Nutrition

What IsVitamin B?
Which Vitamins May Be Good For My Heart?
What Vitamin Helps Lower The Chance of Birth Defects?
What Foods Are High In B-Vitamins?
What Are Some Ways To Increase B-Vitamins In Your Diet?
Where Can I Get More Information?

Don't underestimate the power of nutrition in good health. Especially vitamins, and more importantly B-vitamins. There are many B-vitamins. Here are three very important B-vitamins that play an important role for a healthy body. In fact, B-vitamins may help prevent heart attacks and stokes. The vitamins help maintain a healthy heart, healthy blood vessels and even healthy blood. Did you know, pregnant women who eat foods high in certain B-vitamins have lower rates of birth defects. With all these wonderful benefits why would you not want to eat more foods high in B-vitamins. Read on for more tips.

What Is Vitamin B?

Listed below are all the vitamins in the B-vitamin family. Remember all the vitamins are important to good health. They also have different purposes in the body and help the body in different ways.

• Vitamin B-1 (thiamine)
• Vitamin B-2 (riboflavin)
• Vitamin B- 6 (pyridoxine)
• Vitamin B- 12 (cobalamin)
• Biotin
• Folate (folic acid)
• Niacin (nicotinic acid)
• Pantothenic acid

  
  

Which Foods May Be Good For My Heart?

It is believed that certain B-vitamins may be helpful for your heart. Those vitamins are:

• B-6
• B-12
• Folate

Eating foods rich in these vitamins can help protect your heart. B-vitamins help lower homocysteine levels in the body. Homocysteine comes from the breakdown of protein in the body. High levels of homocysteine are related to many diseases of the heart. These vitamins can make the blood healthier by lowering homocysteine levels and make the vessels that carry blood to the heart stronger. Stronger vessels and a healthy heart can lower the chances of heart attacks or strokes.

What Vitamin Helps Lower The Chance of Birth Defects?

Did you know that folate can actually help prevent birth defects? This is important news for women who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy. Folate or folic acid helps reduce the risk of birth defects of the brain and spine. These vitamins are important in the early development of the baby. It is important to eat foods high in folate before planning a pregnancy and during a pregnancy. It is amazing how a vitamin found in common foods can be so helpful.

The recommended amount of folate needed to help reduce birth defects is 400 micrograms. What is 400 micrograms? Food companies and government agencies have made it easy to get all the folate you need. There are many products that have been fortified and by eating one serving your are getting the recommended amount. Just follow the tips below to increase folate in your diet.

What Foods Are High In B-Vitamins?

If all this sounds confussing and seems like it would be hard to do, think again! Many foods you already eat are high in B-vitamins.

B-6
Beef, chicken, tuna, milk, oatmeal, bananas
B-12
Fortified cereals, fish, pork, milk, eggs
Folate
Green leafy vegetables (spinach, romaine lettuce), pinto, kidney, and navy beans, peas, chicken giblets, liver, strawberries, citrus fruits and juices, peanuts, whole grain breads, rolls, crackers, cereals, fortified ready-to-eat breakfast cereals, pasta, rice, flours

What Are Some Ways To Increase B-Vitamins In Your Diet?

1. For breakfast, choose ready-to-eat breakfast cereal. One cup usually provides all the B-vitamins needed for the entire
   day.
2. Munch on ready-to-eat cereal as a snack during the day.
   Start your day off with a glass of refreshing orange juice.
3. Top cereal, oatmeal, pancakes or waffles with sliced strawberries or bananas.
4. Make a fruit salad for dessert. Use berries, oranges, melon, and pineapple
5. Be creative and stir-fry vegetables, especially broccoli and cauliflower with your family's favorite vegetables.
6. For a different side-dish, try pinto, navy or kidney beans.
7. Use dried beans in soups and casseroles to boost the flavor.
8. Create fun salad mixes, don't forget to add romaine and spinach and then top with your favorite dressing.
9. When grocery shopping look for breads, rolls, flour, rice, pasta, and cereals that have been fortified or enriched with
   the B-vitamins.

Where Can I Get More Information?

The American Dietetic Association:
www.eatright.org

Heart Center Online
www.heartcenteronline.com