How to get yourself going again with Vitamin B

by Celynn Erasmus, 

If even all those cups of coffee can’t get you moving any longer, then one reason may be depletion of B vitamins that cause one of the main symptoms of chronic stress: fatigue. Picture: THINKSTOCK

THE year has not even passed the halfway-mark and already like many people you may be feeling run-down and dog-tired. The culprit? Stress. It is around this time of the year that some people go to their GP for a vitamin B-complex injection to "pick them up".
But do these injections actually work? What is the link between vitamin B and stress?
Let us start with how stress affects your body. Stress triggers the fight or flight response, and either action requires lots of energy. This means that stress uses up much of your body’s nutrients (including B-complex vitamins such as B6, B12 and folate) for energy production, even if you sit in front of your computer screen all day stewing over various problems.

Celynn Erasmus is a Johannesburg dietitian and professional speaker

The stress response may also lead to greater elimination of fluids, so water-soluble vitamins (such as B and C) are flushed out of your system. The depletion of these vitamins may cause one of the main symptoms of chronic stress: fatigue.
Poor eating habits
Stress is not the only reason many people struggle with vitamin B deficiencies. With our hectic daily schedules, it is often easier to grab something while on the run rather than preparing a proper meal. Junk food, fast-food and processed food typically contain empty kilojoules or calories, that is, little or no nutritional value.
This means that, although you might be satisfying your hunger, you are not putting any nutrients into your body.
By not replacing the nutrients you need, various physiological systems continue in a downward spiral of dysfunction. This downward spiral is considered a stressor to the body as well, thereby compounding the stress issue.
Stress may also affect the choices you make around food, as your emotions may affect your choices. A worthwhile habit to form is to avoid eating when you are in a heightened emotional state, and to get into the habit of asking yourself whether you really are hungry or just wanting to change the way you feel.
Address the problem, not the symptom
So, how do you escape from this seemingly endless stress pit? Sure, you could go for a series of vitamin B jabs, but they are only a temporary solution. What you need to do is address the causes of your vitamin B deficiency.
The most obvious cause, of course, is stress. The ideal would be to eliminate harmful stress completely, but with work usually being the main cause of stress in our lives, it simply is not possible to remove the root of the problem. Luckily, there are things we can do to combat stress.
Regular exercise can work wonders as it releases feel-good neurotransmitters called endorphins into your brain.
You can also try yoga, pilates, meditation, body massage or other relaxation techniques to help you cope with everyday tension.
The other main cause of vitamin B deficiency is a bad diet. Adjust your diet to include the vitamin B-rich foods listed in the column below on a regular basis and you will soon feel more energised.
Sometimes, however, good eating habits are not enough and supplementation is needed.
The B vitamins consist of eight distinct vitamins that help cells function optimally. Many of us, especially the elderly, do not meet the recommended daily amounts (RDAs) for three of them: B6, B12, and folic acid.
See the list below for the RDAs of each of the Bs.
Water-soluble vitamins (like vitamin B-complex) are packed into the watery portions of the foods you eat. They are absorbed directly into the bloodstream as food is broken down during digestion or as a supplement dissolves.
Because much of your body consists of water, many of the water-soluble vitamins circulate easily in your body. (One exception is vitamin B6, which is mostly stored in muscle tissue.)
Your kidneys continuously regulate levels of water-soluble vitamins, shunting excesses out of the body in your urine. So if your urine suddenly turns fluorescent yellow, green or orange, you are taking in more vitamin B-complex than your body needs at that time.
Contrary to popular belief, some water-soluble vitamins can stay in the body for long periods of time. You probably have several years’ supply of vitamin B12 in your liver and a couple of days’ worth of folic acid stores.
Generally, though, water-soluble vitamins should be replenished every few days. The greater the stress and the poorer your diet, the more you may need to consider daily supplementation.
The B-list
Let’s have a closer look at each of the B-vitamins, with the upper limit for safe daily dosage, and food sources:
Vitamin B1 (thiamin): 100mg, pork, beef, liver, poultry, whole and enriched cereals, legumes.
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin): 200mg, milk, liver, meat, eggs, cheese, leafy green vegetables.
Vitamin B3 (niacin — also called nicotinic acid or nicotinamide):Immediate release: 500mg, slow release: 250mg;
As nicotinamide: 1,500mg, meat, fish, peanuts, enriched cereals.
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine): 200mg, liver, milk, egg, lean meat, leafy green vegetables, wholegrain cereals, bananas.
Vitamin B7 (biotin): 2.5mg, egg yolk, liver, green vegetables.
Vitamin B9 (folic acid or folate): 1,000μg, liver, green leafy vegetables.
Vitamin B12 (cobalamine): 3,000μg, animal products only. Liver, meat, milk, eggs, cheese, fish.
As you may have noticed, many of the food sources of vitamin B, in particular vitamin B12, are animal or dairy products. Strict vegetarians or vegans, therefore, may be deficient in this vitamin and should be aware of eating foods fortified with vitamin B12 or taking a supplement.
Too much of a good thing?
There is a small risk that consuming large quantities of some of these micronutrients through supplements may be quite harmful. For example, very high doses of B6 can damage nerves, causing numbness and muscle weakness.
Presumably because of their role in helping cells use energy, B vitamins are often added to energy drinks and nutrition bars — sometimes in extremely high quantities. A single serving of a well-known energy drink, for example, contains 250% of the Daily Value (DV) for vitamin B6.
Some energy drink labels also suggest that you drink two bottles per day. If you use similar fortified foods or beverages it is important that you read the labels and tally up all the vitamins and minerals you are consuming each day, and be sure that you are not exceeding recommended safety limits.
These megadoses do nothing to enhance any bodily functions, and because B vitamins are water-soluble, they’re not stored in the body, so any extra is simply excreted in the urine. However, taking too much B6 on a routine basis can lead to neuropathy, nerve damage that can cause pain, weakness, and loss of sensation.
Keep it balanced
As with everything in life, balance is key. If stress is getting you down, start making small changes to your daily routine. Sure it may help to take some extra vitamin B, but at the same time look for the cause of the problem and try make sustainable changes.
Perhaps going for a walk during lunch instead of eating at your desk would help you to energise your body and mind for the afternoon. Make time to cook wholesome, balanced meals and enjoy them at a table with family and friends. Listen to some calming music before bedtime, and go to bed a little earlier while you’re at it.
If you do decide to take supplements, start with low doses and increase gradually as needed, ideally under the supervision of an informed health-care practitioner or registered dietician.