'What are B vitamins and why do we need them?'

The B vitamin family, known as ‘B complex’, is a group of eight water-soluble vitamins we need in small amounts to stay healthy.

B12 and B9 tend to get the most airtime because they are the ones people are most commonly deficient in. But that’s not to say the other six B vitamins – B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, and B7 – are any less important.

They help turn nutrients into energy and support the normal functioning of our brain and nervous system.

Thiamine (vitamin B1)

Your body uses thiamine to convert carbohydrates into energy, helping to fuel your brain and muscles. It’s a key player in keeping your brain, nervous system and heart functioning normally.

In the UK, the recommended daily intake is 1mg for men and 0.8mg for women, but the more carbs you eat, the more thiamine you’ll need.

Most people can get enough from a healthy, balanced diet. In the UK, B1 deficiency is rare and usually linked to alcohol dependence or conditions that stop your body absorbing it.

Good sources of thiamine include:

• Wholegrain foods like wholemeal pasta and oats
• Peas, beans and lentils
• Red meat like beef and pork
• Fish
• Nuts and seeds
• Fortified breakfast cereals
• Yeast extract

Most of the thiamine found in grains, like wheat, is stored in the bran – the fibre-rich outer layer. When grains are milled (to make white flour, for instance), the bran is removed. As a result, up to 50% of thiamine is lost. That’s why wholegrain options, like wholemeal bread and pasta, are better sources than white alternatives.

Riboflavin (vitamin B2)

Riboflavin helps convert proteins, fats and carbohydrates into energy, but also acts as an antioxidant, protecting cells from free radicals.

Free radicals are unstable molecules that can damage other cells. They’re made as by-products of normal metabolism and exercise, as well as influences outside the body like cigarette smoke, sunlight and pollution.

This means B2 helps support our bodies in lots of ways, including helping to keep our skin and eyes healthy.

Although it’s very achievable to get enough B2 from a healthy balanced diet, data from the National Diet and Nutrition survey (a large, rolling survey of nutritional status of people in the UK) found that 1 in 10 women aren’t meeting the recommended intake.

Good sources of riboflavin include:

• Eggs
• Lean meats
• Milk and milk products like yoghurt
• Fortified breakfast cereals
• Yeast extract
• Nutritional yeast
• Plant milks fortified with B2

In the UK, milk and milk products provide almost a third of our riboflavin intakes, while breakfast cereals account for almost 10%.

Although riboflavin deficiency is rare in the UK, people avoiding meat, eggs or dairy are more at risk of low intakes. In these cases, fortified breakfast cereals and plant milks, yeast extract and nutritional yeast can help meet requirements.

Niacin (vitamin B3)

Niacin helps keep your immune and nervous systems ticking over healthily. It also helps look after our skin and mucous membranes, which line our internal organs.

It’s uncommon to be deficient in B3, unless there’s alcohol dependency or absorption issues at play.

Good sources of niacin include:

• Meat
• Poultry
• Fish
• Wholegrains
• Peanuts and sesame seeds
• Yeast extract
• Nutritional yeast
• Fortified breakfast cereal

Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5)

Pantothenic acid helps our bodies turn food into energy and break down fats. It’s also involved in producing steroid hormones like cortisol and in keeping our skin in decent shape.

There’s no official guidance for pantothenic acid intakes in the UK, but in Europe, the recommended intake is 5mg per day. Pantothenic acid is found in a wide range of animal and plant foods, meaning most people consume enough.

Particularly good sources of pantothenic acid include:

• Eggs
• Milk
• Avocados
• Green leafy vegetables
• Meat
• Wholegrains
• Sunflower seeds
• Fortified breakfast cereals
• Mixed nuts

Pyridoxine (vitamin B6)

Pyridoxine helps make healthy red blood cells, as well as pitching in to support our brain and nervous system. Most of us will easily get enough B6 by eating a balanced diet, and deficiencies aren’t common.

Good sources of pyridoxine include:

• Meat and poultry
• Fish
• Chickpeas
• Nuts and seeds
• Fortified breakfast cereals
• Potatoes
• Oats

Biotin (vitamin B7)

Biotin also throws its weight behind turning food into energy, as well lending a hand to maintain our hair and skin health.

In the UK, there’s no official recommended intake for it. Some types of gut bacteria can make vitamin B7, which is thought to help to meet the body’s needs.

Good sources of vitamin B7 include:

• Meat and poultry
• Salmon
• Egg yolk
• Avocado
• Cheese
• Sweet potatoes
• Nutritional yeast
• Nuts and seeds

Many biotin supplements claim to improve hair, skin, and nails (deficiency is linked to hair loss, flaky skin, and brittle nails), but experts say there’s no strong evidence they benefit healthy adults without a deficiency.

Vitamin	Recommended Daily Intake for Men	Recommended Daily Intake for Women
B1	1 milligram	0.8 milligrams
B2	1.3 milligrams	1.1 milligrams
B3	16.5 milligrams	13.2 milligrams
B5	5 milligrams (European guidance)	5 milligrams (European guidance)
B6	1.4 milligrams	1.2 milligrams
B7	40 micrograms	40 micrograms

Words above from Laura Tilt who is a registered dietitian with a master’s in public health nutrition and a postgraduate diploma in dietetics. She also links to recipes in her original article which can be seen here

Please be aware that all articles (and any comments) within this blog are provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional. If you have any concerns about your general health, including medication, you should contact your Doctor/local health care provider.

All the best Jan