The Roles of Each Vitamin B and How They Can Benefit Your Health

Vitamin B is a group of essential nutrients that play a crucial role in maintaining overall health and well-being. In total, there are eight types of vitamin B, each with its own unique benefits and functions in the body.

These essential vitamins are involved in various bodily processes, including energy production, brain function, immune system health, and cell metabolism.

Deficiencies in vitamin B can lead to a range of health problems, including anemia, nerve damage, and skin disorders. With their numerous health benefits, vitamin B supplements have become increasingly popular, and many people seek to include these essential vitamins in their diets to maintain optimal health.

8 different types of Vitamin B

Vitamin B1 (thiamine): Vitamin B1 was first discovered in the early 1900s by a Polish scientist named Casimir Funk. He discovered that a compound found in rice bran could cure beriberi, a disease caused by a deficiency of thiamine.

Good food sources of Vitamin B1 include whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Vitamin B1 plays a crucial role in energy metabolism, it helps the body to convert carbohydrates into glucose, which is used to produce energy.

Vitamin B2 (riboflavin): Vitamin B2 was discovered in the early 1900s by a Dutch scientist named Barend Jansen. It’s found in many food sources such as milk, cheese, yogurt, eggs, and leafy green vegetables. Vitamin B2 helps to convert food into energy and also plays a vital role in the health of the skin, eyes, and nervous system.

Vitamin B3 (niacin): Vitamin B3 was discovered in the early 1900s by a British scientist named Conrad Elvehjem.

Vitamin B3 is found in many food sources such as meat, fish, poultry, nuts, and mushrooms. Vitamin B3 helps to convert food into energy, it also helps to lower cholesterol levels and improve circulation.

Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid): Vitamin B5 was discovered in the 1930s by an American scientist named Roger J. Williams. Good food sources of Vitamin B5 include avocados, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, and eggs.

Vitamin B5: Vitamin B5 plays a crucial role in the production of hormones and cholesterol, it also helps the body to convert food into energy.

Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine): Vitamin B6 was discovered in the 1930s by an American scientist named Paul Gyorgy. Good food sources of Vitamin B6 include fish, poultry, meat, whole grains, and nuts.

Vitamin B6 plays a vital role in the production of neurotransmitters, it also helps the body to produce red blood cells and maintain a healthy immune system.

Vitamin B7 (biotin): Vitamin B7 was discovered in the 1930s by an American scientist named Paul Gyorgy. Good food sources of Vitamin B7 include eggs, nuts, seeds, and legumes. Vitamin B7 plays a crucial role in the metabolism of fat, it also helps the body to produce healthy skin, hair, and nails.

Vitamin B9 (folate): Vitamin B9 was discovered in the 1930s by an American scientist named Lucy Wills. Good food sources of Vitamin B9 include leafy green vegetables, citrus fruits, legumes, and fortified grains. Vitamin B9 plays a crucial role in the production of red blood cells, it also helps to prevent birth defects.

Vitamin B12 (cobalamin): Vitamin B12 was discovered in the 1940s by an American scientist Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin. Good food sources of Vitamin B12 include meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and dairy products. Vitamin B12 plays a crucial role in the production of red blood cells, it also helps to maintain a healthy nervous system.

Why is vitamin B4 not on the List?

There is no known vitamin B4. The original concept of vitamin B included four distinct vitamins: B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), and B4 (adenine).

However, later research showed that adenine, which was initially thought to be a vitamin, is not essential in the human diet as the body can produce it.

Therefore, B4 was dropped from the list of essential vitamins, and the term “vitamin B” was redefined to include the remaining water-soluble vitamins: B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, and B12.

What happened to vitamins B10 and B11?

Vitamin B10 and B11 were originally believed to be essential vitamins, but subsequent research has revealed that they are not true vitamins.

Vitamin B10 was originally thought to be a compound called para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA), which was believed to have a role in maintaining healthy skin, but later research showed that PABA is not an essential nutrient as the body can produce it.

Similarly, Vitamin B11 was originally thought to be a compound called salicylic acid, which was believed to have a role in treating rheumatoid arthritis, but later research revealed that salicylic acid is not an essential nutrient as it can be obtained from other dietary sources. Therefore, both Vitamin B10 and B11 were removed from the list of essential vitamins.

Top Foods that are good sources of various B vitamins:

1. Whole grains: Whole grains such as brown rice, whole wheat, oats, and quinoa are good sources of thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), and folate (B9).

2. Legumes: Beans, lentils, and chickpeas are good sources of thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), and vitamin B6.

3. Nuts and seeds: Almonds, sunflower seeds, and flaxseeds are good sources of thiamin (B1), niacin (B3), and vitamin B6.

4. Meat and poultry: Beef, chicken, and pork are good sources of thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), vitamin B6, and vitamin B12.

5. Fish and seafood: Salmon, tuna, and shrimp are good sources of niacin (B3), vitamin B6, and vitamin B12.

6. Dairy products: Milk, yogurt, and cheese are good sources of riboflavin (B2), vitamin B12, and pantothenic acid (B5).

7. Fortified breakfast cereals: Some breakfast cereals are fortified with various B vitamins, such as thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), vitamin B6, and folate (B9).