It’s not always obvious where your vitamins are coming from and what glorious things they’re doing for our bodies. We know they’re good, but in what ways? And what do we need to eat to benefit from them?

By following along, we’ll help to demystify the story of each vitamin one-by-one, helping you on your path to a more nutritious, vitamin-rich diet with Spicewell.

This week we’re looking at crucial vitamin Bs. The B’s main role is to help enzymes do their jobs. (It’s a pretty important role!) This could be through releasing energy from carbohydrates, breaking down amino acids, or transporting oxygen and energy-containing nutrients around the body.

Vitamin B1: Thiamine

Vitamin B1, or thiamine as it’s also known, is a vitamin workhorse. It’s an essential nutrient that all tissues of the body need to function properly. The body needs thiamine to make adenosine triphosphate (ATP) — a molecule that transports energy within cells. Without it, many different functions of your body may be impacted, including those of the nervous system, brain and heart. At Spicewell, we source our thiamine from organic sunflower seeds and maitake mushrooms.

Fun fact: thiamine was the first B vitamin discovered by scientists, hence it was named ‘B1’. (Makes sense, right?)

Vitamin B6: Pyridoxine

Vitamin B6, or pyridoxine, is a water-soluble vitamin found naturally in foods like beef liver, tuna, and dark leafy greens. It helps the body break down proteins, carbs and fats, maintain normal levels of homocysteine — an amino acid which has been linked to depression, and support immunity that may help prevent chronic diseases. We source B6 from organic kale, pumpkin, sweet potato, sunflower seeds and shiitake mushrooms.

Vitamin B9: Folate

Folate is the natural occurring form of vitamin B9. Its name is derived from the Latin word “folium”, which means leaf. Guess where we get our folate from? You guessed it: leafy greens. In particular, organic spinach, kelp and chlorella. It’s essential for cell growth and the formation of DNA. Low levels of folate are associated with an increased risk of health conditions including cancer and birth defects.

Vitamin B12: Cobalamin

Vitamin B12, or cobalamin, is more commonly found in animal foods, but we source ours from organic chlorella. B12 is super important as it’s needed for red blood cell formation and DNA synthesis. It also plays a key role in the function and development of brain and nerve cells. (And I don’t know about you, but I need every functioning brain cell I can get!)

People who choose not to eat meat and dairy are at higher risk of becoming deficient in vitamin B12, which is why it’s so important to be deliberate about including B12 in your diet.

Vitamin-Rich Superfood Spicewell Products

At Spicewell, we don’t want you to change your habits or the food that you love. We just want to make sure your body is getting key vitamins through the foods you’re already eating. Our vitamin-packed salt and pepper is all you need to start being accountable for yours and your family’s nutritional goals.

What’s better, is that our products are always non-GMO, vegan and gluten-free, sourced from organic vegetables and fruits that are grown using sustainable farming practices. We will be donating a percent of profits to small holder farmers in South Asia, where many of our ingredients are sourced, thanks to the Desai Foundation. And we also support the FoodFix campaign.

So not only are you giving your body the helping hand it deserves, you’re also contributing towards a better future for sustainable agriculture, and the earth.

What are you waiting for? Browse our shop.

Sources:

• Health Line: Folic Acid vs Folate
• Health Line: Vitamin B1 Thiamine
• Health Line: Vitamin B6 Benefits
• Harvard School of Public Health: Vitamin B6
• Harvard School of Public Health: Vitamin B12