Stress depletes B vitamins from your body. Sugar and white flour (that turns to sugar) depletes B’s in your body. You can imagine sugar and flour might represent many foods you may eat – so if your daily diet contains a lot of refined carbohydrates eat, it can be a huge factor in your Vitamin B levels.
Alcohol depletes your body of B vitamins. Antibiotics may decrease B vitamins as well.
Vitamins are either water soluble or fat soluble. Water soluble means that your body uses what it can at the time of absorption, but can’t store a water soluble vitamin. Fat soluble means your body can store the nutrient for future use.
B vitamins are water soluble, and so you need to consume them – in food or supplement form throughout the day. Depending on your diet, you may need to take a supplement. You may not get enough in your food, and you may eat a diet that puts you at risk for deficiency.
There is a family of B vitamins and they work most effectively together. I hear a lot about people taking one B vitamin supplement. Based on what I have learned about all the B’s being important, and in a balance form when you consume them, I prefer to take a B-Complex supplement.
To get all eight of your B vitamins in your food, you need to eat the foods that contain them every day: whole grains, dark green vegetables and animal products. If you don’t eat these foods daily, or your diet and lifestyle are causing you to be low in this important nutrient, this is when you want to consider a supplement.
Nutrition Alerts
Mood changes or irritability
Nervousness
Fatigue
Depression
Mental Confusion
Headaches
Dizziness
Trembling
Loss of Appetite
Insomnia
Stress or anxiety attacks
Hypoglycemia
Cracks at the corner of mouth
Low immunity
Hair loss
Anemia
Dieting
Benefits of B Vitamins
Helps convert food to energy in your body
Helps alleviate sugar cravings
Helps in formation of protective antibodies and healthy red blood cells
Helps reduce risk of heart disease
Helps children grow normally
Helps prevent birth defects
Helps prevent colon cancer
B vitamins are also beneficial for treatment of PMS, morning sickness, carpal tunnel syndrome, and hearing loss. B’s are needed to reduce homocysteine levels. Your blood pressure will benefit when your body has enough B vitamins.
It is important to note that B vitamins are easily lost from foods and from your body. If you have stress in your life for a long time, it results in your metabolism speeding up, and you may be losing B’s. It is essential to get B vitamins in your daily diet.
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Is vitamin B depletion higher in women over 50 or in menopause?
Thanks for sharing this important information. I am vegetarian and take a B100’s supplement. It is my understanding that vegetarians always need to supplement with B12.
Good and very informational blog on B Vitamins. B12 is not available in plants…so, if you do not eat any animal products (it is available in cheese, so okay for vegetarians), then you need a supplement. Not all supplements are alike, so B12 in shots or some patches are best. Thanks for the info! ~Cathy