Essential Vitamins for Digestive Health
Your digestive health depends on essential vitamins — vitamins your body doesn't make. Find out how to add them to your diet and when you may need a vitamin supplement.
Medically reviewed by Lindsey Marcellin, MD, MPH
Essential vitamins are termed "essential" because your body needs them but can't make them. Since the body doesn't produce them naturally, you need to get these vitamins from the foods you eat or from vitamin supplements.
All essential vitamins are important for digestive health, just as they are for the rest of your body, but some play specific roles in digestion. In most cases, you can get the nutrients you need from a healthy diet, but it may not hurt to take a multivitamin supplement and an extra supplement of vitamin D.
The B Vitamins for Digestive Health
B vitamins are essential for digestive health. They are also water-soluble. Translation: You can't store them away in your fat cells to use later; you need to make them a regular part of your diet. B vitamins are mainly involved in getting energy from the food you eat into your cells.
Here are some top B vitamins:
- Folic acid. Not getting enough of this vitamin has been linked to birth defects, so many foods are now fortified with folic acid. This B vitamin is especially important for digestive heath because high levels have been shown to lower your risk of colon cancer.
- Vitamin B1. This vitamin, also known as thiamine, helps your body change the carbohydrates in your diet into energy for your cells. Thiamine is also important in the regulation of appetite.
- Vitamin B2. A shortage of this vitamin, which is also known as riboflavin, can result in sores and a swollen tongue and mouth.
- Vitamin B3. Also known as niacin, this vitamin is important for many digestive tractfunctions, including the breakdown of carbohydrates, fats, and alcohol. Not getting enough niacin can result in a disease known as pellagra, which causes severe vomiting and diarrhea.
- Vitamin B6. The other name for this vitamin is pyridoxine. It is very important in helping your digestive system process all the protein you eat.
- Biotin. This B vitamin helps your digestive system produce cholesterol and process proteins, carbohydrates, and fatty acids. After proteins are broken down, biotin helps digestive health by getting rid of the waste products.
B vitamins can be added to your diet by eating more whole grains, beans, seafood, eggs, dairy products, and lots of leafy green vegetables. Because studies show that many people do not get enough B vitamins in their diet, a daily multivitamin with B supplements is a good idea.
Vitamin C for Digestive Health
Recent research hasn’t supported many of the health claims for vitamin C. Although vitamin C may not be as powerful in preventing colds and infections as once thought, it is still important for healthy teeth and gums, which are important for digestive health. Vitamin C is also important for your digestion because it helps you absorb iron.
If you include good sources of vitamin C in your diet, you shouldn't need any supplement beyond a daily multivitamin. Here are some good dietary sources:
- Citrus fruits
- Berries
- Tomatoes
- Peppers
- Broccoli
- Fortified cereal
Vitamin D for Digestive Health
If you live in the northern part of the United States or if you don't get out in the sunshine for at least 15 minutes every day, you should consider a vitamin D supplement. Studies show that about one billion people worldwide are deficient in vitamin D. For digestive health, vitamin D helps build strong teeth, and many studies show that being low on vitamin D may increase your risk of colon cancer. You can get this vitamin into your diet by eating:
- Fortified cereal
- Fortified milk and other dairy products
- Eggs
- Liver
- Salmon and tuna
The vitamins and other nutrients you get from a balanced diet are essential for your digestive health and will keep your digestive system working smoothly.
