- Thiamin (vitamin B1)
- Riboflavin (vitamin B2)
- Niacin (vitamin B3)
- Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5)
- Pyridoxine (vitamin B6)
- Biotin (vitamin B7)
- Folic acid (vitamin B9) – this is the synthetic version of folate
Vitamin B12 is the main vitamin from group B to be particularly aware of as other vitamins B are relatively easy to obtain from animal-free foods. However, it is worth noting that nutritional yeast is a great source of all of the vitamins listed above and is worth incorporating into your diet regularly if not daily.
Folic acid is of a particular importance to women who plan to get pregnant. They should discuss their needs with a doctor and start supplementing folic acid 3-4 months before pregnancy and continue after conception. Women with low levels of folic acid may be at risk of preterm delivery and their offspring may be at higher risk of neurological disorders and low infant weight. Vitamin C has been shown to increase the level of folate in the blood1 .
References
1. Verlinde, P.H.C.J., Oey, I., Hendrickx, M.E., Van Loey, A.M. and Temme, E.H.M., 2008. L-ascorbic acid improves the serum folate response to an oral dose of [6 S]-5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid in healthy men. European journal of clinical nutrition, 62(10), pp.1224-1230. (https://www.nature.com)
