Benefits of Vitamin B Complex

Are you tired, anxious, stressed, irritable? The B Complex vitamin can help. The vitamin B complex consists of eight water soluble vitamins. The B vitamins work together to boost metabolism, enhance the immune system and nervous system, keep the skin and muscles healthy, encourage cell growth and division, and other benefits to your body. Brewer's yeast is one of the best sources of the B vitamins. This combination that makes up the B complex which is best taken in the combination as B complex not individually as they all work together most effectively. B vitamins include: vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, and B12

Scientific/medical name(s): thiamine (B1); riboflavin (B2); niacin (B3); pantothenic acid (B5); pyridoxine (B6); biotin (B7); folic acid, folate (B9); cobalamin (B12)
As well as providing a calming factor for your anxious and stressed body,and giving you more energy, it helps your brain function better helping you be more alert and have a better memory. It is strongly recommended that vegetarians supplement B12. It is also believed that B2 protects against cancer.

During periods of high levels of stress, the B vitamins are very important and essential for proper functioning of the nervous system and adrenal glands.

B vitamins also act as coenzymes which are essential in the metabolism of  carbohydrates,fats and proteins. For your body to operate effectively, the B vitamins are required in order for the body's chemical reactions to work properly. B vitamins; vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, and B12

Signs and symptoms of B vitamin deficiency include fatigue, cheilitis (crack at corner of mouth), migraine headache, anemia, burning feet, constipation, depression, anxiety, and various skin conditions.  Deficiency of certain B vitamins can also cause loss of appetite, abdominal pain, numbness and tingling in the arms and legs, muscle cramps, respiratory infections, hair loss, eczema, poor growth in children, and birth defects in the fetuses of pregnant women.

Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding require more folic acid than others. All women of childbearing age are urged to increase their intake of folic acid to help prevent certain birth defects in their children.
B vitamins can not be significantly stored by your body and any excess is excreted by your body as well as lost through perspiration and stress therefore, by eating a healthy diet which includes green leafy vegetables, whole grains, beans, and liver, your body will continuously be replenished with the B vitamins required in your diet.

Processed foods and the cooking process destroys the B vitamins. Alcohol, tea, coffee, and sugar also deplete the B vitamins.

Many medications can also deplete the B vitamins. It is recommended that you take a vitamin B complex supplement if you are taking any of these medications.

    * Birth control pills
    * Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
    * Antipsychotics
    * Mood stabilizers
    * Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)
    * Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs)

The usual daily dose for adults is about 100 mg for the major B vitamins and 100 mcg for the minor B vitamins spread throughout the day. Children about 70 pounds should take about 2/3 of this dose while children about 40 pounds should take about 1/3 of this dose.

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