Vitamin B is responsible for keeping good health and welfare of the body. Since vitamin B serves as building blocks of the body, it helps in the functioning of energy reserves, brain processing and cell metabolism.
The requirement for the proper amounts of vitamins and nutrients should be kept sufficient in order to promote health and wellbeing.
Out of the total 13 essential vitamins required by the body, eight are that of vitamin B complex. These include:
- Thiamin (B1)
- Riboflavin (B2)
- Niacin (B3)
- Pantothenic acid (B5)
- Pyridoxine (B6)
- Biotin (B7)
- Folate/folic acid (B9)
- Cyanocobalamin (B12).
The main use of vitamin B is to convert energy-full food like carbohydrates into fuel, which is promoted by the body through this vitamin. Not sufficient energy would be present without vitamin B nutrient.
Vitamin B complex foods
There are many vegetables, fruits, and whole grains which are high in Vitamin B such as:
1. Whole Grains
Whole grains contain all the nutrients that are important for the body instead of processed food, which has all the nutrients eliminated from grains. Vitamin B present in grains is:
- Millet
- Barley
- Brown rice
2. Eggs (Vitamin B12 Food)
The best vitamin B12 sources are eggs. Eggs contain pantothenic acid (B5) and Cyanocobalamin (B12) as a rich source of vitamins.
Two large eggs maintain vitamin B12 in the amount of 46% and vitamin B2 in the amount of 39%.
3. Legumes
It contains food items like garbanzo beans, lentils and beans. Legumes also work to improve your blood sugar levels and cholesterol, apart from being a good source of vitamin B.
4. Citrus Fruits (Folate acid food)
About eight vitamin B nutrients are present in citrus fruits like lemons, oranges and clementines. But citrus fruits contains more folate acid as compared to other vitamins.
5. Avocados (Vitamin B6 Food)
Avocadoes have 20 minerals and vitamins contained in them. A single cup of avocadoes, which is about 150 grams, have sufficient folate of 30% and vitamin B6 of about 23%. Several other uses of avocadoes are:
- Energy
- Heart health
- Weight loss
- Mood boost
- Bone strength
- Eye protection
6. Meat, Poultry, Fish
Vitamin B3, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 are present in sources of fish like salmon, tuna, in sources of poultry like turkey, chicken and meat like pork and beef etc. A variety of minerals are also present in these items, like zinc, iron, potassium, chromium and selenium.
7. Fortified Breakfast Cereals
Different breakfast cereals are also fortified with vitamins like vitamin B12, vitamin B6, thiamin (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2) and folate.
8. Beef Liver (Vitamin B12 Food)
Beef liver is packed with vitamin B12, with its single-serving containing 1000% of the required dose for daily use. Niacin in 75% amount is also present in it, with other vitamins like folate, biotin, pantothenic acid and B6 also.
Beef is abundant in a variety of vitamin B types like thiamin, niacin, B6, folate, biotin, B12, pantothenic acid and riboflavin.
9. Milk
About 29% of the required intake of riboflavin is contained within a cup of milk, half the amount of required vitamin B12, with niacin, B6, thiamin, biotin and pantothenic acid. An alternate for vitamin B abundant nutritious food is oat milk for people with the lactose-intolerant condition.
10. Carrots
Raw carrots have vitamins like niacin, thiamin, folate, riboflavin and vitamin B6 them. For light snacks with rich vitamin content, carrots are considered great as they can be used in a salad or dipped in hummus, as they are nutritive in vitamin B.
