B vitamins are present all around us — in meat, seafood, leafy greens, legumes, fruit, eggs, milk, etc. They play a crucial role in our health but do you know what exactly they do? We’ll briefly examine B vitamins’ functions here, so read on!
What Is the Primary Role of the B Vitamins?
The eight B vitamins are crucial in ensuring optimal health and maintaining our well-being. They play a crucial role in metabolism (transforming food into energy), creating new blood cells, and maintaining optimal functioning of brain cells, skin cells, and other tissues.
B Vitamins — Their Roles and Characteristics
Here, we’ll examine each of the B vitamins and get familiar with their roles and functions in maintaining optimal health.
There are eight B vitamins.
(Healthline)
Vitamin B complex includes:
- Vitamin B1 (Thiamin)
- Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
- Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
- Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid)
- Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)
- Vitamin B7 (Biotin)
- Vitamin B9 (Folate)
- Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)
Vitamin B1 allows the body to use carbs as energy.
(Medical News Today)
It also has a central role in glucose metabolism and is essential for the optimal functioning of the heart, nerves, and muscles.
Consuming adequate amounts of vitamin B1 (through supplements or food sources like beef, pork, liver, yeast, whole grains, cauliflower, etc.) may help prevent beriberi.
Vitamin B2 helps the body break down food components, absorb nutrients, and maintain proper tissue function.
(Medical News Today)
This vitamin helps break down carbs, proteins, and fats, thereby maintaining a steady energy supply for your body and muscles.
Mucous membranes in the digestive tract and the liver need vitamin B2 to function properly.
(Medical News Today)
Riboflavin is also essential for:
- Converting tryptophan into niacin
- The optimal health of eyes, skin, muscles, and nerves
- Hormone production in the adrenal gland
- Iron, folic acid, and vitamin B1, B3, and B6 absorption
- The optimal fetal development
Vitamin B3 is essential for hair and skin health.
(Medical News Today) (WebMD)
Niacin also helps us convert food to energy and helps our bodies use fats and proteins.
Moreover, vitamin B3 helps lower cholesterol, acts as an antioxidant, fights inflammation, prevents pellagra, improves circulation, and promotes the production of hormones related to stress and sex.
Vitamin B5 promotes the production of red blood cells and sex-related hormones.
(Medical News Today)
Like other B-complex vitamins, vitamin B5 is essential for energy production (it helps break down proteins, carbs, and fats and turns them into energy). Furthermore, it helps maintain skin, eyes, hair, and liver health.
On top of that, some studies suggest this vitamin can help lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
Vitamin B5 also helps synthesize coenzyme A and cholesterol.
(Medical News Today)
By synthesizing coenzyme A, vitamin B5 indirectly facilitates the creation of sphingosine, which the body uses to deliver chemical messages across cells.
Vitamin B6 plays a role in over 100 enzyme reactions.
(Medical News Today)
Its functions include:
- Maintaining the optimal function of the central nervous system
- Maintaining the immune system function
- Metabolism (converting food to energy)
- Producing neurotransmitters (e.g., serotonin and dopamine)
- Promoting early brain development (in fetuses and infants)
- Boosting hemoglobin production, etc.
Vitamin B7 may help strengthen nails and hair.
(Medical News Today)
An adequate vitamin B7 intake (from red meat, seeds, nuts, and eggs) may promote hair and nail health and prevent hair thinning and shedding.
Furthermore, vitamin B7 may help manage neuropathy, maintain a healthy pregnancy, maintain skin health, lower blood glucose levels, and even reduce multiple sclerosis symptoms.
Vitamin B9 is critical for RNA and DNA production.
(Medical News Today)
Vitamin B9, a vitamin abundant in the liver, sunflower seeds, leafy greens, fruit, beans, peanuts, etc., is also critical for red and white blood cells in the bone marrow.
Vitamin B9 reduces the risk of neural tube defects in newborns.
(Medical News Today)
Namely, sufficient vitamin B9 intake can prevent anencephaly or spina bifida in early pregnancy. This explains why pregnant women are advised to maintain an adequate folate intake.
Folate is also essential during rapid growth and development periods such as infancy and adolescence.
Additionally, research suggests folate might help reduce stroke risk and prevent memory decline and even certain forms of cancer.
Vitamin B12 is critical for maintaining blood health.
(NIH)
It’s also essential for maintaining nerve cell health and DNA production. Furthermore, this vitamin obtained almost exclusively from animal-based foods (e.g., clams, dairy products, beef liver, etc.) is one of the biggest defenses against megaloblastic anemia.
Conclusion
Overall, all B vitamins aid energy production and maintain proper organ function. So, grab your favorite source of B vitamins, be it meat or a plant-based product and start your journey towards health!
Sources:
