This week's topic: Get Your B Vitamins

B vitamins are a water-soluble class of vitamins found in the water compartments of food and carried in the body’s bloodstream.  Being water-soluble, B vitamins are required in small, frequent doses throughout the day and are easily excreted in the urine if blood concentration rises too high.

B vitamins are not a source of energy on their own but act as catalysts for chemical reactions within the body to help break down energy sources and burn them as fuel. Carbohydrates, fats and proteins are your energy nutrients.  Many B vitamins are part of the structure of coenzymes that react with enzymes in your body to help you metabolize food.  Without coenzymes your enzymes are nonfunctional, hence the importance of B vitamins.

In general, B vitamins are essential for the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and proteins to provide energy for the body and to aid the normal function of your nervous system.  They also play a role in the maintenance of proper muscle tone in the gastrointestinal tract, and in maintaining healthy skin, hair, eyes and mouth.

There are eight vitamins that make up the natural group of nutrients known as the B vitamins. They are:

1. Thiamin (B1)
2. Riboflavin (B2)
3. Niacin (B3)
4. Pyradoxine, pyridoxal, pyridoxamine (B6)
5. Cobalamin and related forms (B12)
6. Folacin
7. Biotin
8. Pantothenic Acid

Are you getting your B vitamins?

Food Sources:

Thiamin is present in most food sources and can be found in abundance in brewer’s yeast, lean pork, sunflower seeds, and peanuts.  Good sources of thiamin are peas, black beans, watermelon, wheat germ, whole wheat flour, rye flour and nuts. It is noteworthy that the thiamin in yeast used for fermentation does not normally show up in commercial alcoholic beverages, but home-brewed beers and cottage wines may contain significant amounts.

Riboflavin is present in dairy products (milk, cheese, and yogurt), meats, organ meats, almonds and in leafy green vegetables such as spinach, beet & turnip greens and broccoli. Whole cereal grains contain useful amounts of riboflavin but the milling process removes most of this nutrient and therefore breads and cereals need to be enriched.  If you’re getting your riboflavin from dairy products try to steer clear of glass and clear plastic containers as riboflavin is destroyed by light.

Niacin is found in animal tissues as nicotinamide and in plants as nicotinic acid. Poultry and fish such as tuna, halibut, salmon and sardines are excellent sources of niacin. Other great sources are liver, kidney, lean meats, mushrooms and legumes.

Vitamin B6 is present in a wide variety food, both plant and animal, but many sources provide very small quantities. While all three members of this vitamin are found in plants, only two, pyridoxal and pyridoxamine are found in animal tissues and yeast.  Excellent sources of B6 are fish such as tuna, salmon and mackerel, walnuts and brown rice. Other good sources include avocados, bananas, peanuts and whole grains. Please note that processed or refined foods are much lower in B6 so check the labels for enrichment if you absolutely have to have the white bread, rice, noodles, macaroni or spaghetti.

Vitamin B12 is found almost exclusively in foods of animal origin.  Rich sources are liver and other organ meats.  Good sources are meats, fish, eggs and cheese. The recommended daily intake for adults is 2 micrograms per day.  It seems like a tiny amount but this will supply enough coenzymes for all the enzymes requiring B12’s help.  You can get enough B12 from one glass of milk or a single serving of salmon or tuna.  If you’re a vegan don’t worry as there are some plant foods that provide significant amounts of B12.  They are: soybeans, mung beans, peas, whole wheat, lettuce and alfalfa.

Folacin is found in abundance in vegetables, legumes and seeds, with green leafy vegetables being your best bet. Other good sources are avocados, beets, celery, nuts, eggs, fish and whole wheat products.  The trick with folacin is that it is easily destroyed during processing – between 50-95% of folate is destroyed during cooking.  Among the poor, the pregnant, and those who’s diets consist of a considerable amount of processed and empty-calorie foods there is a risk of folacin deficiency.  This folacin deficiency affects red blood cells, lowering the level of hemoglobin.

Biotin is found in a wide variety of foods and is produced by bacteria in your intestinal tract.  So the risk of biotin deficiency for an average person is minimal. Examples of biotin-rich foods include cheese, organ meats, cauliflower, eggs, mushrooms, nuts, sardines, salmon and wheat bran.

Pantothenic acid is another nutrient widely dispersed in food and also produced by the bacteria in your intestinal tract.  The amount produced in your gut has not been determined, but if you consume a variety of foods your risk of deficiency is low.  Foods rich in Pantothenic acid are organ meats, wheat bran, rice bran, nuts, mushrooms, fish, brown rice, eggs and sunflower seeds.

Don't Forget Your Water

• Your body is approximately 60% water
• Your cells need water to bathe in
• Water helps bring nutrients to your cells and helps flush out toxins
• It's possible for a person to survive for three weeks without food, but only three days without water

WATER IS VITAL - MAKE SURE YOU GET YOURS