What Are B Vitamins & Why Are They Important?

The B vitamins are a group of essential vitamins that are good for your daily health. Because your body can’t make these essential vitamins, you have to get them from food or supplements. B vitamins are often found in multivitamins, supplements, and even individually as standalone products.

B vitamins are available in many different forms, you can find them in gummy, pill, liquid, chewable tablet or powder formats. Many people find that gummy vitamins are an easy and great-tasting way to enjoy taking B vitamins.

What are the benefits of B Vitamins?

You may be wondering what B vitamins do in your body. While each one is unique, overall, one benefit of the B vitamins is they play a key role in helping turn the food you eat into cellular energy.* Beyond energy metabolism, the B vitamins are part of many other processes throughout your body and support overall health and wellness.*

What are different B Vitamins & what foods are they in?

The different B vitamins provide a variety of benefits for your body and help your body do what it needs to do every day. Because there are so many B vitamins, each one has both a name and a number. For example, vitamin B12 is also known as cobalamin.

Niacin – Vitamin B3

Niacin is part of over 400 processes in the body! Niacin supports how your body converts food into the energy your cells need.* You can find niacin in a wide variety of foods, including poultry, beef, fish, nuts, beans and enriched cereals and grains.

Pantothenic Acid – Vitamin B5

Pantothenic acid is key for many functions in the body, especially in making and breaking down fats and carbohydrates.* It is also needed for turning the food you eat into cellular energy.* Pantothenic acid is found in many plant and animal-based foods, but some of the best sources include fortified breakfast cereals, meat, fish, milk, eggs and avocado.

Pyridoxine – Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 is involved in over 100 reactions in the body, including how your body metabolizes protein and converts food into cellular energy.* Vitamin B6 is found in beans, fish, poultry, enriched cereals, bananas, winter squash and potatoes.

Biotin – Vitamin B7

Biotin is an important part of how your body digests protein, fat and carbohydrates to transform the food you eat into energy your cells can use.* Biotin also supports hair, skin, and nail health.* Biotin is found in eggs, fish, meat, seeds, nuts and some vegetables such as sweet potatoes.

Folate – Vitamin B9

Folate (sometimes known as folic acid) is key in the creation of DNA and in how our bodies turn protein into cellular energy.* Folate is needed for cells to divide, so is especially important during pregnancy or for women of child bearing age.* Folate is found in fruit and vegetables (especially those dark leafy greens!), nuts, beans, seafood, and enriched breakfast cereals and grains.

Cobalamin – Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 supports red blood cell formation, nervous system health, and converts food into cellular energy.* Vitamin B12 is only found naturally in animal-based foods, like fish, meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products. Some plant-based foods like fortified breakfast cereals and fortified nutritional yeast have vitamin B12 added.

Are B vitamins water soluble?

Yes, all B vitamins are water soluble. But what does water soluble mean? Simply put, these vitamins can be dissolved in water. They are more easily absorbed in our intestines than fat-soluble vitamins and are excreted in the urine. Because they are excreted more regularly than fat-soluble vitamins, you need to consume B vitamins every day, either through foods or supplements.

What happens if you have a B vitamin deficiency?

If you think you may have a B vitamin deficiency, it’s always best to talk to your healthcare provider. There are some groups that might be more at risk for not consuming enough of certain B vitamins.

Vitamin B12: Two groups that need to be mindful of their vitamin B12 intake are older adults and vegetarians/vegans. As part of aging, some older adults have a harder time absorbing B12. Also, since B12 is only found naturally in animal-based foods, vegetarians and vegans who don’t eat those foods may find it harder to get enough B12.

Folate: Folate is a nutrient of priority for women of childbearing age. Because folate is needed to make new cells, it is important for supporting the growth of babies and is needed early in pregnancy—sometimes before a woman even knows she is pregnant.*

Check with your healthcare professional about whether supplementation of B vitamins is right for you.

Are there gummy vitamins with B vitamins?

Yes, there are several vitafusion™ gummy vitamin options that include B vitamins, either as a standalone supplement or in a multivitamin:

• Vitamin B12 – an excellent source of vitamin B12 per serving with a yummy raspberry flavor.
• Extra Strength Vitamin B12 – each two-gummy serving provides 3000mcg of vitamin B12 full of delicious cherry flavor.
• Extra Strength Biotin – bursting with blueberry flavor, each serving provides 5000mcg of biotin to support hair, skin, and nails while also supporting fat, protein and carbohydrate metabolism.*
• Multivitamins ­– there are several vitafusion™ multivitamins that include B vitamins, including:
• Multivites – with six different types of B vitamins in a delicious fruity flavored gummy.
• Women’s Multivitamin – formulated for women to support energy metabolism with a delicious berry flavor.*
• Men’s Multivitamin - supports cellular energy with five B vitamins in a delectable berry flavor.*
• Multi +Energy – specially formulated to provide a daily multivitamin plus energy metabolism support in a delightful raspberry + black tea flavored gummy.*
• PreNatal – includes 100% DV of folate per serving in a luscious raspberry lemonade flavored gummy.
• Gorgeous Hair, Skin and Nails – with biotin and antioxidants vitamins C and E to support luxurious hair, gorgeous skin and healthy nails.*
• Daily Wellness Multi* Soft Chew  – These portable and individually wrapped chewable multivitamins contain several B vitamins such as folate and biotin, so you can get the nutrient support you want anytime, anywhere!

There are so many benefits to B vitamins, whether you want to enjoy them on their own or take a multivitamin with a variety of B vitamins, vitafusion™ has an option for you! 

Brought to you by the vitafusion™ nutrition experts.