Our Dietitian, Alice Mika, has written a new blog post outlining B Vitamins, their benefits, and the foods in which you can find these important vitamins. Check out the post below, and call (03) 9534 0611 if you would like to make a Dietetics appointment.
The B group vitamins are a group of eight water soluble vitamins, essential for heath. They are not stored well in the body and are required to help the body utilise the energy found in food for fuel. B group vitamins also play a role in the production of DNA.
While there are many foods that contain B group vitamins, they are easily damaged in cooking or processing, or by the presence of alcohol. For this reason, it is useful to have an understanding about which foods contain B vitamins, and work to include them in your diet regularly.
As B group vitamins are water soluble, they may leech into water when food is being boiled. It is possible to still consume the vitamin B from these foods if the water used to boil the food is then used in the meal or dish, or by choosing alternative cooking methods, such as roasting, steaming, or grilling.
The eight B group vitamins and their sources are:
| Name | Source |
| Thiamin (B1) | Wholemal grains, cereals, nuts and seeds. Fortified white and wholemeal flour |
| Riboflavin (B2) | Dairy products, meat products, leafy green vegetables |
| Niacin (B3) | Meats, fish, poultry, nuts, mushrooms |
| Pantothenic acid (B5) | Found in many foods including meats, milk and eggs |
| Pyridoxine (B6) | Cereal grains, legumes, nuts |
| Biotin (B7) | Cauliflour, eggs, peanuts, chicken |
| Folate or ‘folic acid’ when included in supplements (B9) | Green leafy vegetables, poultry, citrus. All bread sold in Australia (except organic bread) is fortified with folate. |
| Cyanocobalamin (B12). | Liver, meat, milk, cheese and eggs. Most animal products. |
As many products containing B vitamins are animal in origin, especially vitamin B12, people who may be at higher risk of Vitamin B deficiency include those following a vegan diet.
If you are concerned about your intake of B group vitamins, including B12, make an appointment with your GP or dietitian.
