Vitamin B Complex

Tracy Owen © Goodness Direct 2006

B Vitamins are vital for human life. They help to release energy from foods and maintain the health of the nerves.

We need to eat various foods daily to maintain good blood levels, as B Vitamins are water-soluble and will not be stored by the body. At certain times in our lives we will need more of the B Vitamins than others, and ideally it should come from a variety of wholegrains and cereals, nuts, pulses, meat, poultry, fish, liver, eggs, potatoes, bananas, dried fruit, yeast extract, brewer's yeast and green leafy vegetables. However, in todays hectic lifestyle this is not always possible, and therefore supplementation may prove to be of benefit to maintaining our health.

The Vitamin B Complex is made up of 8 vitamins (see below), and it is important to find a compound which comprises a measure of each when choosing a supplement:

Vitamin B1 (thiamin) is essential for healthy nerves and release of energy from food.

Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) helps to utilise energy from food, and is involved in the transporting and metabolism of iron around the body.

Niacin plays a role in over 50 different processes in the body - including promoting healthy skin.

Pantothenic acid is well known for helping to maintain healthy hair, and it helps the body and nervous system to deal with everyday stresses and strains.

Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) is well known for helping to ease PMS, and is also needed for protein metabolism, nerve function and health of the red blood cells.

Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) is especially important for nerve cell communication and formation of red blood cells. It is a supplement commonly taken by vegetarians and vegans as its main source is animal based foods.

Biotin is required for the utilisation of fatty acids and glucose, and also for healthy sking and hair.

Folic acid helps the body to produce red blood cells. It is especially used during pregnancy to safeguard against neural tube defects in the foetus (such as spina bifida or cleft palate).

Other items of interest

Take a look at our selection of B Vitamin Supplements

These vitamins occur in the same foods, and were originally thought to be one and the same vitamin (B). Although the functions may overlap, it was later discovered that they were in fact vitamins each with a specific role to play, hence they were grouped together as the B Complex.

As discoveries were made as to the exact compounds of what were originally thought to be vitamins, certain 'vitamins' such as B4 and B7 were no included in the B Complex – hence the gaps!