The B vitamins are a group of water-soluble vitamins that work as a team to promote energy conversion, growth, and eye, skin, and muscle health.
: Never change your diet without first consulting your physician.
Step 1: Get whole grains Eat plenty of whole grains, which are loaded with all the B complex vitamins, especially B1, known as thiamine; B2, also called riboflavin; B3, also known as niacin; and B8, known as biotin.
Step 2: Get veggies Get vegetarian sources of B vitamins by consuming avocados, bananas, potatoes, sweet potatoes, beans, lentils, and chili peppers.
TIP: Take supplements of brewer's yeast and wheat germ, which are natural sources of B vitamins.
Step 3: Eat meat Enjoy meat in your diet – especially liver and other organ meat, which is an excellent source of B1, B3, B5, B6, B7, B8, B9, and B12.
Step 4: Incorporate animal products Incorporate other animals products in your diet, including fish, seafood, eggs, and milk. These foods are high in B12, also called cobalamine, essential for the nervous system and cell function.
TIP: It's recommended that vegetarians take a B12 supplement.
Step 5: Snack on nuts and seeds Snack on nuts and seeds like sunflower seeds and flaxseeds, which are high in B1, B5, and B6. Known as pyridoxine, B6 helps the absorption of B12 in the body.
Step 6: Look for fortified foods Look for foods commonly fortified with B vitamins, such as breakfast cereals and energy bars.
FACT: In 1916, Elmer V. McCollum discovered vitamin B, which is actually a complex of vitamins that work together but was first thought to be a single vitamin like A or C.