(OrganicJar) A new study conducted by the National Institutes of Health found taking B vitamins can prevent age-related macular degeneration, which is the leading cause of blindness in people 65 and older, with nearly 2 million Americans affected.

A seven year study involving more than 5,000 women ages 40 and older who took a combination of B vitamins (B6, folic acid and B12) found there was a reduced risk of macular degeneration by more than one-third.

Allen Taylor, director of the Laboratory for Nutrition and Vision Research at Tufts University in Boston, said the study was strong because patients were assigned at random and followed for a long time. But because the findings were teased out of a larger experiment for heart disease, there wasn’t strict categorization of the type and severity of the eye disease.

What is Vitamin B?

There are actually eight vitamins that make up the vitamin B complex: B-1 (Thiamine), B-2 (Riboflavin), B-3 (Niacin), B-4 (Pantothenic acid), B-6 (Pyridoxine and Pyridoxamine), B-7 (Biotin), B-9 (Folic acid), B-12 (Cyanocobalamin)

Vitamin B can also help with: cardiovascular health, improve energy, boost metabolic function, prevent depression, promote skin and muscle tone, and boost the immune and nervous systems.

Foods that are high in vitamin B include: brewer’s yeast, bananas, potatoes, lentils, chili peppers, nuts, leafy vegetables, spinach, and meats including turkey, tuna, and liver.

When I’m not able to eat the above foods, I personally take a food based complete B-Complex vitamin by Rainbow Light. Would enjoy hearing what other vitamins / foods you eat to get your vitamin B’s.

Source: ap press okstate.edu