Here are Healing Hands Chiropractic in Murfreesboro, TN, we recommend that you take supplements to help with your healthy lifestyle. If you are considering the Vitamin B Complex, here is the information you need to know before taking it.
Why is Vitamin B Complex Good for You?
There are many different vitamins that make up the vitamin B complex. Each one plays an important role in your overall health. You should already be getting B vitamins through your regular diet but different eating habits, lifestyles, or medical conditions can reduce your body’s intake of various B vitamins. With Vitamin B, you will have an increase in energy, increased metabolism, increased mood, and better skin tone.
What Is It?
This supplement is made up of the following eight B Vitamins:
- B-1 (thiamine): Thiamine is needed by the body to make the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) molecule. ATP is your body’s way of transporting energy.
- B-2 (riboflavin): Vitamin B-2 helps your body produce red blood cells. It also helps with other cellular functions that increase your body’s energy production.
- B-3 (niacin): Niacin acts as an antioxidant and aids enzymes in breaking down food to turn into energy. Vitamin B-3 has been reported to ease arthritis, boost brain functioning, and help lower cholesterol.
- B-5 (pantothenic acid): Pantothenic acid also helps with red blood cell production and the breaking down of protein, carbs, and fats into energy that your body needs to function. Vitamin B-5 is found mostly in vegetables.
- B-6 (pyridoxine): Vitamin B-6 is not a vitamin that is stored in the body and therefore needs to be taken every day. It is found in many common foods, but if you have a deficiency you will need to take the supplement every day. Pyridoxine can help increase metabolism and is a large benefiter of the central nervous system.
- B-7 (biotin): Biotin, also called Vitamin H, is a powerhouse of the B vitamins contributing to converting food into energy, keeping the nervous system healthy, and keeping your skin, hair, eyes, and liver functioning properly. Vitamin B-7 is a critical compound during pregnancy as well. Most of your body’s Biotin comes from eating a healthy diet. There have been many claims that increasing Biotin intake beyond normal levels can improve the regulation of blood sugar levels as well as maintaining healthy skin, hair, and nails but these claims have not been documented by professionals.
- B-9 (folic acid): Folic acid and folate are often confused as the same thing. And they are both vitamin B-9, however, the difference is that folate is the naturally occurring vitamin B-9 in your body whereas Folic Acid is the synthetic form. The synthetic form takes longer to break down in the liver but once it does your body can use the B-9. The main role of B-9 is to increase cellular growth and the formation of DNA within your body. Folate works in conjunction with the other vitamins of the Vitamin B complex to help increase their functions as well.
- v B-12 (cobalamin): Cobalamin helps aid in the production of red blood cells and also brain function and nerve tissue health. This is important because nerve tissue is found in the brain, and is responsible for the coordination of many of the body’s functions such as muscle contraction and environmental awareness.
Each vitamin has a different health role for your body from overall wellbeing to improved energy. You may be wondering why some numbers are skipped over in the series of B vitamins. This is because some of the substances originally discovered and included in the series were later found to not meet the definition of vitamins, thus removed. Now we are left with eight essential vitamins in the vitamin b complex.
What Does it Do For Me?
You may have noticed from the list above, that B vitamins overall help with your body’s energy production and transportation. Each B Vitamin plays an important role so it’s vital that you get the entire vitamin unless you have a specific deficiency. This can be identified by your doctor. If you want to increase your energy or metabolism, try taking a vitamin B complex supplement.
How do I Get More of This Vitamin?
With a healthy diet, you will be getting various forms of these vitamins. Some common foods that contain it are egg yolks, nuts, bananas, whole grains, beans, and many vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage. If you are under a diet restriction or some other situation where you are not getting the vitamins you need, you may need to take a supplement for it.
How Much Vitamin B Should You Take?
If you have a deficiency this is something that must be determined by your doctor. In a normal, healthy diet, you should be getting all of the compounds of it through what you eat. Your body will eliminate excess vitamins through your urine. There are certain cases where an excess of certain vitamin B compounds can cause health problems.
If you start taking a vitamin B complex supplement you may experience a stomach ache for the first couple days as your body adjusts to the increase of vitamins. This typically goes away but if it doesn’t, make sure to talk to your physician. If you have any questions about how much vitamin B you should be taking, consult your doctor. The recommended daily intakes are:
- B-1: 1.1 – 1.2mg
- B-2: 1.1 – 1.3mg
- B-3: 14 – 16mg
- B-5: 5mg
- B-6: 1.3mg
- Biotin (B-7): 30micrograms (mcg)
- folic acid (B-9): 400mcg
- B-12: 2.4mcg
What is Vitamin B Deficiency?
A vitamin B deficiency can create a variety of problems making it difficult to detect by the symptoms alone. Some of the symptoms associated with vitamin B deficiency are:
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Headaches
- Weakness
- Confusion
- Abdominal cramps
- Constipation
- Skin rashes
- Scaly skin or cracks around the mouth
- Tingling or numbness in the hands or feet
If you are experiencing more than a couple of these symptoms it would be best to consult your doctor. They can recommend having you tested to find the vitamins you may be deficient in.
Long Term Health Benefits
Besides avoiding the list of deficiencies listed above, the benefits of regular vitamin B complex can include increased energy and metabolism, improved brain function, healthier skin, hair nails and an overall increase to your nervous system functions.
Call Today For an Adjustment
If you need a chiropractor in Murfreesboro, TN, give our office a call today. The team here at Healing Hands is happy to schedule you for a time that works for you. We can’t wait to help you!
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Get in touch with Dr. Dee at Healing Hands Chiropractic today for an initial consultation!
