Vitamin B and more

How to adapt to high stress levels

The promising combination of highly concentrated B vitamins and a superfood ensures better performance during a period of stress.

Stress. We all experience it, regardless of our job, geographic location, or family situation. Stress is the body's response to environmental stimuli (stressors). Stress is natural and healthy to a certain degree; it can motivate us and move us forward in life. Too much stress and an inability to manage it well, however, can have dramatic consequences for a person's health. Nutrition can play an important role in how we deal with stress and how we perform under pressure.

B vitamins are coenzymes that are associated with many physiological functions of human health: including those of the nervous and brain systems, and energy production through the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. These functions are essential for life, and a deficiency in B vitamins can manifest itself through symptoms such as low energy levels, poor mental function, or an inability to manage stress and anxiety.

The secret of B vitamins is that they work together, synergistically, in their functioning within the body. It is true that some B vitamins may be needed in higher quantities depending on a specific condition, such as vitamin B₁₂ for specific cases of pernicious anemia or B₁₂ deficiency. But individual B vitamins always need the rest of the B family to properly perform their roles. Often, a deficiency of one B vitamin can be a sign of deficiency of other B vitamins.

People who experience little or normal stress can take a multiple vitamin with a B vitamin dose of 5 to 25 mg/mcg of each B vitamin to meet their daily needs. People who experience above-normal stress can take a "B-50" complex containing 50 mg/mcg per individual B vitamin. People experiencing intense mental and physical stress may need to take a "B-100" complex containing 100 mg/mcg of each B vitamin, at least during the specific period of intense stress or anxiety. This group of highly stressed people can include athletes, office workers, and women living with the discomforts of menopause.

While taking additional B vitamins can be beneficial for people experiencing stress, there is a traditional Peruvian food source that can meet this additional demand. For thousands of years, maca root has been harvested and used in Peru as a nutritional food and natural medicine. Today, the field of natural medicine recognizes it as a "superfood" due to its wide range of health uses.

• Maca root contains a multitude of vitamins and minerals, including B vitamins, vitamin C, iron, iodine, calcium, magnesium, manganese, potassium, and zinc. It is a true "superfood."

• Maca root is an adaptogen. It helps the body function normally during stressful situations by balancing the body's hormone production. Maca root helps regulate hormone levels that are too low or too high. It nourishes the pituitary and hypothalamus. This balancing effect helps women cope with PMS, menopause, and hot flashes, and men with their libido problems.

By combining large quantities of B vitamins with maca root, even the most stressed among us will experience their daily lives more easily.