Are You Getting Enough B-Vitamins? Here’s How to Find Out

If You’re Not Getting Enough B-Vitamins in Your Diet, Your Body May Show These Certain Signs

The family of B vitamins all play unique roles in our bodily functions but mainly relate to; red blood cell formation, energy metabolism and multiple other vital cellular processes. If you eat a natural and varied diet, you should get most of your B vitamins from the food you eat, but with today’s fast food, eat on the run, hectic lifestyles, it’s easy to fall short of some B vitamins in our lives.

Here are the family of B vitamins;

• Vitamin B1 (thiamin)
• Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
• Vitamin B3 (niacin)
• Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)
• Vitamin B6
• Vitamin B7 (biotin)
• Vitamin B9 (folate or folic acid)
• Vitamin B12

Signs You May Be Lacking in B-Vitamins

Always check with your health professional if you experience any of the symptoms detailed below. If you are lacking in certain B-vitamins, you may notice a few unusual signs.

1. Fatigue. All of the B vitamin family help to turn the food we eat into energy, but B12 specifically if not present enough in your diet can lead to exhaustion. This vitamin helps make red blood cells and transports oxygen throughout your body and can leave you feeling weak if you don’t have enough. A health supplement containing B12 may improve symptoms and adding more foods rich in B12 like; beef, liver, fish, dairy, eggs and chicken will help.
2. Anemia. Being low in B vitamins like B12 can contribute to you being anemic. Some symptoms of B12 deficiency anemia are; fatigue, irritability and weak muscles.
3. Your mood is low. Vitamin B6 plays a role in the transmission of the feel good hormone serotonin and if you’re lacking this vitamin, you could experience mood issues.
4. You struggle to fall asleep. Vitamin B12 plays an important role in the production of melatonin, which helps you to fall asleep. If you don’t have enough, you may find yourself lying awake for long periods.
5. Brain fog and trouble focusing. Research has found that people with vitamin B deficiencies experience trouble with memory, focus and clouded thoughts. Even as we age, our memories naturally will decline, scientists have found we have a decreased ability to absorb these nutrients and adding B supplements to your diet, may help with this.

Tips to Boost Your B-Vitamins

If you experience any of the symptoms talked about above, ask your doctor to check for deficiencies with a blood test. If it becomes apparent you’re lacking in B vitamins, there are a few ways you can get more into your daily life.

Take a look at your diet and ensure you’re consuming enough lean proteins, dairy, fish and potatoes. If you’re a vegetarian, vegan or don’t like certain foods, consider taking B vitamin health supplements daily. Supplements are an easy and sure-fire way to know you’re getting the vitamins you need on a regular basis.