Are You Getting Enough of B Vitamins?

To B Or Not….

B vitamins are important vitamin, especially B12 (folate).  Without this vitamin, you can become tired, weak, constipated, or depressed.  To get vitamin B12 in your diet, try clams or beef liver.

Vitamin B6

If you’re not getting this vitamin, you may get sick easier, or become depressed or confused.  You may notice your lips are scaly or cracked.  Your body only needs a small amount every day, but to make sure you’re getting what you need, try chickpeas, tuna, and…yes, beef liver.

B1 (Thiamin)

If you’re a heavy drinker, your body may not be absorbing enough of this vitamin, which helps fight weakness, fatigue, and brain damage, not to mention lead to psychosis.  In order to ensure you’re getting B1, eat foods like rice, trout, and black beans.

B2 (Riboflavin)

Many Americans get plenty of this vitamin, which is good because lacking this vitamin can damage the liver and nervous system.  The best food to eat is beef liver, but if you can’t stomach that, try milk, yogurt and beef for second choices.

B3 (Niacin)

This vitamin helps with your digestion, skin and nerves work in your body to change food to energy.  Eat milk, eggs, rice, and fish—but not too much, as it can cause liver damage, peptic ulcers, and skin rashes.

B7 (Biotin)

Lacking this vitamin can cause skin rashes, hair loss, high cholesterol, and heart problems.  Foods with this vitamin are cauliflower, salmon, carrots, bananas, soy flour, cereals, and yeast.

Folic Acid (Folate)

An important B vitamin, especially for pregnant women, it helps prevent certain birth defects.  Folic acid is a lab version of folate, found in foods like spinach and black-eyed peas to have this in your diet.