We hear talk of B vitamins in every health, wellness, and fitness magazine we pick up. Yes, there are many B vitamin supplements on the market, but are you getting the full daily supply needed from a solid supplement that is hard to digest?
Vitamin Supplement Absorption
Often, supplements will pass through your digestive system without being absorbed into the body at all, or at best, very little will be absorbed. According to the “Do Dietary Supplements Work?” website, vitamins must be in liquid form to be absorbed the best. If a solid pill form of supplement is swallowed, the stomach’s job is to dissolve the pill. If the pill leaves the stomach undissolved, the nutrients inside will pass from the body still in solid form.
The question is, then, how do we get the daily amount of B vitamins needed for our bodies? Check with your doctor about the amounts needed for your individual body. Younger children will need less, while pregnant women will need to add more Folate to help reduce the risk of birth defects.
Best Ways to Get B Vitamins
There are a few ways that allow vitamins to absorb more readily. The first, opt for liquid supplements. Supplements in liquid form can be found at local herbal stores that sell vitamins and minerals for an alternative, healthy lifestyle. They can also be purchased online. Be sure to check reviews of online stores before purchasing from them as some will have better quality ingredients than others.
Another way to get B vitamins is from food the way God intended. To get the most nutritional value from food, stay away from microwaves and high heat cooking. Microwaves and high heat cooking will kill much of the nutrients from food. Try preparing food on lower heat, or when possible eat food raw, such as fruits and veggies. If you will be boiling vegetables, reserve the water and incorporate it into a sauce or other dish to still receive the nutrients lost during the boiling process.
Lastly, B vitamins in gel form will also give you the nutrients you need. The gel on the outside of the vitamin will dissolve much more quickly, thus having enough time to allow the body to absorb more of the nutrients than in a hard solid form such as tablets and caplets.
Foods Containing B Complex Vitamins
Foods containing B vitamins can be incorporated into everyday life easily, if you know where to find them. Below is a list of foods that are good sources of B Complex vitamins:
- 3 oz. white meat chicken (cooked) is high in Niacin (10mg) and a good source of Folate (3mcg)
- 1/4 cup chickpeas (garbanzo beans) is packed full of Folate (100mcg)
- 3 oz. beef kidney (cooked) is rich in Riboflavin (4mg), Niacin (9mg), B12 (49mcg), and Folate (123mcg)
- 1/4 cup dried Navy beans contains (66mcg) of Folate
- 1/4 cup chopped peanuts is rich in Niacin (6mg) and Folate (38mcg)
Other good food sources of B vitamins include: wheat germ, yeast, hard-boiled eggs, whole wheat flour, whole milk, brown rice, and dried sunflower seeds.
Sources:
2008. “Looking at Vitamin Supplements” Do Dietary Supplements Work.com
Droege, Rachael and Dr. Mercola, Joseph. “Do You Microwave Food? Your Zapping Away Nutrients and Risking Your Health“, Mercola.com
