What Is Vitamin B Complex?
Vitamin B complex is a group of eight essential B vitamins that perform important and related roles in your body’s cellular function, particularly in energy production.
The vitamins that make up B complex are thiamine (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2), niacin (vitamin B3), pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), pyridoxine (vitamin B6), biotin (B7), folate (B9), and cobalamin (vitamin B12).
Most of the B vitamins are found in a wide range of foods because they are so important to cellular function. Some, like vitamin B12, are found mostly in meat and other animal food sources, which is why vegans and vegetarians are often advised to take a B12 supplement. You might need a B complex supplement if you can’t get the recommended daily amount of B vitamins from your diet.
What Do the B Vitamins Do?
The B vitamins have many roles.
Thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, and biotin help convert food to energy through cellular metabolism, and help your cells grow, develop, and function.They also have their own unique roles:
Thiamine helps keep your nervous system healthy.
Riboflavin is an antioxidant. Antioxidants help protect cells from damage caused by free radicals.
Niacin helps your digestive system, skin, and nerves function properly.
Pantothenic acid helps your body make and break down the fats in the foods you eat. This is important for the synthesis of coenzyme A, which is crucial for many biochemical reactions. It also has a role in producing red blood cells, as well as sex- and stress-related hormones.
Pyridoxine plays an important part in brain development and function. It is involved in the synthesis of neurotransmitters. It also helps make neurotransmitters (“messenger” cells) and the hormones serotonin and norepinephrine. Finally, pyridoxine helps make white blood cells and T cells, which are important for a healthy and strong immune system.
Biotin helps make fatty acids and glucose, both of which provide fuel for your body.
Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate, which comes from foods. This B vitamin helps make your genetic material, the information in your body passed down from your parents. It also helps your body make red blood cells and is especially important during pregnancy for neural tube development.
Cobalamin also helps make genetic material and red blood cells and is important for keeping your nerve cells healthy. It is essential for the formation of myelin, the protective sheath surrounding nerve fibers.
Benefits of Vitamin B Complex
The B vitamins help enzymes in your body do their jobs and are important for a wide range of cellular functions, like breaking down carbohydrates and transporting nutrients throughout the body.
In addition, B complex can provide health benefits like:
May improve brain function
The B vitamins play a role in keeping your brain healthy. Adequate amounts of B vitamins in the body are essential for optimal body, brain, and nerve functioning.
Research shows that vitamin B6 in particular may play a role in preventing the neurological disorder Parkinson’s disease.
Possible cancer prevention
Data on the role of B vitamins in cancer prevention is mixed. Some studies found that certain B vitamins may help prevent some types of cancer, while others found evidence that high levels of B vitamins might cause some types of cancers.
But there is strong evidence that taking vitamin B3 in supplement form – called nicotinamide – can greatly reduce the risk of non-melanoma skin cancer.
May improve mood and reduce stress
If you have low levels of B vitamins, research shows you may be at a greater risk of depression and higher stress levels. Taking a B complex supplement can help you boost your blood levels to help you feel more calm and content. But it’s unclear whether B vitamins have any added benefits for people with normal blood levels.
Possible weight loss
You may have read or heard that taking a vitamin B complex supplement or vitamin B12 shots can help you lose weight. Unfortunately, this hasn’t been proven through research. Some animal studies show it might be possible, but scientists aren’t sure yet.
May improve heart health
Some studies show that certain people could improve their heart health if they take B vitamins, but it’s not recommended for everyone. If you would like to take vitamin B for your heart health, speak to your doctor first, to make sure there aren’t any reasons not to take it.
May improve nerve function
A lack of vitamin B, specifically vitamin B12, is linked to some nerve problems. Too little vitamin B12 can cause a painful condition called neuropathy. If you’ve been diagnosed with a vitamin B12 deficiency, your doctor will likely recommend a vitamin B12 supplement.
But if you have neuropathy caused by another disease, like diabetes, experts aren’t sure if taking a vitamin B12 supplement will help ease the symptoms.
May strengthen the immune system
More research is needed, but it seems that some forms of vitamin B may help help strengthen your immune system. For example, pyridoxine helps produce the white blood cells and T cells your body needs to boost your immune system.
May protect gut health
There are no studies that show healthy people who take vitamin B will strengthen their gut health. But some studies do show that taking vitamin B supplements helped improve appetite. Other studies showed that people with intestinal diseases, like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), need extra vitamin B. If you have a bowel disease, your doctor may encourage you to eat more vitamin B-rich foods or may prescribe a supplement. These diseases can prevent your body from absorbing the vitamins from your food.
May maintain healthy red blood cell levels
If you don’t have enough vitamin B12 or folate, your doctor may recommend you take supplements to help you maintain healthy red blood cell levels. Low levels could be caused by pernicious anaemia, not consuming enough vitamins through your diet, or as a side effect of some medications.
How to Get Vitamin B Complex
Ideally, you should get your daily vitamin B through your usual diet, but sometimes you may need some extra. Certain populations, such as older adults, vegans, and those with specific medical conditions, may require supplementation.
B12 vitamin shots:
- If you are low in vitamin B12, your doctor may recommend that you get intramuscular B12 shots until the levels return to normal.
- While vitamin B12 tablets are available, B12 injections are often used for rapid correction of severe deficiencies. Current medical advice indicates that High doses of oral B12 Methylcobalamin can also be very effective. It is important to ask your doctor which method is best for you.
- Depending on what caused the low vitamin levels, you may have to continue having the shots, or you might be able to stop or switch to Vitamin B Complex capsules when your levels get back to normal.
Vitamin B complex capsules:
- While you can get vitamin B in multivitamins, your doctor may recommend that you take vitamin B complex capsules alone if you have anemia, are pregnant or trying to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding.
- Also, some medications interfere with B vitamin absorption.
- It’s important to follow the label’s instructions so as not to take too much.
B complex vitamin foods:
A large variety of Foods contain B vitamins, here is a helpful list:
- Almonds
- Asparagus
- Atlantic salmon
- Avocado
- Banana
- Beef
- Black-eyed peas
- Tuna
- Broccoli
- Brown rice
- Brussels sprouts
- Cheese
- Chicken and turkey
- Chickpeas
- Clams
- Eggs
- Fortified breakfast cereal
- Milk
- Mustard greens
- Peanuts
- Pork
- Romaine lettuce
- Shitake mushrooms
- Sockeye salmon
- Spinach
- Sunflower seeds
- Sweet potato
- Yogurt”
What Are the Signs of Vitamin B Complex Deficiency?
The signs of a vitamin B complex deficiency depend on which vitamins you are low on.
Symptoms of low thiamine (B1) include:
- A pins-and-needles sensation in your toes, burning in your feet (especially at night), muscle cramps, and heart abnormalities
- Confusion
- A hard time keeping your balance
- Vision changes
- Memory loss
If you’re low in riboflavin (B2) you might have:
- Pale skin
- Cracks in the corner of your mouth and on the lips
- Sores in the mouth, on the tongue
- A magenta-colored tongue
- Patches that appear red, greasy, or scaly on your nose, above your lips, or on your ears, eyelids, and genitals
Low levels of niacin (B3) can cause:
- A sunburn-like rash that is worse on areas of the skin exposed to the sun
- An inflamed tongue
- Burning and sores in your mouth
- Burning in your throat
- Decreased saliva
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Constipation
- Diarrhea, possibly with blood
- Fatigue
- Insomnia
- Confusion
- Disorientation
- Hallucinations
- Memory loss
- Depression
- Mania
- Paranoia
Pantothenic acid (B5) deficiency can cause:
- Numbness or burning in your hands and feet
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Crankiness
- Restlessness
- Insomnia
- Heartburn
- Diarrhea
- Nausea and vomiting
- Loss of appetite
Low pyridoxine (B6) symptoms are:
- Dermatitis
- A red, greasy, scaly rash
- Numb or prickling hands and feet
- A sore and red tongue
- Cracks in the corners of your mouth
- Confusion
- Crankiness
- Seizures
With low biotin (B7) levels, you might notice:
- Hair loss
- Dry, scaly skin
- Cracking in the corners of your mouth
- A swollen, painful tongue
- Dry eyes
- Loss of appetite
- Fatigue
- Insomnia
- Depression
Signs of a folate ( B9) deficiency include:
- Fatigue
- Pale skin
- Shortness of breath
- Crankiness
- Dizziness
- A red, sore tongue
- Mouth sores
- Reduced sense of taste
- Memory loss
- A hard time concentrating
- Confusion
- Muscle weakness
- Depression
- Weight loss
- Diarrhea
Cobalamin (B12) deficiency causes:
- Rapid breathing
- Headaches
- Stomach upset
- Loss of appetite
- Heart palpitations
- Vision changes
- Fatigue
- Diarrhea
- A sore, red tongue
- Mouth sores
- Loss of memory
- Confusion
- Numbness or a pins-and-needles feeling
- Muscle weakness
- A hard time keeping your balance
- Incontinence (not able to hold your pee)
Vitamin B Complex FAQs
What is B complex good for?
Vitamin B complex helps your body grow and develop, particularly your brain and nervous system.
Is it better to take B12 or B complex?
Most people don’t need to take a B complex supplement, as their diet should provide enough of the vitamins. If you don’t have enough vitamin B12, you can have B12 shots or take it as a tablet, depending on what your doctor recommends. Whether one is better than the other depends on your health and what your doctor advises.
What does vitamin B complex do in the body?
Vitamin B complex mostly helps your body’s cells grow and develop. The vitamins that make up B complex help your nerves, help make red blood cells, support your immune system by helping make white blood cells and T cells, and may even destroy free radicals that cause damage to your body.
Is it OK to take B complex every day?
It’s probably not necessary to take B complex every day if you eat a healthy diet and have no medical conditions that make it difficult to absorb the vitamins from your food. That said, unless your doctor says otherwise, there is usually no harm in taking a daily supplement.
What should you avoid when taking vitamin B complex?
If you are taking vitamin B12, there are some drugs to avoid, or you may have to change the dosage times, because they might stop your body from absorbing the vitamin. This includes colchicine (for gout), proton pump inhibitors (to lower stomach acid production), aminosalicylic acid (for digestive issues), and even vitamin C tablets.