Keeping your immunity up is essential to ensure you can go about your daily routines without being impacted by illness. Part of maintaining good immune system function is making sure it gets all the nutrients it needs to perform optimally. Among these vital nutrients are the vitamins that make up B complex.

Why should you take B complex for immunity? Read on to find out.

What is B complex?

B complex, or the B group of vitamins, is made up of eight B vitamins that are important for various bodily processes (1).

These water-soluble vitamins cannot be stored in the body. This means that we need to regularly replenish our stores of B complex from the foods we eat, or from supplements (2).

Activated B complex contains15 mg of Thiamine Hydrochloride (Vit B1), 15 mg Riboflavin (Vit B2), 18 mg Nicotinamide (Vit B3), 45 mg Calcium Pantothenate (Vit B5), 10 mg Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vit B6), 0.25 mg Folinic Acid (Vit B9), 0.12 mg Mecobalamin (Vit B12), 25 mg Inositol, & Choline.

B complex for immunity

Certain B complex vitamins support healthy immune system function in a variety of different ways. A deficiency of vitamin B has also been found to affect immune system processes (1).

Folinic acid (Vitamin B9) and vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin) are important for maintaining optimal activity in immune cells (3). B12 acts as an immunomodulator for cellular immunity (1). Both also support chemical processes which aid in general health and well-being, helping prevent health problems such as systemic and vascular inflammation.

Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) is required in the body to help keep your immune system healthy. Having a healthy immune system helps prevents conditions such as anemia (4). A deficiency of vitamin B6 may result in this condition, which is when the red blood cells become unhealthy and are unable to carry adequate oxygen throughout the body. Insufficient oxygen in the blood affects healthy immune system function.

Sources of B vitamins

We need B complex because it helps maintain and support a healthy immune system, which helps our body function well. Fortunately, the B group of vitamins can be found in many foods.

Good sources of vitamin B6 include cereal grains, legumes, and vegetables.

B9 can be found in poultry, eggs, and cereals. All bread sold in Australia (except for organic bread) is also fortified with B9 (2).

B12 is only found in food from animal sources, such as liver and meat (2). This means that people with vegan diets may need supplements to help them have a healthy immune system.

In the event you don’t get enough of the B group of vitamins from your diet, try taking supplements to make sure you have the sufficient amount of B complex for immunity.

Strengthening your immune system

Alongside eating healthier, and getting supplements for an immunity boost, here are some other ways to strengthen your immune system (5):

Get enough sleep

Getting enough sleep helps your body in fighting off infection.

Exercise

The body functions optimally with a healthy amount of physical activity. Ten to thirty minutes a day of exercise can help you increase resilience.

Meditation

Taking a few minutes to center yourself in the present can help lower your heart rate and blood pressure, as well as reduce anxiety. These also help support your immunity.
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*Always read the label and follow directions for use. If you experience any symptoms or if symptoms persist, talk to your health professional. Vitamin and/or mineral supplements should not replace a balanced diet.

References:

1. Vitable. “B Complex”. Vitable. Published n.d. on https://research.vitable.com.au/b-complex. Accessed Jan 13 2022.
2. Better Health Channel. "Vitamin B." Better Health Channel. Reviewed May 14 2020 on https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/vitamin-b.  Accessed Jan 13 2022.
3. Mikkelsen, K., Apostolopoulos, V., "Vitamin B12, Folic Acid, and the Immune System". Nutrition and Immunity. Published July 31 2019 on https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-16073-9_6.  Accessed Jan 13 2022.
4. Mayo Clinic Staff. "Vitamin B-6". Mayo Clinic. Published Feb 3 2021 on https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-vitamin-b6/art-20363468.  Accessed Jan 13 2022.
5. Cleveland Clinic. "Strengthen Your Immune System With 4 Simple Strategies". Cleveland Clinic. Published April 13 2020 on https://health.clevelandclinic.org/strengthen-your-immune-system-with-simple-strategies/.  Accessed Jan 13 2022