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Every month, my ever-so-tolerant husband and children have the joy of experiencing a “different” side of my personality. Patience gives way to snappy, URGENT (as in, should have been done yesterday!) demands. Affectionate gestures come to a screeching halt, and I may actually turn to stone if touch is given or received. And bless them all, tissue boxes are kept handy, for any moment–while folding laundry, watching a TV commercial with a puppy, or simply missing my daily run–could induce a waterfall of tears.

The funny thing is, I understand that this is happening. It’s like watching a contorted version of myself from inside a plastic bubble. Stop that! What’s wrong with you?! Maybe it’s the 40 thing; maybe its pre-menopause. Whatever it is, having that monthly monster take over my usually congenial self stinks!

A chat with some female friends at a coffee gathering has helped tame my monthly monster, though. The secret: vitamin stress-B complex! Yes! In addition to my multivitamin, I take a stress-B complex tablet. I’m telling you, it works! Those nasty symptoms have all subdued.

The Monthly Monster and Loss of Vitamin B

The B vitamins are often referred to as the stress vitamins. When our bodies are forced to withstand physical or emotional stress, the B vitamins are the first to be depleted. Each month as the body prepares for your cycle, fluctuating hormones affect your mood and your ability to handle external stress from work, relationships, parenting, and other demands. The B vitamins, like vitamin C, are water soluble, which means they are not stored in the body. Thus, B vitamins need to be replenished on a daily basis to account for their loss.

What is Vitamin-B Complex?

As its name implies, vitamin-B complex is a combination or mixture of eight essential vitamins. Although each is chemically distinct, the B vitamins coexist in many of the same foods and often work together to bolster metabolism, maintain healthy skin and muscle tone, enhance immune and nervous system function, and promote cell growth and division–including that of the red-blood cells that help prevent anemia. Together, they also combat stress, depression, and cardiovascular disease. People susceptible to vitamin-B deficiency include pregnant women, nursing mothers, vegetarians, alcoholics, “sugar-holics”, the elderly, and people with malabsorption conditions or who take certain antibiotics long-term. Symptoms of B-vitamin deficiency can include oily or scaly skin, upset stomach, headaches, anxiety, moodiness, and heart arrhythmias.

Which Foods Contain Vitamin-B Complex?

Vitamin B can be found in healthy quantities of the following: oats, barley, wheat bran, avocado, salmon, Brazil nuts, poultry, meats, eggs, dairy products, leafy green vegetables, beans, and peas. But remember, B vitamins are water soluble, meaning they are depleted in your body on a daily basis. So daily consumption of the above foods is necessary to maintain appropriate B-vitamin levels.

Here’s to a healthy (and nicer) you!

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