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Did you know there’s more than one vitamin B? Each has a different (and very important job) so you might consider a vitamin B complex to cover all bases
Summary
1The benefits of B vitamins
Not to put too fine a point on it, but each B vitamin is responsible for keeping you alive…
2The different types of B vitamins
Eight B vitamins make up the full vitamin B complex. However, apart from biotin, these vitamins don’t occur naturally in the human body…
3How the B vitamins work together
As we’ve found out, all B vitamins are important individually, but some of them also work together…
Heard about all the different B vitamins but not sure what they do for your body and whether it’s worth supplementing just one or all of them? You’ve come to the right place.
We’ll be discussing the different types of B vitamins, what they do, what foods you can find them in and the benefits of taking a vitamin B complex – a supplement that combines all eight essential B vitamins.
The benefits of B vitamins
Not to put too fine a point on it, but each B vitamin is responsible for keeping you alive.1,2
B vitamins play key roles in enabling specific pathways in your body, which generate other essential micronutrients. This means that other micronutrients can’t fulfil their intended purpose in your body without the help of B vitamins.2
Additionally, the major function of the B vitamins is to help keep your nervous system healthy and support your body in releasing energy from the food you eat.3 Some – vitamins B12, B6 and folic acid – help your body make red blood cells, while others (like biotin) are important for healthy skin and hair.3,4
Keep reading to find out more about what each B vitamin is specifically responsible for in your body.
The different types of B vitamins
Eight B vitamins make up the full vitamin B complex.1,3,4 However, apart from biotin, these vitamins don’t occur naturally in the human body.1 So, we need to make sure we’re either getting enough through our food or taking a vitamin B complex supplement, which provides all eight B vitamins in one dose.4,
Each B vitamin has specific functions and is essential for your health and wellbeing:1,3-5
- vitamin B1 (thiamine) – contributes to the normal function of the heart
- vitamin B2 (riboflavin) – supports normal vision, protects cells from oxidative stress and helps iron metabolise normally
- vitamin B3 (niacin) – helps your body release energy from food and keeps your nervous system healthy
- vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) – contributes to normal mental performance
- vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) – helps your body to regulate hormone activity and supports normal protein metabolism
- vitamin B7 (biotin) – helps your body break down macronutrients (fat, protein and carbohydrates) from the food we eat to turn them into energy, and contributes to the maintenance of normal skin and hair
- vitamin B9 (folate) – helps your body form healthy red blood cells and reduces the risk of birth defects in unborn babies, so a folate supplement can be especially useful for pregnant people
- vitamin B12 (cobalamin) – contributes to normal psychological function and the reduction of tiredness and fatigue
To find out more, visit our guide on ‘What does vitamin B do?’.
How the B vitamins work together
As we’ve found out, all B vitamins are important individually, but some of them also work together. Different combinations of B vitamins help to release energy from the food you eat and to keep your blood, skin and nervous system healthy.1,6
For example, vitamins B1, B6 and B12 interact with each other to help maintain the health of your nervous system.6
As a result, it’s essential to get a good balance of all of the B vitamins to make sure they can keep your body functioning optimally.3
Foods rich in B vitamins
Overall, eating a balanced varied diet including plenty of meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, green leafy veg and wholegrains should give most people enough B vitamins.
Here are some excellent food-based sources of vitamin B:3,7-9
- vitamin B1 (thiamine) – peas, fresh fruits (such as bananas and oranges), nuts, wholegrain breads, some fortified breakfast cereals, liver (should be avoided if you’re pregnant)
- vitamin B2 (riboflavin) – milk, eggs, fortified breakfast cereals, mushrooms, plain yoghurt
- vitamin B3 (niacin) – meat, fish, wheat flour, eggs
- vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) – chicken, beef, liver (should be avoided if you’re pregnant) and kidneys, eggs, mushrooms, avocado
- vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) – pork, poultry (such as chicken or turkey), some fish, peanuts, soya beans, wheatgerm, oats, bananas, milk, some fortified breakfast cereals
- vitamin B7 (biotin) – organ meats, eggs, fish, seeds, soybeans, nuts
- vitamin B9 (folate) – broccoli, brussels sprouts, leafy green vegetables (such as cabbage, kale, spring greens and spinach), peas, chickpeas and kidney beans, liver (should be avoided if you’re pregnant), breakfast cereals fortified with folic acid
- vitamin B12 (cobalamin) – meat, fish, milk, cheese, eggs, some fortified breakfast cereals
Vitamin B supplements
Some of the B vitamins, such as biotin, are only needed in small amounts and most people should be able to get enough through their diet. 1,3
However, anyone following a strict vegan diet will struggle to get vitamin B12 from their food alone, as this vitamin is almost exclusively found in meat, fish and dairy products (visit our guide on the top foods & sources of vitamin B12 to find out more).1,3,8,9
If that’s you, you may wish to take a supplement. You can also check out these three ways vegans can get more B12 in their diet.
In addition, although it’s not difficult to get most of the B vitamins from your food, they’re water-soluble.10 This means that your body cannot store them and their main properties are partly lost when food is washed or boiled.10
As a result, no matter what your diet is like, you may prefer to take a vitamin B complex to make sure you’ve got your bases covered. However, it’s recommended that if you do take supplements to not take too much as this might be harmful.3
The final say
In short, the eight B vitamins are responsible for keeping your nervous system working normally and supporting your body in releasing energy from the food you eat, among other functions.1
All B vitamins have their own unique properties and benefits, but they also frequently work together to keep your body ticking smoothly.1,3 This means that you need to make sure you’re getting plenty of all eight B vitamins.
To find out our top vitamin B complex supplement recommendations, you can read our article on the topic. Otherwise, you can find our full range of vitamin B supplements on our website.
The advice in this article is for information only and should not replace medical care. Please check with your GP or healthcare professional before trying any supplements, treatments or remedies. Food supplements must not be used as a substitute for a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.
- Peterson CT, et al. B vitamins and their role in immune regulation and cancer. Nutrients. 2020;12(11):3380. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12113380
- Billman GE. Homeostasis: The underappreciated and far too often ignored central organizing principle of physiology. Front Physiol. 2020;11:200. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2020.00200
- NHS. B vitamins and folic acid - Vitamins and minerals [Internet]. [Cited 2024 Jun 22]. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/vitamin-b/
- Ali MA, et al. Dietary vitamin B complex: Orchestration in human nutrition throughout life with sex differences. Nutrients. 2022;14(19):3940. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14193940
- European Commission. Food and Feed Information Portal Database: Health Claims [Internet]. [cited 2025 Feb 6]. Available from: https://ec.europa.eu/food/food-feed-portal/screen/health-claims/eu-register
- Calderón‐Ospina CA, Nava-Mesa MO. B Vitamins in the nervous system: Current knowledge of the biochemical modes of action and synergies of thiamine, pyridoxine, and cobalamin. CNS Neurosci Ther. 2019;26(1):5–13. https://doi.org/10.1111/cns.13207
- Hanna M, et al. B vitamins: Functions and uses in medicine. Perm J. 2022;26(2):89–97. https://doi.org/10.7812/tpp/21.204
- Butola LK, et al. Vitamin B12 - Do you know everything? J Evol Med Dent Sci. 2020;9(42):3139–46. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344804062_Vitamin_B12_-Do_You_Know_Everything
- Gille D, Schmid A. Vitamin B12 in meat and dairy products. Nutr Rev. 2015;73(2):106–15. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1093/nutrit/nuu011
- Hrubša M, et al. Biological properties of vitamins of the B-complex, part 1: Vitamins B1, B2, B3, and B5. Nutrients. 2022;14(3):484. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14030484
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