B Vitamin Rich Foods

B vitamins are a group of eight essential nutrients that help the body in many ways. They are classified as water-soluble vitamins, and they play crucial roles in the maintenance of body functions. The benefits of B vitamins begin from the cell, where they help generate energy needed for us to perform. This is because water-soluble vitamins play an essential role in energy metabolism. So, eating foods rich in Vitamin B assists the body with energy release and storage. Since B vitamins are water-soluble, your body does not store them. For this reason, your diet must supply them each day. The eight (8) B vitamins are: Vitamin B1 (thiamine), Vitamin B2 (riboflavin), Vitamin B3 (niacin), Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid), Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine). Vitamin B7 (biotin), Vitamin B9 (folate and folic acid), Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin)

Benefits of B Vitamins

B vitamins keep the body's cells functioning properly. They help the body convert food into energy (metabolism), promote the production of red blood cells, and maintain healthy skin cells and other tissues. B vitamins are also important for the brain, boosting the production of energy needed to develop new brain cells, and may help maintain brain health. There is strong evidence that B vitamins help other organs, including the heart, to function properly. These findings suggest that B vitamins, especially vitamins B12 and B6, help improve the function of the heart and blood vessels.

Top benefits of B vitamins are:

Keep the nervous system healthy.
Keep the nervous system healthy;
Keep skin and eyes healthy.
Promote red blood cell production.
Very essential of Heart Health (combats high homocysteine levels).
Promote protein synthesis;

Top Foods Rich in Vitamin B

-Organ meats

Organ meats are highly nutritious. They include the liver, tongue, heart and kidneys. Organ meats are a great source of vitamin B1, B2, B5 and B12. Eating a single serving of organ meat can help you meet your daily recommended amount of essential B vitamins and reduce your risk of nutrient deficiency. When shopping for your next animal source, you should consider buying beef liver. Studies suggest that beef liver is the most nutritious and healthy meat you can eat. Beef liver is nutrient-dense and contains substantial amounts of vitamin B12 that you rely on.

-Eggs

Both egg and egg yolks contain small amounts of almost every vitamin and mineral required by the body. They are a great source of protein and B vitamins, especially B2 and B12. Eating two large eggs can supply your body with about 46% of the total vitamin B12 you need in a day and 39% of the total vitamin B2 you need in a day. According to research, eating up to 3 whole eggs per day is perfectly safe for healthy people.

-Vegetables

Vegetables, such as beets, avocados, and potatoes, are high in Vitamin B3 and B5. Dark, leafy vegetables like broccoli, spinach and kale contain a high B9 (folate). Most legumes such as pinto beans, black beans and lentils are also high in folate. Folate is very vital because it helps the body form healthy red blood cells. It is also crucial for pregnant women because it reduces the risk of birth defects. While each adult is advised to take need 200 mg of folate a day, it's recommended that pregnant women take 400 mg of folic acid daily until they are 12 weeks pregnant.

-Fruits

Most fruits are generally high in folic acid. Moreover, fruits are rich sources of fibre. High-fibre diets are believed to reduce the risk of obesity, heart disease, and diabetes, especially in adults. Citrus fruits, avocados, bananas are rich sources of B vitamins. This class of food is vital for vegans because they cannot eat red or organ meat. Some citrus fruits that containing B vitamins are oranges, clementines, and lemons.

-Fortified Food And Dairy Products

Some breakfast cereals contain added vitamins, including B vitamins. This makes them a food source you can rely on to meet your daily requirement. The B vitamins most commonly added to cereal are thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, B6, folate. Some of these foods include Corn flakes, Oat, Muesli, Wheat Flakes, etc. All you have to do is check out the product's ingredients list to confirm. Always make sure you choose a fortified product with less added sugars and refined grains. Milk is a good source of B12 and yoghurt is naturally high in B2 and B12. Although, the nutritional value may be different with brands. Check the label to confirm that your pick is fortified. Always limit your intake of sugar-sweetened yoghurt or milk.