{"id":133791,"date":"2025-08-10T07:31:14","date_gmt":"2025-08-10T07:31:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/133791\/"},"modified":"2025-08-10T07:31:14","modified_gmt":"2025-08-10T07:31:14","slug":"what-b-vitamins-do-for-your-brain-heart-and-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/133791\/","title":{"rendered":"What B Vitamins Do for Your Brain, Heart, and Health"},"content":{"rendered":"

Taking care of your health requires a comprehensive approach, focusing on regular movement, eating well, and much more. But research has found that there\u2019s a cluster of vitamins, specifically B vitamins<\/a>, that can have a big impact on your disease risk and brain health.<\/p>\n

Called the B vitamin complex, it\u2019s a collection of eight different vitamins. Each B vitamin does something slightly different, but a series of studies suggests that B vitamins can influence your cognitive health, cardiovascular health, and more.
<\/p>\n

Meet the experts<\/strong>: Irwin H. Rosenberg<\/a>, M.D.<\/a>, nutrition researcher and professor emeritus at Tufts University; Jessica Cording, R.D., C.D.N<\/a>., is a dietitian and health coach, and author of The Little Book of Game-Changers<\/a>; Keri Gans, M.S., R.D.<\/a>, is the author of The Small Change Diet<\/a>; Clifford Segil, D.O.,<\/a> a neurologist at Providence Saint John\u2019s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA<\/p>\n

B vitamins tend to be lumped together, and with that, many people don\u2019t completely understand what they do and why they\u2019re important. Here\u2019s what dietitians, a neurologist, and a nutrition researcher want you to know about the different B vitamins, plus what they do in the body.<\/p>\n

What are B vitamins?<\/strong><\/p>\n

B vitamins are a group of vitamins. \u201cVitamin B refers to a group of eight water-soluble vitamins that include B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, and B12, each playing a different role in our bodies,\u201d says Keri Gans, M.S., R.D.<\/a>, author of The Small Change Diet<\/a><\/a>. \u201cTogether they are known as B-complex vitamins.\u201d <\/p>\n

Overall, B vitamins support the process your body uses to get or make energy from the food you eat, explains Jessica Cording, R.D., C.D.N<\/a>., author of The Little Book of Game-Changers<\/a>. They also help to form red blood cells. While you can get B vitamins from food, they also come in supplement form, Cording points out. <\/p>\n

What does each B vitamin do?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Each B vitamin impacts your health in slightly different ways. Here\u2019s what dietitians want you to keep in mind. <\/p>\n

B1 <\/strong><\/p>\n

Also known as thiamine, B1 helps to support the growth, development, and function of your cells, Cording says. This B vitamin specifically helps your cells turn carbs into energy. \u201cThiamine seems to have effects on the central nervous system and peripheral nervous system,\u201d says Irwin H. Rosenberg<\/a>, M.D.<\/a>, nutrition researcher and professor emeritus at Tufts University. “It also seems to have secondary effects on the heart.”<\/p>\n

Having enough B1 in your diet may help support blood sugar management and lower your risk of brain disorders like Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome<\/a>. Research<\/a> suggests a link between lower levels of thiamine and type 2 diabetes, but it\u2019s not clear if having low levels of B1 actually causes the condition. <\/p>\n

B2 <\/strong><\/p>\n

Vitamin B2<\/a>, or riboflavin, helps with your body\u2019s production of energy, along with the function, growth, and development of cells, per the National Institutes of Health<\/a> (NIH). Riboflavin can also help your body break down fats and medications, Cording says. <\/p>\n

\u201cRiboflavin is often used to treat migraine headaches in patients who want to avoid prescription medication trials,\u201d says Clifford Segil, D.O.,<\/a> a neurologist at Providence Saint John\u2019s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA. It can also decrease blood pressure<\/a> in people with a certain genetic variation, potentially lowering the risk of stroke. <\/p>\n

\u201cMore recently, we and others have noticed that low riboflavin was associated with some changes in both the nervous system and blood pressure,\u201d Dr. Rosenberg says. \u201cThere is an association between low riboflavin and hypertension.\u201d<\/p>\n

B3 <\/strong><\/p>\n

Niacin, or vitamin B3, also works to support the function of your brain, nerves, and skin. <\/p>\n

High doses of niacin may lower levels of LDL \u201cbad\u201d cholesterol and raise HDL \u201cgood\u201d cholesterol levels, per the NIH<\/a>. But taking these high doses can cause flushing, burning, tingling, and itching sensations, making it uncomfortable for people to use to lower cholesterol.<\/p>\n

There may be a role for niacin in skin cancer, though. \u201cNiacin seems to protect against the way the skin can respond to the damaging effects of the sun,\u201d Dr. Rosenberg says. \u201cIt may be helpful in preventing some skin cancers related to sun exposure.\u201d However, he says, that\u2019s still being explored. <\/p>\n

B5 <\/strong><\/p>\n

Also known as pantothenic acid, this vitamin works to help the body break down fats, proteins, and carbohydrates, Cording says. <\/p>\n

Research has looked into the possibility of vitamin B5 reducing levels of lipids (fat in the blood) in people who have high cholesterol and similar conditions, and the NIH<\/a> says it may help. Some studies<\/a> have shown that vitamin B5 may help lower the risk of cardiovascular disease in some doses.<\/p>\n

B6<\/strong><\/p>\n

Vitamin B6 supports metabolism and the immune system, according to Cording. It may also help boost brain health. <\/p>\n

Vitamin B6 may play a role<\/a> in reducing bodily inflammation, which is linked<\/a> to a host of serious diseases, including cardiovascular disease, dementia, and arthritis. But research into this is ongoing, per the NIH<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Lack of B6 is linked with elevated levels of an amino acid called homocysteine in the blood, Dr. Rosenberg points out. \u201cElevated homocysteine is associated with an increased risk of cerebrovascular disease, and especially dementia,\u201d he says. \u201cVitamin B6 plus folic acid and B12 are the three vitamins that are necessary to treat and lower blood homocysteine when it’s elevated. This is a promising and underutilized approach to [slowing] age-related cognitive decline.\u201d<\/p>\n

B7 <\/strong><\/p>\n

Biotin helps the body break down nutrients and can support metabolism, Cording says. The vitamin is usually linked to support for healthy skin, hair, and nails, especially in supplements. But the NIH<\/a> points out that more research is needed. <\/p>\n

Dr. Rosenberg agrees. \u201cBiotin deficiency may be related to some skin conditions and there\u2019s even been some suggestion that it may help with some skin conditions\u2014but that association is weak,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

B12<\/strong><\/p>\n

Vitamin B12<\/a>, a.k.a. cobalamin, helps support energy production, Cording says. It also helps support blood and nerve cells. \u201cIt’s really involved in so many aspects of our well-being,\u201d Cording says. <\/p>\n

Vitamin B12 is being researched as a potential way to lower the risk of cognitive decline in older adults. (The NIH<\/a> says that more research is needed.) However, having low levels of vitamin B12 may lead to neurological changes. \u201cVitamin B12 is part of the routine reversible memory loss lab work every patient being evaluated for dementia should obtain when they see a neurologist or their primary care physician,\u201d Dr. Segil says.<\/p>\n

Folic acid<\/strong><\/p>\n

Vitamin B9 helps to support the formation of red blood cells and DNA, as well as cell growth. Folic acid also plays a role in brain development during pregnancy.<\/p>\n

Supplementing with folic acid may lower the risk of stroke, according to the NIH<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Should I take a B vitamin?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s important to point out that you can get B vitamins through food. These are the most common sources of B vitamins, per the U.S. National Library of Medicine<\/a>:<\/p>\n