Survivalist Tip: Vitamin B should be another essential element in your stockpile of supplies, whether in capsule form or in your overall food cache. Vitamin B is actually a complex of 8 water soluble vitamins, meaning they go good with water. I’m sure they also go good with chocolate and beer, but that’s for another discussion. Here’s a basic breakdown of Vitamin B:
B1 helps prevent heart swelling, leg cramps and muscular weakness. These are ailments you definitely don’t need to endure, in case you have to fight intruders and in-laws over food supplies. Rich food sources include liver, heart and kidney meats; eggs, leafy green vegetables, nuts, legumes, berries, wheat germs and cereals. Some believe thiamine helps protect against alcoholism, which is good for depression, stress and anxiety. It is also said to improve mental ability and to help indigestion. Of course, chocolate also guards against depression and anxiety, but try to have some B1 on hand.
B2, or riboflavin, helps metabolize fats, carbohydrates and respiratory proteins, and prevents skin lesions and light sensitivity. In the aftermath of the apocalypse, with the axes shifting and bodies decaying later on, air and natural light may be problematic. Riboflavins are abundant in mushrooms, milk, meat, liver, dark green vegetables and enriched cereals, pasta and bread.
B3, also known as niacin, vitamin P, or vitamin PP, helps release energy from nutrients. It can reduce cholesterol and prevent and treat arteriosclerosis. Deficiency can result in pellagra, a disease with symptoms that include sunburn, diarrhea, irritability, swollen tongue and mental confusion. You’ll be irritable enough after the upheaval and you certainly don’t want to grow confused while trying to survive. Food sources rich in B3 are chicken, salmon, tuna, liver, nuts, dried peas, enriched cereals and dried beans.
B5 helps metabolize fats, carbohydrates and proteins. Deficiency can result in fatigue, allergies, nausea and abdominal pain. I don’t think allergies will be a problem in the new Baktun. The ancient Mayans didn’t suffer much from them and neither do their contemporaries. One benefit to the shift in axes will include a refreshed environment. B5 is most abundant in eggs, whole grain cereals, legumes and meat.
B6 helps the body to absorb and metabolize amino acids, to use fats and to form red blood cells. Deficiency may result in skin disorders, dizziness, nausea, anemia, convulsions and kidney stones. Amidst all the crap you’ll be dealing with, dizziness and kidney stones shouldn’t be among them. Whole grains, bread, liver, green beans, spinach, avocadoes, and bananas are rich food sources for B6.
B7, also known as Biotin or vitamin H, helps form fatty acids and assists in the release of energy from carbohydrates. Although B7 deficiency is unknown in humans, you can never have enough energy at the start of the new Baktun.
B9, known as folic acid, vitamin M or vitamin B-c, enables the body to form hemoglobin, which helps treat anemia. Food sources include leafy green vegetables, nuts, whole grains, legumes and organ meats, such as liver and pig’s tongue. Although B9 deficiency is rare, folic acid is lost when foods are stored at room temperature or cooked. It’s especially important to pregnant women; therefore, if anyone in your posse is pregnant, make sure they’re consuming plenty of B9-rich foods. This doesn’t include people who feel or look pregnant, in other words fat asses.
Vitamin B12, also known as Cobalamin or Cyanocobalamin, assists the function of the nervous system and the formation of red blood cells. Some in your household may be nervous in the immediate aftermath of the apocalypse, but instead of shooting them, make sure they start consuming large quantities of B12. They could then turn into productive members of the group. If they refuse, then it’s okay to shoot them. B12 can only be found in animal sources such as eggs, milk, fish, meat and liver. Vegetarians are at particular risk for B12 deficiencies. Although I’m somewhat carnivorous in nature, I love vegetarians. I eat one every day!
Chief Writing Wolf 