Among the B vitamins, there is a group called nerve vitamins due to the important role these vitamins play in nourishing and maintaining the health of our nerves and these are: B1, B6, and B12.  

Vitamin B1, or Thiamine, allows our body to convert the sugar and other carbohydrates we eat into energy that is essential for the brain and nerves to function. The importance of this role is further highlighted considering that our brain and nerves almost exclusively rely on carbohydrates as their chief fuel source for energy.

Vitamin B6, or Pyridoxine, plays a vital role in the formation of neurotransmitters, the chemicals that allow nerves to properly transfer impulses and communicate with each other and even be responsible for maintaining a healthy mood. Some examples of neurotransmitters include dopamine and serotonin, the so-called “happy hormones”.

Vitamin B12, or Cobalamin, supports the formation and maintenance of healthy nerve tissues, specifically the myelin sheath. The nerves are like cables or wires that carry the electrical impulses between your brain and the different parts of the body. Just like how cables are coated with rubber insulators to efficiently conduct the transmission of electricity, the nerves have myelin sheath. The myelin sheath is an insulating layer around nerves that also allows electrical impulses to transmit quickly and efficiently along the nerve fibers. 

Deficiencies involving B vitamins due to improper nutrition or diseases result in nerve damage or neuropathy, which may be felt as numbness, ‘pins-and-needles’ sensation, tingling, or weakness particularly affecting the hands and feet.  Certain conditions like diabetes, traumatic nerve impingement or aging may also cause neuropathies and would need supplementation of nerve vitamins to allow nerve healing and recovery. 

Use of B-complex vitamins formulated with high doses of vitamins B1, B6, and B12 have been shown by numerous clinical studies to help relieve symptoms of neuropathies and promote nerve recovery.

For proper advice and to know more on how to take care of your nerves before it is too late, it is always best to consult your doctor.