We live in the fad of dietary supplements and vitamin intakes, and there are countless “miracle capsules” offered in various advertisements, encouraging us to consume them because they will make us healthy and strong. However, the truth is, it is much easier: with a healthy, balanced diet, we can take most of the vitamins, in such a way that no or minimal supplementation is necessary. Vitamins and nutritional supplements should only be taken if prescribed by a doctor or dietitian following previous medical examinations.
Vitamins that can easily be found and assimilated with a balanced diet are the B vitamins. There are more B vitamins (eight to be exact) that is why we call them the B vitamin complex. Our body needs them all for the proper functioning of the immune system, the nervous system, the metabolism and for the health of our hair, skin and nails.
Each of the different types of B vitamins fulfill an important task in our bodies and their lack is felt quickly: dermatologically, by the nervous system and digestive system problems may begin to appear. Loss of appetite, diarrhea, nausea, fatigue, irritability are also symptoms that may indicate a lack of B vitamins. Of course, to determine this exactly, it is necessary to carry out medical tests.
If it is established that we have a vitamin B deficiency as a result of the medical tests we took, then we are already a step closer to the solution, we can already go looking for supplements and organize our diet so that we eat more food containing vitamin B. These vitamins are also very important because they help our body produce more energy (i.e. glucose) from carbohydrates, proteins, fats, etc. At the same time, B vitamins are also called anti-stress vitamins: they support our immune system in situations where stress threatens our bodies.
They can be introduced into our diets either through foods from animal origin, but also through a plant-based diet, in this case, it is preferable to eat them raw or slightly fried.
One of the best plant-based vitamin B source are mushrooms.
For example, wild mushrooms are an excellent source of vitamin B2, B3 and B5. If you really want a delicious meal, rich in B vitamins, you may go on a combination of mushrooms with spinach, radishes or even lentils!
Because legumes are a good source of vitamins, in general we should never lack of beans and green peas, spinach, lentils. Another indispensable source of vitamins are seeds and nuts. Chestnuts are also a good source of B vitamins: roasted or prepared as chestnut puree, they are not only healthy but also delicious for desert.
In addition to the above-mentioned plant-based diet that contains B vitamins, in the following we will list the B vitamins and their plant based-sources.
Vitamin B1 (thiamine) is commonly found in the following foods: flax seeds, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, pistachios, raw peanuts, chia seeds, walnuts, chicory, brown rice and dark beer.
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) is present in significant amounts in almonds, cayenne seeds, buckwheat, sunflower seeds and spinach.
Vitamin B3 (niacin) is found in sesame seeds, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, hazelnuts, hemp seeds, mushrooms, almonds, brown rice, green peas and lentils.
Vitamin B5 (panothenic acid) can be found in cabbage, sunflower seeds, cashews, cauliflower, broccoli, lentils and pumpkin seeds.
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) is present in large amounts in soy products such as tofu. In addition, pistachios, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, walnuts and bananas also contain pyridoxine.
Vitamin B7 (biotin), also known as vitamin H, can be found in significant amounts in tomatoes, mushrooms, walnuts, sweet potatoes and onions.
Vitamin B9 (folate) is found in large quantities in avocados for example. By eating a single avocado a day, we provide our body with 42% of the recommended daily amount of vitamin B9. In addition, we can find vitamin B9 in beans, sunflower seeds, lentils, peas, chickpeas, walnuts, spinach, turnips and asparagus.
Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin) is found in rice and soymilk.
If you are curious how you can prepare delicious recipes out of mushrooms and cashew, access the following link , or if you would like to try a vitamin bomb with avocado, on the following link you can find the best sandwich for that, maybe you would also try some delicious pasta with pleurotus and soy sauce, feel free to browse our delicious recipes!
