What Foods Are High in Vitamin B? 10 Best Vitamin B Sources

by Quinn Albo January 31, 2022

Of the 13 essential vitamins the human body needs to survive, 8 of those are B vitamins. From B1 to B12, the 8 B complex vitamins keep your body working efficiently by supporting a healthy immune system and brain function, generating energy from food, and more.

As you’ll read later, B vitamins can be found in a variety of food sources, so it’s crucial to eat a balanced diet of proteins and veggies. It’s also possible to supplement vitamins when dietary restrictions prevent you from getting enough vitamin B, or you need a little extra B to boost you through your day.

At OnMi, we’re here to keep you informed on how to support your personal wellness. As part of our resources on full-body health, we’re covering everything you need to know about why vitamin B is important, the best vitamin B complex natural food sources, and your options for supplementing B vitamins. Read on to learn more!

Why Vitamin B is Called B Complex

If you’ve ever been in a vitamin store, you’ve likely seen a bottle labeled “Vitamin B Complex.” But what does that mean?

Vitamin B complex refers to all of the water-soluble B vitamins:

B1 (thiamine)
B2 (riboflavin)
B3 (niacin)
B5 (pantothenic acid)
B6 (pyridoxine)
B7 (biotin)
B9 (folic acid)
B12 (cobalamin)

Every B vitamin plays a unique fundamental role in your body’s function, which is why it’s vital to have a healthy level of each.

Why Vitamin B is Important

Our bodies need a balanced system of vitamins and minerals to keep working properly, and vitamin B is one of those essential nutrients. Vitamin B is important for a plethora of purposes, including immune system function, generating energy, promoting good digestion, forming red blood cells, and more. Take a look at some of the benefits of vitamin B.

Vitamin B Health Benefits:

Sustains healthy digestion and appetite
Supports brain health
Aids cell health, including red blood cell growth
Regulates cardiovascular function
Strengthens immune cell function
Balances energy levels
Helps build muscle tone

Without enough vitamin B in your diet, it’s also possible to develop certain disorders because of the critical role it plays in full-body wellness. Low B vitamins can increase your chance for anemia, fatigue, gastrointestinal problems, skin issues, infections, and illnesses.

Signs of Vitamin B Deficiency

For most people, a balanced diet will contain enough B vitamins to support healthy immune, cardiovascular, and cell function. However, vitamin B deficiency is still a common issue in adults. You may have low vitamin B levels if you experience the following symptoms:

Fatigue or weakness
Mouth ulcers or a swollen tongue
Skin issues (rashes, cracks, or changes in color)
Poor mood (irritability, depression, confusion, memory changes)
Gastrointestinal problems (nausea, cramps, diarrhea, constipation)
Tingling, numbness, or pins and needles, specifically in the feet or hands

If you’re noticing the symptoms of low vitamin B, talk to your doctor. A physician can administer blood tests to determine your vitamin levels and help you plan how to improve them.

Which Foods Are High in Vitamin B? The Best Vitamin B Food Sources Are:

1. Meat Proteins

Meats like poultry, beef, and pork are some of the best sources of B complex vitamins, especially B1, B2, B6, and B12. If you want to add the most B vitamins, liver and other organ meats are jam-packed with nutrients to energize your body.

2. Fish & Shellfish

You can also get your daily serving of vitamin B by eating fish and seafood like oysters, mussels, trout, and salmon. One serving of fish or shellfish can get you more than half your recommended daily intake of vitamin B12.

3. Dairy Products

Dairy products like milk, cheese, and yogurt are great natural sources of vitamin B. Some products are better than others, so read the nutrient profile for your milk before buying.

4. Leafy Green Vegetables

We all know leafy greens are an important part of any diet, but B vitamins are particularly high in spinach, collard greens, romaine lettuce, and turnip greens. Try to pack your diet with at least 2 cups of leafy greens every day.

5. Legumes

Legumes are full of protein, making them an excellent source of nutrients - especially for vegetarians and vegans. If you need to add vitamin B to your diet, eat more chickpeas, lentils, and soybeans.

6. Fortified Cereals

Breakfast lovers, you’ll be happy to know that some of your favorite cereals are fortified with B12 and other vitamins and minerals. Read the back of the package, and you might find that you’re already getting some extra B12 in your diet.

7. Nutritional Yeast

Vegans and vegetarians rejoice! Already a staple for many vegetarians for its cheesy flavor, nutritional yeast is also a great source of vitamin B12. Just make sure you buy fortified nutritional yeast, as it contains enough B12 to meet your suggested daily serving.

8. Eggs

No breakfast is complete without a fried egg. Eating two eggs a day will start your morning off with a healthy serving of B3 and B5 - and around 46% of your recommended daily intake of vitamin B12.

9. Tofu

Most tofu comes with a ton of B vitamins, including B1, B2, B3, B5, and B9. Many vegetarians eat tofu to get a tasty serving of protein, but even if you eat meat, you may enjoy adding it to your weekly meals.

10. Seeds

Along with being a delicious and energizing snack, seeds give you a healthy serving of vitamin B6. Eating ¼ cup of sunflower seeds can add up to 11% of your recommended daily serving of vitamin B6.

Because natural sources of vitamin B are so varied, it’s crucial to maintain a balanced diet full of protein, vegetables, and other vitamin B-rich foods.

That can be difficult to do, especially for people with dietary restrictions. Vegetarians and vegans are more susceptible due to the lack of meat protein in their diets and may need to supplement to ensure they do not suffer from vitamin B deficiency.

Add OnMi Vitamin B Patches to Your Routine

Even with a well-balanced diet, it can be challenging to get enough vitamin B. Whether it’s because of dietary restrictions, inaccessibility to fresh produce and meat, or just a distaste for the foods that offer vitamin B, sometimes eating your vitamins isn’t an option.

You may have also noticed in the foods listed above that certain B vitamins are harder to source than others. In particular, B1 and B6 aren’t found in as many natural food sources as vitamin B12. That’s why we designed the best vitamin B patches to include the vitamins you need the most.

Experience our Hangover Patch, Relax Patch, and Vitamin Patch, each with a scientifically-calculated serving of B complex vitamins to ward off hangovers, ease symptoms of stress, and give you everything you need for a healthy, happy day.

Sign up for our newsletter to stay up-to-date and learn more about how to find the right OnMi patch for your full-body wellness.