Magnesium & Vitamin B Benefits

Magnesium and vitamin B benefits contribute to a healthy body. Both essential vitamins work in harmony to deliver vital nutrients important to everyday functioning. There are eight different B vitamins, the most popular being B12 which helps your body produce red blood cells, whereas magnesium strengthens bones, aids the nervous system and helps in the synthesis of proteins.

Table of Contents

• What are B vitamins?
• Can I take vitamin B and magnesium together?
• What are the benefits of B vitamins and magnesium at the same time?
• How do magnesium and B vitamins benefit the body?
• Your magnesium and vitamin B intake
• Who might take B vitamins?
• What causes a vitamin B deficiency?

What are B vitamins?

Vitamin B supplements aren't one vitamin but eight different types of vitamin. Each individual vitamin B benefits you in its own way but they all have a number and name to refer to. Some are better known by their number or their name, rather than both.

• Vitamin B12
• Vitamin B9 (known as folate/folic acid)
• Vitamin B7 (known as biotin)
• Vitamin B6
• Vitamin B5 (known as pantothenic acid)
• Vitamin B3 (known as niacin)
• Vitamin B2
• Vitamin B1

To enjoy the benefits of B vitamins, your intake relies on the foods you eat and any supplements you take. This is because your body doesn’t produce them naturally.

All eight B vitamins benefit and play their own role in supporting your metabolism. They enable your body to produce energy and generally keep you in good health. Other benefits of B vitamins include creating new red blood cells, which is why B12 works well in collaboration with iron supplements.

B-complex vitamins

B-complex supplements make it easier for you to manage and benefit your vitamin B intake. They do this by combining all eight B vitamins into a single tablet or oral spray.

B vitamins are water soluble, which means they dissolve in water. Because of this, your body is unable to store them like other minerals. Other fat soluble vitamins, such as vitamin D and vitamin A also need to be replenished each day.

A benefit to some B-complex supplements is that they contain your full recommended daily allowance (RDA) of each B vitamin. This does vary as others provide even higher doses.

Can I take magnesium and vitamin B together?

Yes, a benefit of B vitamins and magnesium supplements is that they don’t compete for absorption inside your body. Indeed, many supplements combine them as a way of simplifying how you monitor your intake.

Benefits of vitamin B and magnesium working in tandem:

• Promote normal function of the nervous system and normal psychological function
• Contribute to natural energy boost by metabolism function
• Reduce tiredness and fatigue

Some people benefit by taking vitamin B6 with magnesium to ease mood swings that occur with premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

Cobalt is a major part of vitamin B12 benefits, so if you get enough vitamin B12, you'll also get enough cobalt. Supplementing transdermal magnesium helps your body to absorb and use minerals such as calcium, phosphorus and potassium.

What are the benefits of B vitamins and magnesium at the same time?

Magnesium and B vitamins do not need to be taken together. However, the main benefit of B vitamins and magnesium being taken together is ease! Many people have busy lifestyles with lots of distractions and don’t always have the time to keep close tabs on their vitamin and type of mineral intake.

Supplementing magnesium and B vitamins benefits the body as it could lead to fewer chances of developing a deficiency later. Vitamin and magnesium deficiencies are very common. Completing a simple at-home test to check your levels can provide accurate results in a matter of days.

How do magnesium and B vitamins benefit the body?

Magnesium

Your body needs a number of minerals and vitamins to remain healthy and function in the proper way. Magnesium is one of them. Magnesium benefits your body by:

• relieving muscle tension
• improving the quality of your sleep
• repairing muscle tissue after you've exercised or played sports
• strengthening your bones
• helping to synthesise proteins
• replenishing your skin

Having low levels of magnesium can significantly affect your sleep and cause you to feel fatigued.

B vitamins

Generally, every one of the B vitamins benefits your metabolism. Combined, they help your body break down food and convert it into energy. As a result, they reduce tiredness and fatigue and allow the parts of your brain that facilitate concentration, learning and memory to function properly. Energy supplements work in harmony with vitamin B to benefit a healthy lifestyle. Vitamin B benefits by helping to generate energy cells. It is these which, over time, can help to reduce conditions such as fatigue.

The table below shows the main benefits of each B vitamin.

Benefits of vitamin B12

The benefits of vitamin B12 see its continuous support towards the body's nervous system. Vitamin B12 is arguably the most important of the B vitamins, due to its many health benefits.

• It fights fatigue - An important benefit of vitamin B12 is that it helps your body produce new red blood cells. These cells carry oxygen around your body, delivering it to your brain, lungs, muscles and tissues. When your system isn’t getting enough oxygen this way, you begin to feel tired and fatigued.
• It helps with digestion - Another benefit of vitamin B12 is it enables your body to convert fats, proteins and carbohydrates into energy. Without it, your body wouldn’t be able to process these important nutrients and get them into your bloodstream.
• It can improve cognitive function - Your brain needs vitamin B12 to benefit development and function as it should. Benefits of vitamin B12 supplementation have been found to boost some people’s general mood and improve their cognitive performance.

Your magnesium and vitamin B intake

Eating a varied, balanced diet means you’ll be getting the dosage of magnesium your body needs to be healthy. However, as food sources don’t always provide the full daily recommended amount, you can increase your intake with supplements.

Some foods that are particularly rich in magnesium include:

• brown rice
• seafood
• dark green vegetables (e.g. spinach)
• legumes (e.g. lentils, split peas, tofu)
• beans (e.g. black, kidney, edamame)
• nuts (e.g. almonds, cashews, brazil nuts)
• seeds (e.g. sunflower, sesame, pumpkin)
• buckwheat
• wholegrain cereals

As with magnesium, a benefit of vitamin B is you can receive your intake mainly from food. Your body can produce biotin (B7) naturally, but none of the other seven vitamins. The table below tells you which foods to include in your daily diet to benefit from your intake of B vitamins for a healthy level.

B vitamin	Food sources
B1 (thiamine)	Red meat Peas Fresh fruits Eggs Sunflower seeds Fortified foods (rice, pasta, cereals, flour)
B2 (riboflavin)	Red meat Poultry Eggs Milk and dairy products Vegetables (asparagus, peas, mushrooms, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, spinach) Wholegrain bread
B3 (niacin)	Red meat Chicken Oily fish (salmon, mackerel) Eggs Milk and dairy products Potatoes Fortified foods (breakfast cereals, plant milk)
B5 (pantothenic acid)	Red meat Poultry Fish Milk and dairy products Vegetables (mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, kale) Peanuts Wholegrains
B6 (pyridoxine)	Poultry Fish Milk and dairy products Eggs Vegetables (carrots, spinach, sweet potatoes) Peanuts Wholegrains
B7 (biotin)	Organ meats (liver, kidney) Salmon Egg yolk Nuts and seeds Yeast
B9 (folate/folic acid)	Vegetables (broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, spinach, asparagus, peas) Fruits (bananas, oranges) Chickpeas Wholegrains
B12 (cobalamin)	Red meat Chicken Fish Eggs Dairy products Fortified foods (breakfast cereals)

However, you may struggle to get enough B12 via your diet alone which can lead to a vitamin B deficiency. The large size of its molecules makes it difficult for your digestive system to absorb the vitamin effectively. Additionally, feeling tired, suffering with ill health or having a poor diet can also affect how well your body breaks down B12 and moves it into your bloodstream.

For this reason, to receive the benefits of B vitamins, it might be better to use a supplement. At BetterYou, we’ve produced a B12 oral spray. Spray it directly into your inner cheek and let it go to work. B12 tablets and capsules can be hard for your body to process, but in spray form the small droplets of B12 enter your system immediately. We continuously look to develop our intra-oral spray technology to create an efficient product for our customers.

How much magnesium should you take?

Adults (people aged 19–64) should take no more than 300 mg of magnesium per day. Children are advised to take lower magnesium doses. How much depends on how old they are. These guidelines only apply to oral supplements such as tablets and capsules. Transdermal magnesium supplements, like magnesium oil, have no upper limit. They are safe to use in whatever dosage you prefer as they are being absorbed through the skin. BetterYou's magnesium supplements are made from a pure form of magnesium chloride known as Zechstein magnesium. This mineral is sourced from the Zechstein sea, and its pure form encourages optimal absorption.

How much vitamin B should you take?

Each of the eight B vitamins is beneficial and has its own recommended daily dosage. For all of them, you should adhere to the nutrient reference value guidelines for dosage requirements. This dosage differs depending on factors such as:

• your gender
• your age
• your diet—i.e. if you’re vegan or vegetarian
• (for women) whether you’re pregnant

Recommended daily dosages

The recommended daily dosages to feel the benefit of vitamin B, as set by Public Health England, are as follows:

Adults

Children (age 7–18)

Children (age 1–6)

*Pantothenic acid and biotin are found in many foods, so as long as you eat a varied and balanced diet you should get all you need.

B vitamin supplements—maximum recommended dosages

If you take vitamin B oral supplements, it’s important to know the maximum recommended dosage. Some supplements provide more than your full recommended daily allowance (RDA). Knowing the daily limit can help you benefit from vitamin B’s effects.

In most cases, taking more than the maximum dosage might be harmful to your health. There isn’t a great deal of evidence to say exactly how, but always read the packaging labels of your supplements.

The table below shows the maximum recommended dosages for each of the B vitamins to be beneficial.

B vitamin	Maximum recommended dosage
B1 (thiamine)	100 mg
B2 (riboflavin)	40 mg
B3 (niacin)	17 mg
B5 (pantothenic acid)	200 mg
B6 (pyridoxine)	10 mg
B7 (biotin)	0.9 mg
B9 (folate/folic acid)	1 mg
B12 (cobalamin)	2 mg

Who might take B vitamins?

Everyone requires the right amount of vitamin B to benefit a healthy lifestyle. For certain groups of people, the need to maintain a proper vitamin B intake is particularly vital. These groups include the following:

Women who are pregnant or trying to conceive

If you're pregnant, the standard recommendation is to take 400 micrograms of folic acid (vitamin B9) every day until you’re 12 weeks pregnant. Our pregnancy supplements can help you receive the vital nutrients you may be lacking.

Ideally, you