One vitamin you should seriously consider stocking up on is vitamin B. Vitamin B is the one vitamin that has a very big impact on the amount of energy you have and the rate of speed at which your metabolism functions.
There are other benefits, of course, but for many people, this prime example is the most important and the most frequently sought out of them all. There are also many kinds of vitamin B variants out there, but they all do the same job of keeping your body in tip-top shape.
Load Up Your Cart With Vitamin B-Rich Foods!
Naturally, it makes sense to choose foods that are high in vitamin B. It is even better if you get the organically grown kind of food, since most vegetarians are wont to do. Meat eaters, on the other hand, consume enough dairy that already contains a high amount of vitamin B that is considered satisfactory for their diet. [1]
It is essential that you include food with Vit B7 in your daily diet. Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Vegetarians are advised to stock up on their vitamin B because they usually are the members of the population who lack in this substance. Fortunately, the local grocery store and supermarket has enough foods that are rich in vitamin B. Of course, vitamin B is subdivided into smaller categories – vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, vitamin B7, and vitamin B12. We will consider a few of them here. The first one is vitamin B1, which is otherwise known as thiamine, and is used to maintain the proper functioning of one’s nervous system. You can get this kind of vitamin B in meat, egg yolks, vegetables, and lots of fresh fruits. If you consume a lot of alcohol on a fairly frequent basis, then you will need more vitamin B1 than non-drinkers. [2]
The second type is vitamin B2, otherwise known as riboflavin. This vitamin B is the one in charge of breaking down fats, protein, and carbohydrates, along with making sure the skin is healthy and supple. This, along with vitamin B3, also known as Niacin, can be found in foods that are rich in protein such as meat, peanuts, and potatoes. Other foods that are high in vitamin B include liver, tuna, beef, oats, turkey, brazil nuts, bananas, avocadoes, and legumes.
If you buy foods that are ready-to-eat or a bit on the processed side, you will be glad to know that some of the available products in the grocery and supermarket are also fortified with vitamins. Many foods, like granola bars and almost everything you can find in the aisle containing cereals and breakfast products, are the highest in terms of vitamin B fortification. Although this is not a substitute for the real thing, at the very least, you are choosing some of the lesser evil, in terms of foodstuffs, that is.
The challenge, of course, lies in making these food ingredients palatable so that you do not feel like you are eating the same thing day in and day out, despite their being high in vitamin B. Whatever way you choose to cook it, make sure that you choose the healthiest forms such as baking, steaming, boiling, or searing as opposed to frying. With a little ingenuity, you will surely look forward to your vitamin B-rich meals.
About the Author: Lyuben Georgiev is a nutritionist who specialises in putting together special diets for pregnant women (in Denmark where he works, the people commonly refer to this term as Graviditet kostplan). He also writes for various blogs including Premie Twins.
