The Amazing B Vitamins – B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9 and B12

Wow, did you know there were so many B vitamins? I sure didn’t. I mean, I knew about B6 and B12, and had a general idea about B1 and B3, but that was about it.You know, when I was growing up, I never thought about vitamins or any kind of supplements for that matter. If I remembered, I took a multivitamin, but most days I forgot. Did that happen to you, too?

These days, health isn’t just a matter of trusting to luck. Yes, you do need to eat right and get exercise. But what is “eating right”?

For some it’s meat and potatoes. For another it’s a vegan diet. Yet other believe in macrobiotic eating. Each has its strengths and weaknesses.

We may all be missing out on some of the “amazing Bs” as I call them – B1, B2, B3, B6 and B12. One style of eating may be high in B6 but deficient in B12. Another may be the reverse. Or maybe you’re eating something that causes B1 to go missing.

“It’s the Water”

One thing all B vitamins share is that they are water-soluble. When it comes to your body, it means that there is very little of the vitamin actually stored in your body; what isn’t immediately needed is flushed from the body on a daily basis. You have to constantly take in B vitamins to keep your body running right.

You might need more than the RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) if you are highly stressed, eat or drink foods that mask the absorbsion, or have a genetic condition that makes it difficult for your body to use the B vitamin(s).

In different posts, we’ll be looking at each of the B vitamins, and what they do.