Vitamin B9 - Folate
Folate (vitamin B9) is a key B vitamin that is essential for making DNA, for repairing DNA, for detoxification, for making red blood cells, for mental health, for histamine metabolism, for muscle growth, and for prevention of neural tube defects. Not getting enough can lead to depression and obsessive thinking (deficiency is quite common in depression), recurrent allergies, or unexplained cardiovascular disease. Good sources of folate are liver, legumes (preferably sprouted), and leafy greens. The RDA for folate is 400 mcg DFE per day; there is some concern that doses over 1000 mcg DFE per day can cause problems. You need just the right amount!
Vitamin B3 - Niacin
Niacin is a keystone B vitamin that does a little bit of everything. It’s fundamental in energy metabolism, protects against oxidative stress, balances blood lipids, and may play a role in longevity. It supports the brain, skin, and gut. Most people likely get enough from diet (with good sources being meat, fish, nutritional yeast, and sprouted or fermented seeds, grains, and legumes), though some groups are at risk for deficiency. High doses can be used to treat high lipid levels, though side effects are common at high doses. The best way to know how you are doing with niacin is to check your levels. What are yours?
Sprouting is a nutritional super-unlock
Enhanced bioavailability. Increased vitamins and minerals. Improved digestibility. You can get all this and more from sprouted foods. Sprouting is a traditional food processing method that has been around for hundreds, if not thousands, of years and involves germinating seeds, grains, nuts, or legumes in order to enhance their nutritional value. Sprouting starts by soaking seeds in water for several hours, then draining them and allowing them to germinate, usually for two or three days. If you think of a seed as a locked treasure chest, sprouting is what unlocks the treasure.