Vitamin B

Vitamin B

When it comes to vitamins needed for both a sound body and mind, the B vitamins are not something you want to ignore. But be aware, not all types of vitamin B do the same thing. There are 8 kinds of vitamins in the vitamin B complex. You will see the following listed in day to day cereal, but I do not believe it to be the case. Personally, my belief is that cereal is empty calories, a form of junk food and covered in carcinogenic products. Do note that under the FDA rules, food manufacturers are not obliged to list every ingredient. Just like I refuse to eat Arnott's biscuits as they contain alcohol so I definitely do not indulge in tim tams:

Thiamine (B-1)

Riboflavin (B-2)

Niacin (B-3)

Pantothenic acid (B-5)

Pyridoxine (B-6)

Biotin (B-7)

Folate (B-9 aka folic acid)

Cobalamin (B-12)

Additionally, the different types of vitamin B all come from different types of foods. Vitamin B12 is something our body does not produce by itself so it is absolutely essential we eat meat in my opinion. TICM do not believe in or promote veganism or vegetarianism (I recommend you investigate where these crazes came from and why they came about as it is not ethical or for our health). B12 deficiency is a huge problem equally in men and women. Mainstream medicine claims B12 is found primarily in meat but also dairy products. BUT, from TICM perspective, diary is a form of mucous and phlegm and it does form just that inside our body. There is no one I see whose Spleen and/or Lungs have not been hampered with Phlegm or Dampness. It also has no nutritional value, is empty calories and definitely does not provide calcium (more lies).

B7 and B9, and to some degree, B1 and B2, are found in fruits and vegetables. I recommend vegetables as fruits are high in fructose which hampers the Liver, heavy and cold on digestive organs, Stomach and Spleen, especially during cold days and winter months and is all main GMO now meaning every fruit seems to be seedless.

Deficiencies of any of the B vitamins will lead to health problems. Take, for example, vitamin B12, if you don’t get enough of this vitamin, and your energy levels throughout the day might sag with your mind constantly turning, perhaps, to thoughts of sleep in your warm cosy bed. Or consider vitamin B9, a deficiency in this vitamin and you might get sores on your mouth or a swollen tongue. Then there’s vitamin B6. If your levels of this key B vitamin are too low, then you could be looking at flaky, oily rashes on your upper body or face. These are not the only symptoms though.

Getting sick from infections more often because B6 helps support your immune system.

Getting cracks or sores in the skin around the corners of your mouth or a swollen and sensitive tongue.

Fatigue .

A feeling of numbness or tingling in your hands and feet, which is known as paresthesias.

Depression, anxiety, and/or irritability.

A red, itchy rash often oily or flaky that usually appears on the upper body or face. Small areas of your skin might also swell, resulting in white patches.

Convulsions.

Decreased alertness.

More grey hair.

Shortness of breath.

Pale skin.

Irritability.

Blurry vision. So what might be causing a deficiency in your B vitamins?

Excessive alcohol: whether your drink of choice is shaken and not stirred, includes a barrel-aged spirit, or is a humble mug of beer, there’s nothing especially harmful about safely having a drink every now and then. Needless to say, though, excessive alcohol consumption can have its downsides, one of which is vitamin B deficiency. Alcohol, in short, makes your kidneys flush B vitamins out of your system much more quickly than usual. That means your body doesn’t have all the time it needs to make use of these B vitamins so they, quite literally, go to waste.

Medications: Prescription medicines can bump up the likelihood of a vitamin B deficiency. Increased likelihood of vitamin B6 deficiency, anticonvulsants, isoniazid, hydralazine, corticosteroids, and penicillamine common brand name Cuprimine.

Increased likelihood of vitamin B9 deficiency, phenytoin common brand name: dilantin. trimethoprim sulfamethoxazole, methotrexate common brand names rheumatrex, Trexall and sulfasalazine common brand name azulfidine.

Increased likelihood of vitamin B12 deficiency are metformin, proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), antacids, long-term antibiotics, and antidepressants.

Gut instinct: under healthy conditions, B vitamins are absorbed by the gut and into your bloodstream. The bloodstream then transports these much needed vitamins throughout your body. So what happens if B vitamins do not make it into the bloodstream?

It’s simple: they can’t be put to good use by the body. And that’s exactly what can go wrong if you have a gut malabsorption condition like Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis or Celiac disease. These conditions prevent B vitamins from entering the bloodstream, significantly dropping your blood’s vitamin B levels and potentially harming your wellbeing.

Diet: your body gets B vitamins from the food you eat.That’s when vitamin deficiencies like vitamin B deficiency can crop up. As such, dietary inadequacies are one of the key causes of vitamin B deficiency. So, obvious follow up question here: what foods contain a lot of B vitamins?

Vitamin B6: meat, fish, legumes, nuts, bananas, potatoes. Vitamin B7: peanuts (please note peanuts is not a nut) Vitamin B9: leafy vegetables, legumes, citrus fruits. Vitamin B12: meat, fish, and other animal products.