Using Vitamin B to Slow the Aging Process
Here is another vitamin necessarily linked to aging and other related health concerns - Vitamin B!
The B vitamins group is a class of water-soluble vitamins that play important roles in cell metabolism. Though these vitamins share similar names, they are chemically distinct compounds that often coexist in the same foods. In general, they are referred to as vitamin B complex, which composed of the types of Vitamin B.
The 8 types of Vitamin B
- Thiamin (B1) - helps to convert glucose into energy and has a role in nerve function
- Riboflavin - energy production and helps vision and skin health
- Niacin - converts carbohydrates, fat, and alcohol into energy
- Pantothenic acid - metabolizes carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and alcohol as well as produce red blood cells and steroid hormones
- Biotin - energy metabolism, fat synthesis, amino acid metabolism, and glycogen synthesis
- Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) - influences brain processes and development, immune function and steroid hormone activity
- Folate (called folic acid when included in supplements) - needed to form red blood cells, which carry oxygen around the body, development of the fetal nervous system, and well as DNA synthesis and cell growth
- Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin) - produces and maintains the myelin surrounding nerve cells, mental ability, red blood cell formation and the breaking down of fatty and amino acids for energy production
For detailed facts and food sources of each, go to this reliable Vitamin B fact sheet.
What are the health benefits of Vitamin B?
Through various studies, these are the proven health benefits of vitamin B. Vitamin B-complex is known to support or promote:
- Overall cell health
- Growth of red blood cells
- Energy levels
- Good vision
- Healthy brain function
- Proper digestion
- Healthy appetite
- Proper nerve function
- Hormones and cholesterol production
- Cardiovascular health
- Muscle tone
Vitamin B and Aging
Clinical trials suggest the ability of NAD (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide), a developed coenzyme from a vitamin B-3 precursor in slowing the aging process.
In a newly published study from the medical journal Nature Communications Trusted Source, researchers showed that a commercially available form of vitamin B-3, called nicotinamide riboside (NR) chloride — or NIAGEN —boosted a key enzyme in our cells that could potentially slow the aging process.
This is called NAD+, or Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide, a coenzyme found in every cell of the body involved in hundreds of metabolic processes. NAD is the key that enables the mitochondria – the “power station” within the cell, to undergo cellular energy production, therefore getting rid of old cells and getting more youthful ones in the body.
Findings from the study say that NR supplementation was safe and effective for use in humans and it raised the levels of NAD+ in healthy middle-aged and older adults. NR is one of NAD+’s precursors, meaning it is one of the molecules that turn into NAD+ after a series of chemical transformations. NR is a highly efficient form of Vitamin B3 and at the same time uses up the least amount of energy to become NAD+ when compared to other precursors.
Scientists have made recent breakthroughs in confirming the importance of NAD+ in cellular energy and how boosting these may help promote longevity. It also helps defend against oxidative stress in the body, repair DNA damage, create the building blocks for DNA and RNA, and to turn on ‘longevity-promoting’ proteins.
Keep a healthy body supplied with Vitamin B!
Now that you’re equipped with knowledge on Vitamin B’s health benefits, here are recommended ways on how to consume efficient and effective Vitamin B supplementation.
Foods that are rich in Vitamin B
- milk
- cheese
- eggs
- liver and kidney
- meat, such as chicken and red meat
- fish, such as tuna, mackerel, and salmon
- shellfish, such as oysters and clams
- dark green vegetables, such as spinach and kale
- vegetables, such as beets, avocados, and potatoes
- whole grains and cereals
- beans, such as kidney beans, black beans, and chickpeas
- nuts and seeds
- fruits, such as citrus, banana, and watermelon
- soy products, such as soy milk and tempeh
- blackstrap molasses
- wheat germ
- yeast and nutritional yeast
Prescribed Supplements
It is best to take supplements that are recommended with the guidance of your health expert(s), to ensure that there will be a contribution to health improvement rather than further damage. S-CELL’s NAD Revival supplement has the finest ingredients that help you increase NAD levels which play a vital role in slowing down the aging process.