Vitamin B’s role in the body doesn’t stop there, though. It is also responsible for the reactions that make our brain function the way it does. “They are essential elements required for enzyme reactions. So, in order for an enzyme to be able to do what it does, it almost needs a ‘backup’ of B vitamins,” explains Kimberley.

In the case of mental health, they help with the release of serotonin, dopamine, GABA, noradrenaline, melatonin – all the neurotransmitters which can affect our mood and mental health. “For example, depression is associated with problems in serotonin production or uptake. If you’re not even producing enough serotonin in the first place because you’ve got a deficiency in B vitamins, then we can consider vitamin B deficiency to be associated, or perhaps the causative factor for some people, in feelings of depression.”

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