Why You Want B's On Your Health Report Card

Feel like you’re running on empty, constantly fighting something off, or cognitively stuck in the mud?  

Sometimes, the best way to put the “B” back in “Being your Best” can be found via supporting a specific set of vitamins: 

B vitamins play crucial roles in energy production, brainpower, and immune system function. In fact, your immune system needs these essential vitamins to create antibodies, the cells your body uses to fight off germs.

 Why It’s Hard to Get Enough B  

Even if you eat a diet rich in vitamin B… even if you take the highest quality B vitamin supplements, your body could still be short on supplies. 

Here’s why: 

Your body has a constant demand for B vitamins, so it needs a constant supply. Every cell in every system in your body relies on B vitamins every day. The B team makes sure every cell in your body can function at full capacity, along with specific jobs such as: 

  • Converting food into energy

  • Producing neurotransmitters (brain chemicals)

  • Creating fresh new blood cells

  • Keeping cellular DNA intact

Because B vitamins are water-soluble, your body can’t store them – meaning: you can’t stock up.  

So giving your body access to a continuous supply of all 8 B vitamins is crucial.

Three key factors affect your B vitamin status:

  1. Intake – how much you get through diet, including supplements

  2. Absorption – how well your body digests, processes, and uses the B vitamins you take in

  3. Theft – how well your gut microbiome protects your B vitamin stash from pathogens looking to deplete it

If any one of those factors tips the wrong way, you’ll be B-deficient, and start feeling run down.  

The B Line Up 

Some B vitamins – especially B12 and B9 (folate) – steal a lot of the attention. But... Your body uses all 8 essential B vitamins every day! Here’s a quick look at some of the critical functions each one performs:

B1 – thiamine – breaks down sugars, manages blood sugar, creates neurotransmitters (important brain chemicals), produces hormones 

B2 – riboflavin – produces energy, breaks down fats, promotes healthy skin 

B3 – niacin – converts food into energy, helps cells communicate with each other, helps enzymes perform critical functions 

B5 – pantothenic acid – creates fresh proteins, increases cellular energy production, maintains healthy skin and hair 

B6 – pyridoxine – creates red blood cells, form new immune cells, produces serotonin and dopamine (two important brain chemicals) 

B7 – biotin – strengthens hair and nails, breaks down macronutrients (fats, proteins, and carbohydrates), and regulates cellular DNA 

B9 – folate – ensures proper DNA replication and cell division – making it extra important during pregnancy – and helps break down and use vitamins and amino acids (Folic acid is the synthetic form of vitamin B9. Folate is the natural form.) 

B12 – cobalamin – creates red and white blood cells, regulates immune system function, supports healthy brain and nerve function, helps the body use folate, protects DNA from damage 

As you can see, B vitamins keep your body functioning, your immune system strong, and your energy tank full. And when you’re running low on any of them, you’ll feel it. 

 Signs You May Be Low on Bs 

Running low on your vitamin B supplies can cause a wide variety of symptoms – even if you don’t have a diagnosed B deficiency. 

Some signs that you’re not getting enough B vitamins include: 

  • Fatigue

  • Depression

  • Anxiety

  • Dry skin and chapped lips

  • Brittle nails

  • Thinning hair

  • Brain fog

  • Decreased appetite

  • Headaches

  • Insomnia

Are You Getting Enough B Vitamins?  

Many whole foods contain B vitamins, but you have to eat a lot of those healthy foods every day to get an adequate daily supply. 

That can be especially hard for people who follow a vegan or vegetarian diet. Vitamin B12 is found in only animal-based foods like eggs, meats, and dairy products. And while niacin (vitamin B3) can be found in some plants, the niacin found in animal-based foods is substantially more bioavailable. So avoiding those foods can put you at a higher risk for these B deficiencies.  

Plus, older people, pregnant women, and people with certain medical issues (such as Crohn’s disease, diabetes, celiac disease, and kidney disease) need an extra supply of daily B vitamins to stay as healthy as possible. 

Most multiple vitamins do not have enough of the B’s. You may want to consider taking an additional B complex along side your multi for optimal benefits! Luckily, replenishing your B vitamin supply can have you feeling fine in no time, and restore your energy and vitality.  

Peggy Van Cleef