Let’s talk about the eight B complex vitamins and some of the side effects which have been associated with deficiency:

B1/Thiamine – Deficiency symptoms: upset stomach, irritability, lack of energy, memory problems, trouble sleeping,

B2/Riboflavin – Deficiency symptoms: visual problems, skin and tongue inflammation, hair loss, reddening/cracking of the lip corners, trouble sleeping, mental problems

B3/Niacin – Deficiency symptoms: pellagra, which was nicknamed the “four D’s disease” a century ago (dermatitis, dementia diarrhea, death).

B5/Pantothenic Acid – Deficiency symptoms: studies have been done which prove this is essential to human life, but fortunately it’s found in so many foods that deficiency reportedly does not occur

B6/Pyridoxine – Deficiency symptoms: anemia in adults, convulsions in children

B7/Biotin - Deficiency symptoms: a red rash which is scaly in feeling and appearance, hair loss

B9/Folic Acid – Deficiency symptoms: if a pregnant mother is deficiency there are serious birth defects which can occur and if the baby is deficient after birth it can cause anemia

B12/Cobalamins – Deficiency symptoms: permanent nervous system and brain damage, anemia,

An Important Note
Please understand that I am not a medical professional. I’m only a person who studies health and nutrition as a hobby. Therefore, if you believe you may have a vitamin B complex deficiency, you need to speak to a doctor – don’t try to self diagnose or self treat. The information on this site is not medical advice.

Should you be worried about B complex deficiency?
Before you freak out, there are a couple important things to make note of. First of all, many of the B complex deficiency symptoms can be caused by totally different things also. Secondly, deficiency is extremely rare in developed nations since we eat balanced diets. However, there are a couple ways it can still occur…

(1) People who have poor absorption due to digestive problems
When this is the case, doctors may recommend a liquid vitamin B complex for easier absorption and/or they may administer injections

(2) It’s impossible for people who adhere to a strictly plant based to obtain B12 from their food
If this describes you, then a vitamin B12 supplement is absolutely necessary, which can be obtained through a vitamin store.

Q: Are the B complex vitamins really needed?

A: In one word… YES! This category is made up of the fundamental B vitamins which are mandatory for human life. If you aren’t consuming enough of them naturally (or your body isn’t absorbing enough of it) then you will need to get B complex vitamins from another source.

Which B vitamins are included in the complex?
Did you know there are dozens of different B vitamins? However many of them appear to have no nutritional value. Under the basic definition, the complex is the category of the eight “B’s” which our bodies must have; B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, and B12. Don’t be shocked if you haven’t heard of some of these numbers, because many are more commonly known by different names – i.e. folic acid is actually B9. Each of them serve various purposes but many of their benefits overlap, too. There are roughly twenty of vitamins. In addition to these 8, there are roughly 15 to 20 other known (or suspected) vitamins in this family, but scientists have concluded they don’t serve any nutritional purpose for humans.
Are B complex vitamin supplements required?

If you have a balanced diet and have a normal functioning body then you probably get all of the essential B’s and a supplement is not required. But some (specifically B12) only come from animal proteins, so if you are a vegan than you cannot get them without taking a supplement of some type. So in a nutshell, the chances are that most of us get the recommended daily allowance (RDA) naturally. But, there is quite a bit of research out there that appears to suggest that intake greater than that amount may offer additional benefits for some B vitamins.

What are the alleged benefits of extra B vitamins?
Because some vitamin B’s are necessary for energy production in your cells, they are most known for their energy benefits. It’s also interesting when you consider that every one of us has a different absorption rate and requirement for the B complex vitamins.

Therefore, even though the base requirement is the recommended daily allowance, it’s a known fact that some people need and benefit from more than that amount. For example, those whom do not absorb the average amount and those whom simply need more. This is why those whom are involved in sports and certain physical activities that have above-average energy needs are often given a B12 patch, supplement, or shot.

The “super” complex contains all of the essential B vitamins. Not only are these B vitamins necessary to sustain life, but there’s also a wide array of benefits that comes with them… they help your heart, boost your immune system , and your body needs them for energy production. So it’s clear why B complex vitamins are so beneficial.

We obtain B vitamins in what we eat. They are most commonly found in meat and dairy. It’s not possible to obtain them all through plant derived food alone. In fact, B12 is not found in any quantity whatsoever in plants. Rather, bacteria inside bodies create it through what is known as biosynthesis.

So many people nowadays think they can just skip taking their vitamins because they’re not needed. I used to think the same way. I figured because I had a healthy diet that I didn’t need them. I thought that I got all these things naturally, and buying some silly supplements were just a waste of time and money. Well nothing could be further from the truth. This is especially true if you consume you don’t consume adequate amounts of each food group (as discussed above). It’s completely fine to go veg, but you just want to make sure you buy supplements to get the necessary vitamins and minerals.

Super B Complex History
It was initially discovered by Elmer McCollum sometime around 1915 to 1916 (the exact date is not known). Initially it was thought to be a single vitamin, but in the years and decades that followed scientists discovered there were actually a number of different B vitamins. A super B complex benefits the body by including all of them which are essential and necessary for life.

Super B Complex Energy Benefits
All your cells in your body have something in common, and that is that they all need the essential B vitamins in order to metabolize energy properly. You probably already get enough of them through what you consume. But sometimes, people have stomach, intestines, etc. which are not normal. This could be due to aging, to surgery, or unfortunately just part of aging. Whatever the case, if you’re not getting enough (or simply not absorbing enough) then you will want to chat with your doctor to find out if you need something like a super B complex to restore your body to normal levels.