Getting all the necessary vitamins into your body can be difficult, including the B vitamins. Learn about 6 B vitamin benefits you can enjoy.
B vitamins play a key role in your body’s health, energy levels, brain function, and cell metabolism. However, even if you’re eating a healthy, balanced diet, you may still be lacking the vitamins you need. Read below to find out about six benefits of taking B vitamins.
B Vitamin Benefits
Vitamin B12: Taking vitamin B12 helps with anemia because it helps build blood cells and maintain healthy nerve cells. Vitamin B12 doesn’t naturally occur in plant foods, so vegetarians and vegans may need to take B supplements. Natural sources of vitamin B12 include dairy, fish, meat, beef liver, clams, and breakfast cereals.
Vitamin B6: Taking vitamin B6 may help with reducing the risk of heart disease. Vitamin helps metabolize amino acids from food and build new red blood cells. Some clinical research suggests that vitamin B6 helps reduce heart disease risk.
Vitamin B5: This vitamin helps maintain healthy hormones because it helps with the biochemical reactions that go on in our cells. Some of these reactions include the breakdown of carbohydrates and lipids for energy in the body.
Vitamin B3: Vitamin B3 helps break down the food you eat into energy. When you don’t get enough B3 in your diet it causes pellagra. Symptoms of pellagra include diarrhea, inflamed mucus membranes, and dementia. Pellagra can also happen when your body can’t absorb enough niacin due to alcoholism.
Vitamin B2: Riboflavin, or vitamin B2, can boost your immune system. It also helps break down carbohydrates, fats, and proteins while also metabolizing food into energy. In addition, it helps your skin, the lining of your gut, and your blood cells stay healthy.
Finally, B vitamins can help lower your risk of stroke. A review of clinical trials found that vitamin B supplements helped lower the risk of stroke by 7% in participants. Notably, older adults and pregnant individuals require higher amounts of B vitamins. Check with your doctor before starting any new supplements or medications.
B Vitamin Side Effects
Though you’re unlikely to get an overload of vitamin B complex from your diet or supplementation, it can happen. Symptoms of a vitamin B complex overdose include excessive thirst, skin conditions, blurry vision, and abdominal cramps. They also include nausea, vomiting, increased urination, diarrhea, and skin flushing.
If you’re taking vitamin B supplements without having a diagnosed deficiency, talk with your doctor. Taking too much vitamin B complex over a long-term period may lead to nerve damage.
The Outlook
While there are foods rich in various B vitamins, most people will not get enough of it from foods alone. In these cases, supplements may help bridge the gap.
If you’re looking to boost your heart health, consider l-arginine supplements and supplements that have more than B vitamins. For example, HeartBeet Complete has vitamins B6, B12, and Folic Acid, along with beetroot powder and l-arginine.
Through this combination, it helps support healthy blood pressure, cholesterol, and overall health. Try HeartBeet Complete as a daily supplement if you’re looking for a way to effectively boost your health.
