Vitamin B is an essential vitamin for many functions in the human body. Vitamin B is actually not just one vitamin but rather a vitamin complex with eight separate vitamins. The B vitamin complex includes vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9 and B12. You can obtain healthy levels of vitamin B from a variety of healthy foods.
Liver
You may not think of liver immediately when considering "health foods," but liver contains a wider array of vitamins in the B complex than any other food, according to the American Cancer Society. By eating liver, you can obtain vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B7 and B9. Vitamins B1 and B2 help your body produce energy and maintain the health of your muscles, nerves and heart. The only B vitamin that does not exist in liver is vitamin B12.
Fruits
You can find a variety of B complex vitamins in fruits, all of which are healthy foods. Bananas contain vitamins B6 and B7. You can find B7 in watermelon and grapefruit. Vitamin B6 helps your body break down proteins and maintain the health of your immune system, nervous system and red blood cells. Vitamin B7 helps your body break down carbohydrates and produce hormones.
Vegetables
Green, leafy vegetables contain a variety of B vitamins including B1, B2 and B9. Vitamin B9 helps your body produce new red blood cells. B9 also helps your body produce DNA. Green, leafy vegetables from which you can obtain vitamin B9 include lettuce, spinach and broccoli. Dried beans contain vitamin B6.
Vitamin B12 Foods
You can obtain the popular vitamin B12 from various foods including lean meats, fish, shellfish and poultry. Dairy products such as eggs and some milk products also contain vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 is also a major ingredient in most multivitamin supplements. A lack of vitamin B12 can cause symptoms of fatigue, depression and confusion. Vitamin B12 deficiency is rare in most adults, but it may affect up to 15 percent of elderly people. Vitamin B12 helps the body produce red blood cells and maintain the health of your nervous system.
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