Learning more about vitamins and minerals can help you make better decisions, about your nutrition and your health. Let’s take a look at the B vitamins. They include:
• B1 (thiamine)
• B2 (riboflavin)
• B3 (niacin)
• B5 (pantothenic acid)
• B6
• B7 (biotin)
• B12
• Folic acid (Women of childbearing age should regularly be taking a folic-acid supplement. Talk with your doctor about the right amount for you.)
These vitamins are helpful in the process your body uses to make energy from the food you eat. They also help form red blood cells. You can get B vitamins from proteins such as fish, poultry, meat, eggs and dairy products. Leafy green vegetables, beans and peas also have B vitamins. Many cereals and some breads have added B vitamins. Not getting enough of certain B vitamins can cause diseases. A lack of B12 or B6 can cause anemia..
Talk with your doctor about whether you should be taking any of the B vitamins in supplement form, and how you can get more of them in your diet.
—Source: National Institutes of Health
Good Neighbor Pharmacy Health Connection, June 2015
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