How a Vitamin B-Complex boosts energy – and supports healthy hair, skin and nails
From niacin and thiamine to riboflavin, cobalamin, pyridoxine and beyond, there are many vitamins and minerals your body needs to be at its best. In fact, there are so many essential nutrients that it can be hard to keep track of them all. For example, there are eight B-vitamins alone!
Fortunately, each of those eight B-vitamins are found in many of the foods we eat each day including fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, beans, meat, fish, eggs, milk, cheese…the list goes on.
When we eat a balanced diet, we ensure that our bodies get enough of each vitamin to power the vital functions that keep us healthy and strong. When it comes to B-vitamins, those functions include turning food into energy, producing and maintaining blood cells, fortifying our immune system, and supporting brain and heart health.
Why You Should Take a B-Complex Supplement
A tricky aspect of B-vitamins is that they’re water soluble and can’t be stored. So just because you ate well-rounded meals yesterday doesn’t mean you’re stocked up on B-vitamins today. These essential nutrients must be replaced daily through the food we eat.
Since life gets busy and we can’t always have the healthiest meals, a daily dietary supplement is a good idea. It’s also a smart move for those of us who keep diets that do not include dairy or meat or other food sources of B-vitamins.
A supplement that includes each of the eight essential B-vitamins is often called a Vitamin B-complex. For example, Omax® Advanced B-Complex is a blend that contains 50 milligrams per day of the most bioavailable forms of Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, Biotin and Vitamin C.
Because the B-vitamins are water soluble, you never have to worry about a supplement giving you too much. Your body will get rid of any excess when you go to the bathroom. On the other hand, if you’re low on any of the B-vitamins in a given day, a one-a-day supplement can get you up to the recommended amount.
Having enough of each of the B-vitamins is important for proper cell function and healthy metabolism that efficiently converts food into energy. There also are other benefits to taking a daily Vitamin B-complex:
- Boosts energy so you have less fatigue
- Improves mood and reduces stress levels
- Optimizes gut health and digestive function
- Supports healthy skin, hair and nails
How Omax® Advanced B-Complex Supports Healthy Skin, Hair and Nails
In addition to daily recommended amounts of the other B-vitamins, Omax® Advanced B-Complex contains a powerful dose of biotin, otherwise known as B7. While biotin plays a role in converting food into energy, it also produces keratin – a protein that the body uses for hair, skin and nails.
Like the other B-vitamins, biotin is found in many foods that are part of a balanced diet. But some research has found that a biotin supplement may have a complementary effect in some cases. For example, small scientific studies have found that a biotin supplement may thicken hair and prevent hair loss, especially in people who may be biotin-deficient due to certain genetic or medical conditions.
Signs of a biotin deficiency may include thinning hair, hair loss, brittle nails and scaly red skin rash. Alcohol use also can inhibit the body’s absorption of biotin.
A double-blind, placebo-controlled study involving women with thinning hair showed evidence of clinical improvement after receiving a biotin supplement.
“Significantly more control-treated subjects perceived improvements in overall hair volume, scalp coverage and thickness of hair body after 90 days,” the researchers noted. “Additional improvement after 180 days included hair shine, skin moisture retention and skin smoothness.”