Boost Your Health and Mind with Vitamin B-Complex

Amy Parkinson
2024-05-17T10:00:05+01:00

As Mental Health Awareness Week is still with us, it's a great time to think about all the ways we can support our mental well-being. In our previous blog, we touched on ways we can help our well-being by reaching out for help and making time for ourselves. One important but often overlooked aspect is nutrition. Among all the essential nutrients we need, Vitamin B-Complex is one of the most important. This group of vitamins is key for keeping our energy levels up and our brains sharp.

What is Vitamin B-Complex?

Vitamin B-Complex is made up of eight essential B vitamins: B1 (Thiamine), B2 (Riboflavin), B3 (Niacin), B5 (Pantothenic Acid), B6 (Pyridoxine), B7 (Biotin), B9 (Folate/Folic Acid) and B12 (Cobalamin). Because these vitamins are water-soluble, they are not stored in the body, and this means they must be consumed regularly through diet or supplements.

What Are The Main Benefits Of B-Complex?

Boosting Your Energy

B vitamins help turn the food you eat into energy that your cells can use. Getting enough B vitamins can help you feel less tired throughout the day and boost your overall energy[1].

Food For Your Brain

B vitamins, B6, B9, and B12, are important for your brain. They help make neurotransmitters (which sounds technical, but it is just the brain's chemical messengers that affect mood and thinking). Not getting enough of these vitamins can lead to memory issues and even depression[2] in some cases.

A Healthy Heart

Just like for your brain, vitamins B6, B9, and B12 are also good for your heart. They help keep homocysteine levels down in your blood, and that's important, because elevated levels of homocysteine can be bad for your heart, as it can cause dementia, heart disease and stroke[3].

Combatting Stress and Anxiety

B vitamins are helpful when it comes to dealing with stress and anxiety. They help make neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine (which are key for keeping your mood in check) B6, for example, helps your body produce serotonin[4], the ‘happy hormone’.

During this Mental Health Awareness Week, it is important to recognise what we eat also affects our mood and health. Vitamin B-Complex is one of the natural supplements that helps with everything from keeping our energy up to keeping our mood steady. Don't forget, looking after your mental health is just as vital as looking after your physical health.

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[1] Kennedy DO. B Vitamins and the Brain: Mechanisms, Dose and Efficacy--A Review. Nutrients. 2016 Jan 27;8(2):68. doi: 10.3390/nu8020068. PMID: 26828517; PMCID: PMC4772032.

[2] Sangle P, Sandhu O, Aftab Z, Anthony AT, Khan S. Vitamin B12 Supplementation: Preventing Onset and Improving Prognosis of Depression. Cureus. 2020 Oct 26;12(10):e11169. doi: 10.7759/cureus.11169. PMID: 33251075; PMCID: PMC7688056.

[3] Maron BA, Loscalzo J. The treatment of hyperhomocysteinemia. Annu Rev Med. 2009;60:39-54. doi: 10.1146/annurev.med.60.041807.123308. PMID: 18729731; PMCID: PMC2716415.

[4] Field DT, Cracknell RO, Eastwood JR, Scarfe P, Williams CM, Zheng Y, Tavassoli T. High-dose Vitamin B6 supplementation reduces anxiety and strengthens visual surround suppression. Hum Psychopharmacol. 2022 Nov;37(6):e2852. doi: 10.1002/hup.2852. Epub 2022 Jul 19. PMID: 35851507; PMCID: PMC9787829.