Why We Need B Vitamins More Than Ever

By Editorial Staff

The B vitamins are a class of eight water-soluble vitamins intimately involved in cell metabolic activity, and evidence points to the need for adequate B-vitamin intake now, more than ever. Why? Blame our environmental woes, suggests a recent study.

Researchers exposed volunteers to clean air and then heavily polluted air known to contain particulate matter (PM2.5), a type of air pollutant with particles less than 2.5 micrometers in size, allowing relatively easy access into the respiratory system / lungs, where they can do great damage. When researchers repeated the experiment, but also gave each participant a daily B supplement (2.5 mg vitamin B9, 50 mg vitamin B6, and 1 mg vitamin B12) for four weeks, they found less damage from PM2.5 exposure than before – up to 76 percent less damage.

While this is only a small study and the researchers themselves admit more studies need to be performed, their findings emphasize the potential of good nutrition / supplementation, in this case with B vitamins, to improve our health and ward off some of the unfortunate unhealthy realities of today's world. Talk to your doctor to learn more about the benefits of B vitamins and other vitamins / minerals.