and folic acid
  • Vitamin B12

In their absence, your body will not have enough energy. You will be lethargic, dull, demotivated, and sleepy all the time. There’s no coffee out there that can wake you up if you are vitamin B deficient.

B vitamins are also responsible for the health of your hair, nails, and skin, and for maintaining a healthy nervous system. B6 in particular regulates hormones serotonin and dopamine, cell growth, and the immune system.

Serotonin and dopamine are the feel-good and reward hormones of your body. So basically, if you are B6 deficient you have a high chance of suffering from depression.

Because B vitamins are water-soluble your body cannot store these vitamins for long periods. B12 is an exception to that rule. The others you have to obtain regularly through food.

People more at risk of developing vitamin B deficiency include vegans, vegetarian athletes, who can specifically develop riboflavin deficiency as your body needs it more if you workout regularly, people who routinely consume acid suppressors for acid reflux, and the elderly.

The reason vegetarians or vegans are more likely to develop B vitamin deficiency is because its mostly available in animal food sources. Meat, poultry, fish, and dairy.

However, fear not fellow vegetarians, I will be covering ample vegetarian sources and some vegan sources to help you fulfill your B vitamin needs.

 

Some Notable Health Benefits of B vitamins

 

As we learned that B vitamins are responsible for releasing energy from proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. They also break down amino acids and move oxygen and energy in your body and promote cell growth and multiplication. They are an excellent mood regulator and caretakers of your nervous system which is responsible for all your cognitive abilities. Just these benefits make these vitamins the holy grail of health and performance.

However, I will expand all of that a little more below.

 

Brain Health

Various studies report that if you have more B vitamins in your blood then you will perform better in tests that require problem-solving, memory, and word and sentence formation.

Basically, these are the learner’s vitamins.

 

Immune Function

A sufficient amount of vitamin B6 in particular in your diet will keep your immune response to illness and infections charged up and active. Not exclusively but this vitamin is primarily responsible for causing biochemical reactions in your immune system.

 

Disease Prevention

Vitamin B6 and B12 have been observed to reduce the proclivity of developing heart disease and certain types of cancers. These two are the super Bs among their group. Nothing comes without risks however and so some studies have suggested that long-term, excess consumption of these two vitamins may increase the risk of lung cancer in men.

 

Great Sources of B Vitamins in Everyday Foods

 

As I established earlier B vitamins come from both plant and animal sources. The second thing is that the best way to get your dose of B vitamins is from real food and not supplements.

Supplements should only be consumed in consultation with either your doctor or a fitness expert.

If you have been experiencing B vitamins deficiency symptoms which I will list below then there are some safe supplements you can try to see if those symptoms are alleviated.

A lot of times seemingly diseases are vitamin deficiencies and not actual illnesses.

Still, it’s better to consult a professional first.

Having said that now let’s begin with our list.

 

Whole Grains

Grains High in B Vitamins Include:

  • Barley
  • Brown Rice
  • Millet

Even whole wheat is a great source of a number of B vitamins.

Food processing is known to remove most nutrients from grains and wheat is a major victim of it. Whole wheat or whole wheat flour are any day better than refined flour. You can opt to eat fortified flour but that’s illogical double processing. Also, an unnecessary carbon footprint. To top it off they charge us more for it.

Health issues caused by refined flour, that’s another topic in itself.

Unsustainable on all scales.

 

Milk and dairy products

Milk, yogurt, cheese, and other dairy products are a great source of protein, vitamins, and minerals. Including vitamin B12.

One cup (240ml) of whole milk has been recorded to supply 46% of the DV for vitamin B12.

A large slice (22 grams) of Swiss cheese contains about 28% of the DV.

Full-fat plain yogurt has been known to help improve vitamin B12 status in people who are deficient in this vitamin.

Some studies have recorded that your body absorbs the vitamin B12 in milk and dairy products better than the vitamin B12 in beef, fish, or eggs.

 

Citrus Fruits

Oranges, lemons, and the like are great suppliers of six of the eight B vitamins.

  • Thiamin (B1)
  • Riboflavin (B2)
  • Niacin (B3)
  • Pantothenic acid (B5)
  • Pyridoxine (B6)
  • Folate or “folic acid” (B9)

 

Meat, Fish, and Poultry

Chicken, tuna, salmon, beef, and pork are fantastic sources of B3, B6, and B12. Of course, most other meat, fish, and poultry-based products are included

 

More Great Sources of B Vitamins

  • Green Peas
  • Avocado
  • Legumes
  • Yogurt
  • Sunflower Seeds
  • Chickpeas
  • Firm Tofu
  • Mushrooms
  • Peanuts
  • Soya Beans
  • Oats
  • Bananas
  • Broccoli
  • Kidney Beans

All of these contain a variety of B vitamins and in different quantities. It’s inadvisable to consume an excess of any one of the foods mentioned just to meet your DV (daily value) of a particular B vitamin.

However, by pointing them out like this you can remember to include them in your diet as naturally and regularly as possible.

To know their exact B vitamin content, you can just type their name on Google and find it out.

 

Signs of B Vitamin Deficiency

 

While going through the list below please keep in mind that many of the deficiency signs mentioned are common problems that we face in our day-to-day lives. So, it’s not necessary that because you suffer from them frequently you are B vitamins deficient.

On the other hand, you might have tried all kinds of treatments for those problems and nothing has worked. In that case, checking for B vitamin deficiency and consciously consuming foods high in B vitamins, in variety, might help alleviate those problems. I said in variety because someone might like fish, and they might just decide to double down on it, causing more problems maybe, so that won’t work.

Also, the whole purpose of this series on nutrition is to bring attention to its extremely vital role in sustaining and strengthening our health and well-being.

Because remember awareness is power.

 

26 Signs of B Vitamins Deficiency

  • Confusion
  • Depression
  • Fatigue
  • Irritability
  • Restlessness and poor sleep
  • Lack of appetite
  • Headache
  • Intestinal problems
  • Mood disturbances
  • Muscle weakness
  • Lowered immunity
  • Numbness and tingling in the hands and feet
  • Poor memory
  • Soreness of the mouth and tongue
  • Dementia
  • Anemia
  • Weight loss
  • Heart problems
  • Loss of muscle mass
  • Poor reflexes
  • Skin disorders
  • Swollen, cracked lips
  • Hair loss
  • Red, itchy eyes
  • Hair loss/thinning of hair
  • Brittle nails

These signs are common across the eight B vitamins and only a couple of them are specifically caused by a single B vitamin deficiency.

I will say it again, varied and thoughtful eating is the key to good health.

 

Conclusion

 

Ensuring that you eat a varied diet filled with numerous vitamins will lead you to a healthy life.

B vitamins from the lot are the hardest to get and arguably one of the most important ones.

As listed before, B vitamin deficiency can cause fatigue and depression and so consuming B complex supplements is known to boost energy levels and mood for a lot of people because of Its involvement in producing healthy blood cells which carry the life-giving oxygen throughout your body.

Diet restrictions due to allergies or diet choices can increase your chances of B vitamin deficiency.

Each of the B vitamins can be bought separately but evidence suggests that a full B-complex vitamin supplement may be a better choice. Even though B vitamins have their unique functions they still depend on one another for proper absorption and function.

Always ask a doctor before taking any supplements to be sure they will not interact with any of your medications or cause any unnecessary side effects.

These are the basics of vitamin B. If you want to continue learning about other vitamins then just click on the names of A, C, D, E, and K and it will take you to their corresponding articles.

To learn about the best sources of carbohydrates, lipids (fats and oils) and proteins visit their pages.

If you want to get an overview of nutrition then read the article “6 Essential Nutrients Your Body Needs and How to Consume them for Fitness”. To learn about the basics of exercise read the article Basics of Exercise and How to Select Appropriate Activity Levels for Fitness.

I would also encourage you to check out the article on Pranayama, which I believe is one of the best ways to enhance our health and uplift our spirits, apart from good nutrition and exercise, and on the same wavelength also read the article on sound healing which is a scientific and spiritual discussion on the healing power of sound and frequencies.

I hope you get tons of value from this series and if you do then consider subscribing to Soulo’s YouTube channel or following it on Instagram. You can also join my newsletter list by using the form below.

Thanks for reading and I hope you apply everything you learn on Soulo Motivation and enhance your life one day at a time.