The B vitamins often work together to deliver a number of health benefits to the body. B vitamins have been shown to: Support and increase the rate of metabolism, keeps muscles and skin healthy, it also good for hair, eyes, liver and helps your brain function properly. Vitamin B assist in the release of the enegy obtained from carbohydrate foods. It helps with stress and depression,and is essential for the nervous system. It can also reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer when consumed in food and not via supplements. It helps combat the causes of cardiovascular disease too..

The B-12 vitamin is of note because it is not available from plant products. So can be a problem for Vegans.

Vitamin B

Although originally thought to be a single vitamin, there is actually 8 essential B vitamins, which are:

B1 - Thiamine

B2 - Riboflavin

B3 - Niacin

B5 - Pantothenic Acid

B6 - Pyridoxine, Pyridoxal and Pyridoxamine

B7 - Biotin (Vitamin H)

B9 - Folic Acid (Vitamin M)

B12 - Various Cobalamins normally found in vitamin supplements

Here is a mnemonic to remember the most commonly referenced B vitamins "The Rhythm Nearly Proved Contagious".

Thiamine, Riboflavin, Niacin, Pyridoxine, Cobalamin.

Good sources of vitamin B are:

Marmite or Vegemite

Unfiltered Beer

Potatoes

Bananas

Chile's

Eggs

Whole grains

Brewer's yeast

Brussels sprouts

Asparagus

Oats

Fish

Chicken

Nuts

Shitake mushrooms

Brown rice

Quinoa (Pronounced (KEEN-wah). A natural whole grain grown in South America).

Pulses, such as lentils and chickpeas

Sunflower seeds

Many of the following substances have been referred to as vitamins because they were believed to be vitamins at one time, and they are relevant to vitamin nomenclature in that the numbers that were assigned to them form "gaps" in the series of B-vitamin names. Some of them, though not essential to humans, are essential in the diets of other organisms; others have no known nutritional value.

B 4,7,8,10,11,13-22 and B h,m,p,t,v,w,x