The Bountiful Benefits of B vitamins

Banish bloating, boost brain power and wave bye-bye to stress with the bountiful benefits of Liposomal B Vitamins.

When you’re strolling through the supplement aisles of your local health food shop you’re likely to find a range of B vitamins nestling comfortably between a variety of products recommended for raising energy.

You could be forgiven for thinking this is all they are good for but actually, they deliver an enormous range of health benefits.

As well as helping the body to convert fuel into energy they also play a major role in a number of other essential functions. B complex vitamins are vital for helping your body to use fats and proteins efficiently as well as keeping your digestion, heart, skin, joints and nervous system healthy and fully operational.

B’s for Banishing Bloating!

A combined effort by the B vitamins helps to keep the digestive system up and running effectively. Vitamin B3 (niacin) for instance is required for the metabolism of food, gastric juice production and the secretion of bile, which is really important for the digestion of fat. A deficiency could cause diarrhoea, indigestion and poor appetite.

Vitamin B1 (thiamine) is also involved in the production of stomach acid and muscle tone in the intestines. Low stomach acid can lead to uncomfortable bloating, wind and poor bowel movements. Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) enhances the mucous membranes in the gut, whilst vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) helps to keep the bowels moving.

Finally, vitamin B12 (methylcobalamin and cobalamin) is important for building nerve tissue. A deficiency in this B vitamin would reduce messages to the gastrointestinal system, which may compromise your digestion and lead to constipation and bowel irregularities.

B’s for Brain Power!

When you think of the many functions the brain has to perform it’s hardly surprising that a whole range of B vitamins are needed to keep it in tip top condition.

Maintaining cognitive function, motivation and mood as well as reducing the likelihood of suffering from Alzheimer’s requires a good mix of vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), B12, B3, B1 and folic acid. Advances in research have identified that these particular B vitamins are the key to helping slow the rate of cognitive decline and prevent depression.

Studies have established that the health and function of neurotransmitters are dependent on vitamin B12, which preserves the myelin sheath around the nerves. Once this diminishes your nervous system isn’t able to send and receive the message so efficiently - consequently, concentration, memory and motor skills suffer.

Your brain is dependent on glucose (its preferred fuel) which comes from the metabolism of carbohydrates, a conversion made possible by thiamine. A severe thiamine deficiency can result in mental confusion, poor memory and depression. 

Folic acid may also play a part in low mood as studies have found that individuals suffering from depression have low levels of folate in their bodies.

B’s for a Beating Heart!

Cardiovascular heart disease is singularly the most common cause of death before the age of 65. Little wonder then that our heart health is something that worries us as we get older. So, how can B vitamins help? 

Increasingly research is identifying that high plasma homocysteine levels are an important indicator for the risk of cardiovascular disease. Maintaining healthy homocysteine levels is essential for reducing these risks.

Concentrations of homocysteine are largely determined by the body’s levels of B vitamins (B6, B12, and folic acid). In addition to this vitamin B5 is thought to reduce fats in the blood, helping to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and raise HDL (good) cholesterol.

Vitamin B3 has also been found to raise HDL cholesterol, lowering the risk of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) that can lead to heart attacks.

B’s for Balancing Stress

The B vitamins are vital cofactors for specific enzymes involved in the production of adrenal hormones. These hormones regulate many processes in your body as well as help you to adapt to stress and cope with anxiety. 

Your adrenal response to stress causes the metabolism of your cells to speed up, increasing the amount of nutrients needed, which can lead to deficiencies. According to research, chronic stress depletes vitamin B6, so supplementing to maintain healthy levels could be of help therapeutically.

However, let’s not overlook the other B vitamins. Each of the eight B vitamins found within a B complex supplement formula play an essential role in supporting adrenal function and are equally important in facilitating an appropriate stress response.

B3, B5 and B6 are utilised for hormone production whereas all the other B vitamins help to generate energy. As a group working together they are far more effective than individual B vitamins alone.

B’s for Bending and Stretching!

Research has indicated that Vitamin B3 may have anti-inflammatory properties that could offer protection against arthritic symptoms and the need for pharmaceutical anti-inflammatory drugs.

Additionally, vitamin B5 may be of help to sufferers of Rheumatoid Arthritis, as these individuals have been found to have lower levels of this B vitamin in their blood than healthy people.

Scientists discovered that the lower the levels of B5, the more extreme the symptoms were. Further studies have shown that vitamin B5 may improve the morning stiffness and pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis.

B’s for Brighter Vision!  

Over time eye health can deteriorate leaving some people with short sightedness and others with cataracts or age related macular degeneration (AMD), which can lead to blindness. Fortunately, vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) works in tandem with other nutrients to help maintain normal clear vision.

Animal trials show that rats fed riboflavin deficient diets have developed cataracts and other studies have led some researchers to conclude that riboflavin deficiency may also contribute to night blindness.

A large Australian study found that men and women aged 49 and older with higher intakes of riboflavin were 50% less likely to develop age related cataracts.

Other B vitamins have also been suggested as necessary for supporting eye health. The results from one particularly large trial found that women taking a combination of folic acid, vitamin B12 and vitamin B6 daily had a reduced risk of developing AMD.

So, if you want to banish bloating, boost your brain power, balance stress and enjoy brighter vision then Liposomal B vitamins are definitely where it’s at!

A premium liposomal supplement such as Altrient Vitamin B and Mineral Complex delivers all the essential B Vitamins and minerals including Zinc, Selenium and Chromium for added benefit.

The advanced liposomal technology used by Altrient ensures maximum absorption so you can be sure that the nutrients are getting to your cells where you need them most.

Jackie Newson BSc (Hons) Nutritional Therapy

References:

Billings C et al. Reducing occupational stress with a B-vitamin focussed intervention: a randomized clinical trial: study protocol. Nutr J. 2014; 13: 122.

Cumming RG, Mitchell P, Smith W. Diet and cataract: the Blue Mountains Eye Study. Ophthalmology. 2000; 107(3):450-456. 

Hoey L et al. B-vitamin intake and biomarker status in relation to cognitive decline in healthy older adults in a 4 year follow up study. Northern Ireland

Power H Jandgt; Riboflavin B2 and health. Am J Clin Nutr 2003;77:1352–60

Wilson J (2007). Adrenal Fatigue. Smart Publications: USA.