Vitamin B

The B vitamins are eight water-soluble vitamins that play important roles in cell metabolism, collectively known as Vitamin B. The B vitamins often work together to deliver a number of health benefits to the body. B vitamins have been shown to:

• Support and increase the rate of metabolism
• Maintain healthy skin and muscle tone
• Enhance immune and nervous system function
• Promote cell growth and division — including that of the red blood cells that help prevent anemia
• Reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer, one of the most lethal forms of cancer, when consumed in food, but not when ingested in vitamin tablet form

Together, they also help combat the symptoms and causes of stress, depression, and cardiovascular disease.

All B vitamins are water soluble, and are dispersed throughout the body. Most of the B vitamins must be replenished daily, since any excess is excreted in the urine.

Different B vitamins come from different natural sources, such as potatoes, bananas, lentils, chili peppers,  liver oil, liver, turkey, tuna, Nutritional yeast (or brewer's yeast) and molasses. Marmite and Vegemite bill themselves as "one of the world's richest known sources of vitamin B". As might be expected, due to its high content of brewer's yeast, beer is a source of B vitamins, although this may be less true for filtered beers and the alcohol in beer impairs the body's ability to activate vitamins.

List of B Vitamins

• Vitamin B1 (thiamine)
• Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
• Vitamin B3 (niacin or niacinamide)
• Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)
• Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine, pyridoxal, or pyridoxamine)
• Vitamin B7 (biotin)
• Vitamin B9 (folic acid)
• Vitamin B12 (various cobalamins)