Vitamin B Foods

There are thirteen essential vitamins that are required for the proper functioning of the human body and Vitamin B is one of them. Vitamin B is usually referred to as Vitamin B complex, since it covers a group of eight essential vitamins, all of which are water soluble. Earlier on, the entire group of vitamins was referred to as one single Vitamin. However, the group has now been divided to include 8 different vitamins, which are:

• B 1 Vitamin (Thiamine)
• B 2 (Riboflavin)
• B 3 (Niacin)
• B 5 (Pantothenic Acid)
• B 6 (Pyridoxine)
• B 7 (Biotin)
• B 9 (Folic Acid)
• B 12 Vitamin (Cobalamin)

In case a person’s diet contains a low amount of Vitamin B foods, it is quite easy for the person to suffer from Vitamin B deficiency. The lack of Vitamin B could lead to several unfavorable symptoms in a person, such as fatigue, anemia, headaches, hair loss, a lack of appetite, skin rashes and vomiting just to name a few.

The only way in which a person can increase his or her intake of Vitamin B is by increasing the consumption of Vitamin B foods. Therefore, people should include a wide variety of Vitamin B foods like eggs, brewer’s yeast, milk, different vegetables, especially leafy greens and some varieties of meat, in each meal.

Vitamin B foods list

Fortunately, there is a wide variety of B Vitamin foods that can be included in a person’s diet. Some Vitamin B foods contain more than one B complex Vitamin. Some of the most highly recommended Vitamin B rich foods are:

• B 1: Dried brewer’s yeast, cereals, oranges, liver, soy bean, beans, wheat germ, peanuts, pork and fish
• B 2: Nuts, dairy products, dried brewer’s yeast, green leafy veggies, beans and meat
• B 3: Peanuts and other nuts, meat, dairy products, beans and dried brewer’s yeast
• B 5: Whole grains, meat, liver, beans and corn
• B 6: Avocadoes, peanuts, potatoes, meat, beans and cereals
• B 7: Brown rice, clams, cauliflower, milk, eggs and liver
• B 9: Leafy vegetables and dark green veggies, wheat germ, peas, oranges, liver and beans
• B 12: Eggs, meat and dairy products like milk, yogurt and cheese

In case a person suffers from a deficiency of Vitamin B, due to unhealthy eating habits, doctors may recommend an increase in the consumption of Vitamin B foods. In some cases, a Vitamin B supplement may also be prescribed. However, the use of Vitamin B supplements should only be advised in rare and severe cases. This is because a Vitamin B supplement does not have all the benefits that can be derived from the consumption of the Vitamin B foods sources. Moreover, a person cannot really suffer from an overdose in spite of consuming very high amounts of Vitamin B foods. However, it is quite possible for people to experience some severe side effects in case excessive amounts of Vitamin B supplements are taken. Therefore, such supplements can only be taken after checking with a doctor. It is important to keep Vitamin supplement bottles in your medicine cabinet and do not leave them around if you have a small child in the house as he/she may accidently ingest them.

Submitted on February 16, 2011