In the land of nutritional supplementation with all the many nutrients to choose from and when given all the reasons why you need and could benefit from them. It is very easy to see why supplementation is so appealling. It's also easy to see why it's so darn confusing too!

In the land of what I do best, I sort all that hype and gobbly gook and help my clients figure out what might be a fit for them.  I like everyone to feel that they actually know why this stuff is going into their body.

Phil Gerbyshak of Make It Great bloggy fame is adding a weekly post about Attitude Vitamins and asked for submissions, he said part of the reason he wanted to do this is to to convey how something taken daily in regular dosages can make a difference - he also said that no two people have the same needs - his message was clear though - do something to supplement your attitude.

I could not have found a more perfect segway into the value of the nutrient Vitamin B Complex and why it's literally known as the HAPPY Vitamin. 

Some things to know about B Vitamins:

All B's must be taken together in a Complex form…This includes Thiamin, Riboflavin, B6, B12, Niacin, Folic Acid, Biotin, and Pantothenic Acid. ( all b complex vitamins are not created equal, as a matter of fact most regularly skimp on the folic acid and the biotin )

B Vitamins are water soluble. (this means you burn through them and they are not stored in the body)

The more processed "snicky snacky" stuff you eat the more B Vitamins you need.

B Vitamins are depleted by these foods : coffee, alcohol, refined sugar and white flour. ( aka as the four basic food groups - ha! )

They are destroyed by sleeping pills, sulfa drugs, estrogen: birth control and hormone replacement therapy 

B Vitamins convert food to energy. ( this is the coolest thing )

Infection and stress increase the need for B's. ( the stress part especially )

B Vitamins are necessary for normal function by the nervous system.

B Vitamins help produce protective antibodies.

B Vitamins assist with the manufacturing of healthy blood cells.

B Vitamins redistribute fat and convert fat to energy.

B Vitamins are needed by the body to reduce homocysteine levels.

B Vitamins reduce the risk of heart disease.

B Vitamins prevent birth defects, cervical dysplacia, and colon cancer.

B Vitamins promote healthy hair and skin.

B Vitamins support normal growth in children.

If you think of the nerves, the brain, your hormones and your adrenals, all of these are areas in the body that benefit the most from B Vitamins.

If your not taking a quality B Complex, please consider this source.  Knowing as Phil says that no two peoples needs are the same - watch the color of your urine as your gauge ( I know now I'm talking about the color of your pee! Oh my gosh.) If you take a B Complex in the morning and your urine is pale by lunch time you are burning through alot of B. This means you need to take more and thoughout the day.

Taking B Vitamins definitely can contribute to a shift in attitude!

Take your B's and BE HAPPY.


shiny happy yellow gum balls flickr image credit

Karen Hanrahan ~ Wellness Educator/Nutritional Consultant/Blog Author
708.482.0678 ~ Websites: Nutrition Weight Loss, and Green Clean
 
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