In 1912, a Polish chemist named Casimir Funk discovered a substance vital to human health that the body cannot produce on its own. He called it a “vitamine,” a portmanteau of “vital” and “amine” (due to a mistaken belief that this substance was an amino acid). Things got slightly more complicated when another such substance was found, but the scientists handled it with aplomb: They called one “vitamin A” and the other — do you see where this is going? — “vitamin B.” Then came C, and D, followed by E, and then K, as several compounds in a row (F, G, H, I, and J, presumably), didn’t pass vitamin muster.
But then things started getting messy. When researchers began to realize that vitamin B was actually an entire family of substances, similar in form and function, but unique in the roles they play in human health. Instead of adding more letters (there weren’t that many left, and who knew where this proliferation of Bs was going to end), the namers turned to numbers: B1, B2, B3, B5, and so on.
A few things here. First, there’s no B4, which you could charitably chalk up to not wanting to be responsible for the following hypothetical conversation:
Parent: “Did you take your B4?”
Child: “Did I take my what before?”
Thank you, science.
Second, while there are eight B vitamins, there are no B batteries, which feels suspicious to me.
And third, the Bs aren’t even named in chronological order. If you peruse the 1,098-page classic, Handbook of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Fourth Edition, by Lundblad and McDonald, you’ll learn that B12 was first identified in 1926, while B3 wasn’t discovered until 1936. Either these folks had other things on their minds, or time travel is real. You decide.
Anyway, none of that is to take away from the importance of the B family of vitamins. In fact, all of them are essential for a healthy body and mind, and play an integral role in how your body functions, starting at a cellular level.
Conventional nutritional wisdom holds that the best places to find B vitamins are in animal products, where you can generally find them in abundance. But is it possible to get what you need from plant-based foods? What are the health benefits and risks of the various B vitamins? And should you supplement? These are the questions that we’ll tackle in this article. And we won’t take 1,098 pages to do it.
What Are the B Vitamins?
B vitamins refer to a group of eight different vitamins that make up what’s often called the B-complex. The B vitamins are:
- Thiamin (vitamin B1)
- Riboflavin (vitamin B2)
- Niacin (vitamin B3)
- Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5)
- Pyridoxine (vitamin B6)
- Biotin (vitamin B7)
- Folate (vitamin B9)
- Cobalamin (vitamin B12)
This group of vitamins helps your body convert food into energy — a process known as metabolism — as well as create new blood cells. They’re also important for the maintenance of healthy skin cells, brain cells, and other body tissues.
Like vitamin C, the B vitamins are water-soluble. Unlike the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, which are best absorbed when ingested alongside dietary fats, the water-soluble vitamins can be taken with water and then used by your body. Bacteria in the intestinal tract of animals produce B vitamins, which is why some nutritionists have recommended eating animals to meet your daily requirement. This isn’t necessary, as many plants also contain these nutrients (see below for examples).
In fact, scientists recently discovered that bacteria in the human microbiome also generate B vitamins. This makes logical sense, given that humans are, in fact, animals, but there are a couple of reasons that we can’t rely exclusively on our internal B factories.
First, not every human digestive tract produces enough of these compounds. Second, you absorb B vitamins in the small intestines, but the bacteria that manufacture these vitamins are located in your large intestines. Since the large intestines are the next to last stop on the poop train, it’s not clear how fully and efficiently those vitamins get to their absorption sites.
For these reasons, many of us need to be intentional with our dietary sources of B vitamins to make sure we’re getting enough. Given that there are eight of them, that might seem like a full-time job. But luckily, most B vitamins are found together in many foods, making this task much simpler than keeping track of each one separately.
8 Key Benefits of the B Vitamins
1. Protect Against Diabetes
Getting enough B vitamins is important for regulating your blood sugar. Lower levels of B1, B6, and B7 have been observed in people with diabetes, and supplementing these has been shown to improve metabolic control. Additionally, pharmaceutical doses of B1 and B3 may be useful to prevent kidney and cardiovascular complications in people with type 2 diabetes. The absorption of B9 and B12 has been found to decrease with metformin use, a drug commonly used to manage blood sugar in type 2 diabetes. So if you have type 2 diabetes or other conditions that require close monitoring of your blood glucose, it’s extra important to make sure you’re getting enough of those two B vitamins.
2. Protect Against Heart Disease
Vitamins B6, B9, and B12 help reduce levels of the amino acid homocysteine, which contributes to increased cardiovascular disease risk when elevated (called hyperhomocysteinemia, and worth 8 gazillion points in Scrabble). These B vitamins improve vascular endothelial function and help keep your blood vessels dilated, which supports healthy circulation and is good for your heart.
Vitamins B3 and B5 have traditionally been associated with improving cholesterol — B3, aka niacin, in particular, was once widely used as a cholesterol-lowering drug, first identified as lowering cholesterol in 1955 and used clinically for decades before the rise of statins.
The picture has grown more complicated since niacin’s cholesterol-fighting heyday in the 1950s. Research has consistently shown that high-dose niacin supplementation does not meaningfully reduce cardiovascular events when added to statin therapy. In fact, too much niacin can actually be dangerous. A 2024 study published in Nature Medicine found that excess niacin produces a metabolite called 4PY that may actually promote vascular inflammation and increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.
As a result, high-dose niacin is no longer recommended as a standard treatment for high cholesterol. There’s still plenty of positive news about niacin from whole food sources, though. Getting your B3 from foods like brown rice, nuts, seeds, legumes, and bananas is still good for you and doesn’t carry these risks.
3. Protect the Brain and Prevent or Treat Alzheimer’s Disease
Vitamins B2, B6, B9, and B12 play a role in cognitive health, and a 2025 systematic review of 17 clinical trials found that supplementing with them offered a modest benefit on global cognitive function in older adults.
Some observational studies have found an association between low serum folate (B9) levels, worse cognitive function, and a higher risk for Alzheimer’s. And low serum B12 is also associated with poor brain function. Vitamin B1 is a key factor in protecting against alcohol-related dementia, as it can prevent the accumulation of iron deposits in the brain that lead to deterioration. B1 may also have the potential to help people with mild Alzheimer’s, according to a recent small exploratory clinical trial published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.
All that said, while the associations between B vitamins and brain health are real, it’s not clear yet whether B vitamin supplementation can meaningfully prevent or slow cognitive decline.
4. Protect Against Cancer
Getting your B vitamins may boost your protection against certain cancers. Vitamins B2, B6, and B9 have been shown to work against cancerous tumors when applied to lymphoma cells in a lab setting. Vitamin B6 has also been shown to reduce the risk of lung cancer. In one study, researchers followed almost 160,000 women for 18 years and found that women who took at least 50 milligrams per day of supplemental vitamin B6 had a 16% reduction in lung cancer risk compared to those who did not take the vitamin.
And while a 2017 study appeared to suggest that vitamin B12 supplementation might increase lung cancer risk among men, especially if they smoked, data from many randomized controlled trials have found that there’s no reason to believe B12 supplementation has any adverse effect on cancer risk. In fact, a small study among 400 Canadian women found that supplemental B9 and B12 could reduce the risk for breast cancer, particularly among those with BRCA1 gene mutations.
5. Improve Mood
All B vitamins — and especially B6, B9, and B12 — seem to help prevent depression, stress, and anxiety. A 2019 meta-analysis and review of 16 studies concluded that, compared with a placebo, B vitamin supplements appear to help improve overall mood and reduce stress, especially among people at higher risk of poor nutrition or with poor mood. (For people who prefer plain talk, I think “poor mood status” can be translated to “feeling crappy.”)
6. Protect Against Birth Defects
The B vitamins are also crucial for supporting a healthy pregnancy and normal fetal development. Getting enough B9 and B12 is important to the development of a baby’s spinal cord. This is why it’s standard practice to educate mothers-to-be on supplementing with folic acid and eating folate (B9)-rich foods like dark leafy greens, lentils, and oranges during pregnancy, to meet their minimum 400 micrograms per day requirement of this nutrient. In addition, some research suggests that vitamin B3 may help bypass genetic mutations that can cause certain birth defects or an increased risk of miscarriage.
7. Balance Hormones
B vitamins have many roles within the reproductive system and may help naturally maintain hormonal balance. Many women find success with supplemental vitamin B6 for alleviating nausea associated with morning sickness, as well as reducing symptoms of premenstrual syndrome. And vitamins B3 and B5 are needed for hormone production in the adrenal glands, including sex and stress hormones.
8. Keep Nails, Hair, and Skin Healthy
All of the B vitamins may work together to keep your hair, skin, and nails healthy, but B7, B9, and B12 may be especially helpful. Biotin (B7) deficiency often presents as brittle nails, hair loss, and skin rash, and while evidence is mostly anecdotal, biotin supplementation is often used in hopes of improving these conditions. Changes in your nails are often the result of micronutrient deficiencies, including an array of B vitamins. In fact, a B12 deficiency may show up as entirely blue nails or other dark pigmentation. And a folate (B9) deficiency can cause your nails to become brittle and rigid.
For more information about how to eat for healthy nails and hair, here’s our full article.
And for an article about the best foods for healthy skin, we’ve got you covered as well.
Sources of B Vitamins
Now that you know how important B vitamins are to your health, where can you find them? Fortunately, there are many sources of B vitamins in whole foods that you may already enjoy — or can easily add to your diet.
B Vitamin Food Sources
Most B vitamins can be found in animal products, like meat, fish, eggs, and dairy, but some of the best sources are plant-based and include whole grains, legumes, seeds, nuts, leafy greens, fortified foods, bananas, mushrooms, avocado, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and broccoli.
More specifically, below are some of the best places to find each of the eight B-complex vitamins from plant-based foods:
- Vitamin B1: beans, peas, lentils, and sunflower seeds
- Vitamin B2: almonds, tofu, mushrooms, avocado, and spinach
- Vitamin B3: brown rice, nuts, seeds, legumes, and bananas
- Vitamin B5: mushrooms, avocado, nuts, seeds, potatoes, brown rice, oats, and broccoli
- Vitamin B6: chickpeas, dark leafy greens, papayas, bananas, oranges, and cantaloupe
- Vitamin B7: sweet potatoes, nuts, seeds, and avocado
- Vitamin B9: dark leafy greens, beans, peanuts, sunflower seeds, and oranges.
- Vitamin B12: fortified nutritional yeast and breakfast cereals, as well as enriched plant-based milks and yogurts
B Vitamin Supplements
Most of the B vitamins (other than B12) can be obtained from eating a variety of whole foods. But you may want to supplement with certain ones if you don’t think you get enough from your diet, or if you fall into a group at higher risk of deficiencies.
You may want to consider supplementing with folic acid — the more bioavailable synthetic form of folate — if you fall into a group that’s at higher risk for folate deficiency, like pregnant women and people with a history of chronic alcohol use.
Vitamin B12 also deserves extra attention because it’s not readily found in plant foods. Still, it’s not just plant-based eaters who are at risk. In fact, one study conducted in 2000 by researchers at Tufts University found that nearly 40% had marginal B12 status, though only about 9% fell below the deficiency threshold.. As such, supplementation may be advisable for most people and is strongly recommended for vegans. For more on B12, see our article here.)
If you choose to supplement, you’ll most often find all the B vitamins combined as a B-complex. Alternatively, you can take individual B vitamin supplements, but this isn’t usually necessary. The exceptions are if you know you’re deficient in certain ones or want to maximize a specific B vitamin and not the others.
It’s also worth noting that if you choose to take a daily multivitamin with minerals, it likely contains all the B vitamins.
Risks of Taking B Vitamin Supplements
Risks of potentially overdosing on B vitamins are usually associated with taking too many B vitamin supplements, not with eating too many foods rich in them. And in general, risks associated with taking B vitamin supplements are rare because of their water-soluble nature. If you consume too much, your body will eliminate the excess through urine. Despite this built-in “overflow mechanism,” an overdose of B-complex is possible and may result in symptoms like excessive thirst, skin rashes or flushing, blurred vision, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, increased urination, and diarrhea.
It’s also worth addressing niacin (vitamin B3) specifically, since it was historically prescribed at high pharmacological doses to lower LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol. At those levels, a common side effect is the “niacin flush” — a reddening of the skin, often around the face and neck, typically appearing within 30 minutes of ingestion.
While the flush itself is not dangerous, high-dose niacin carries more serious concerns. As we’ve seen, excess niacin may increase cardiovascular risk. For this reason, high-dose niacin supplementation should only be pursued under the direct supervision of a healthcare provider, and for most people with high cholesterol, other evidence-based options are now preferred. Again, there’s no need to worry about overdosing on niacin from brown rice or lentils; food-sourced B3 doesn’t carry these risks. As a side note, many internet sites recommend the niacin flush as a strategy to pass a drug test if you’d otherwise test positive for THC (the active ingredient in marijuana). Let me save you some time: It doesn’t work. (I say this as a student of research, and not from personal experience.)
One more oddity: People who take supplemental B2 (riboflavin) may find that they develop abnormally bright or neon yellow urine. If this happens to you, don’t worry. You aren’t necessarily dehydrated, and you certainly aren’t in danger of turning yellow. Your body is just excreting some of the riboflavin that it doesn’t need. Just pretend you’re a human highlighter or superhero from the planet Neon.
Testing for Deficiency
If you’re experiencing symptoms that might signal a B vitamin deficiency — like unusual fatigue, a skin rash, numbness or tingling in the hands or feet, tongue inflammation, or signs of anemia — it’s worth talking to your healthcare provider. Testing looks different depending on which B vitamin is in question. B12 and folate are the two most routinely tested, usually with a simple blood draw; for B12 specifically, your provider may also check related markers like homocysteine or methylmalonic acid, since a normal B12 level doesn’t always rule out a deficiency. The other B vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, B6, and biotin) aren’t part of a standard panel and require more specialized functional testing that’s mostly used in research or specialized clinical settings rather than routine bloodwork — so a deficiency in one of these is more often diagnosed by symptoms and response to treatment than by a lab test. In some cases, a 24-hour urine collection can help pin down whether a B12 deficiency is caused by inadequate absorption rather than diet, but it isn’t a routine first step. Either way, your symptoms and history give your healthcare provider the starting point for figuring out the right approach.
Some people are at higher risk for B vitamin deficiencies and may want to discuss testing proactively, even without obvious symptoms. This includes people with a history of heavy alcohol use, malabsorption conditions like Crohn’s disease or celiac disease, those who have had bariatric surgery, older adults, and people eating a fully plant-based diet, particularly regarding B12.
It’s also worth knowing that doctors sometimes skip formal testing when symptoms and context make a deficiency highly likely and simply recommend supplementation to see if things improve. If they do, that’s useful information in itself.
Vitamin B-Strong Recipes
With the exception of B12, getting plenty of B vitamins on a plant-based diet can be easy when you add a variety of whole, healing plant-based foods to your plate. Mushrooms may not shout “we’re good for you” as loudly as kale, but they sure do pack a lot of nutrition, including several B vitamins. Add fortified nutritional yeast and whole grain breadcrumbs to Super Stuffed Mushrooms, and you get a B vitamin smorgasbord!
Sweet and Savory African Soup — is it soup or breakfast? The truth of the matter is that we like to enjoy this B-vitamin-rich soup for dinner, then devour the tasty leftovers for breakfast (because it gets even better overnight!). So, it’s your choice; enjoy it for soup, breakfast, or any time of the day.
Finally, B vitamins never tasted as good as they do in the Chunky Monkey Smoothie. Chocolate and vitamins? Who knew!
1. Super Stuffed Mushrooms
Starting with the superstar mushroom, you get a rich source of B vitamins like riboflavin, niacin, and pantothenic acid. Add nutritional yeast for B12 (if it’s fortified). Then get even more B vitamins by using whole grain bread for breadcrumbs, which provide folate and thiamine. This appetizer is not only tasty but it’s also a B-vitamin jamboree!
2. Sweet and Savory African Peanut Soup
What’s in this soup that doesn’t contain an abundance of B vitamins? Not much! Peanut butter, chickpeas, sweet potatoes, and spinach all provide a variety of B vitamins to support brain health, heart health, cancer prevention, and mood. Plus, it is pretty delicious!
3. Chunky Monkey Smoothie
Vitamins never tasted so good! Getting your daily dose of B vitamins in a healthy, indulgent smoothie might be the most fun and delicious way to support brain, heart, and skin health. You’d never know that leafy greens snuck their way into this creamy chocolate-y blend!
B Vitamins Can Be Easy
B vitamins are important to just about every system in your body. And they’re protective against common and potentially lethal chronic diseases, as well as important for a healthy pregnancy, for hormone production, and for your hair, skin, and nails. While all the B vitamins can be found in whole foods, a few people may struggle to get enough of them. However, avoiding deficiency is relatively easy with testing when indicated and, in some cases, by adding appropriate supplements. Hopefully, this article has helped you to B proactive with your wellbeing!
Editor’s note: If you’re considering a B-complex supplement, quality matters. Our favorite is Organic B Complete by Purity Woods, which offers a balanced blend of all eight essential B vitamins, including the crucial B12, in safe and effective amounts. In addition to being 100% vegan, certified organic, gluten-free, and non-GMO, the vitamins in this formula are sourced exclusively from real plant foods like organic beetroot, guava leaf extract, and holy basil leaf extract.
Click here to learn more and enjoy a special Food Revolution Network discount.
If you make a purchase through that link, Purity Woods will contribute a portion of the proceeds to support Food Revolution Network’s mission. (Thank you!)
Tell us in the comments:
- Do you take B-complex or any individual B vitamin supplements?
- Have you ever experienced a deficiency in any of the B vitamins? What did that look like for you?
- Where do you find B vitamins in your diet?
Feature image: iStock.com/OksanaKiian
How about pantoprazole and vitamin B12?
would you help me in this moment and cut to the chase………( I say that graciously) and tell me which ones should I take of the Bs or a complex of all of them
Check with your doctor the possibility of having PV – Polycythemia Vera
I take B12, being vegetarian for more than 45 years only breaking my diet 30 years ago while struggling to compete in triathlon events at a high level. Not much info at that time. I have high levels of red blood cells. Now 72 I am not strict to veggies, fruits, nuts…., eating organic eggs and occasionally home made yougurt
I struggle to maintain my red blood counts in a healthy level.
Oh my. I’ve been taking thyroid meds for over 65 years and specifically Cytomel or T3 for maybe 12-15 years. I need to take potassium with it? The T3 was added because I hardly had energy to push one foot ahead of the other.
I take a B complex plus B2 for autoimmune headaches (advice of my MD) plus B12. I stopped trembling in the night after 400 B complex every day.
Yes a multi vitamin Organic one
Love the recipes and bookmarked them so hope they stay up on the website. For most of my adult life, I took high dose B complex supplements, thousands of times MDR with no side effects for the energy needed with my very active metabolism and lifestyle, borderline anemia and hypoglycemia. About 20 years ago, in my early 60s, I read high dosages could be a strain on certain organs and changed to very absorbable liquid multi-vitamins with more normal levels. Now in my early 80s, doing more physical work than most adults, I tire easily, and occasionally add a sublingual B12. I’m thinking of adding in the super high potency complex some days. I take vitamins first thing in the morning with coffee only and calcium and other minerals at bedtime. Does the research say anything specific about high dosage B vitamins for older adults?
Thanks for all you do, Ocean. I listen to most all your webinars and appreciate your guides.
Fabulous article!!
Altho a serious topic, you had me smiling, grimming and even laughing out loud.
Expertly done!
Packed with relevant and useful info. Sent it to over 20 folks.
Thank you so much!!
Wonder if B vitamins could help for actinic keratosis and other benign skin conditions?
Yes I take a multi vitamin from Usana which includes the B Complex Vitamins. I also take 500 mg of Niacin to maintain my cholesterol levels around 150.
My concern is more about overdose on B12. When I test the results have always been over 1200 or over 2000, never pined down to a specific number or range.
Additionally, Vitamin B6 supplementation can aggravate neuropathy in women over 70, especially if taken in high doses for extended periods.
A million thanks. This was a helpful overview of benfits of B-complex and what foods are B-rich. Also appreciate the humor.
I do take a multi B supplement, but read thru Dr. Gregor, that B12 needs saliva to be absorbed. I take a B12 (cyanocobalamin) sublingual tablet every day. I tested B12 deficiency even while taking the B-complex pill. It didn’t correct itself until I started taking the sublingual tablet. I also feel much better mentally.
Thank you for this great B Vitamin article! Yes, I take a Vitamin B Complex supplement daily with the 8 B’s, plus Vit. C and Choline Bitartrate along with some fat at breakfast. I always eat a dark leafy green salad at suppertime with about 15-20 ingredients in it mostly from our garden (wood sorrel, wild spinach, kale, Swiss chard, carrots, peppers, celery, onion, two kinds of mint, basil, dry oregano, Sungold tomatoes, a few fresh red raspberries on top and I sprinkle chia seeds on top. I make my own dressing from olive oil, balsamic vinegar, tahini, mustard, garlic powder, fresh ginger and maple syrup that our neighbors “gift” us each year that they tap from their trees. I’ve been making it for years and use an old salsa bottle that’s easy to pour from as I’ve broken a few of the other glass bottles over time. : ) What cost effective lab work would you recommend that I ask my health practitioner to run at my next annual visit to monitor my B levels?
My B 12 Complex with Hydroxocobalamin makes me sleepy. 🥱🤔
I was diagnosed with celiac at age 60 was concerned with malabsorption but found little info on what supplements I should be taking. I am also hypothyroid. Consequently,
I alternate taking a multivitamin one day and a B Complex the next, both with 3000 IU of D3. Is this appropriate?
Hi, I had estrogen positive breast ca and perimenopausal. I was told I should not take b12. so I am afraid to take a b12
So, how did you handle the pain of the shingles attack during those 2 weeks?
I have taken B complex pills for many years, and think they are important.
Thank you for the article I will forward it to many.
I am 100% plant based and was taking B12, as per the instructions on the bottle. After a few months I started getting migraines, regularly – after taking the B12. Blood test revealed I had waaaay over the normal range of B12. I didn’t think this was possible with a water based vitamin and thought my body would use what it needed and I’d pee out the rest! I stopped taking the B12 supplement and my migraines stopped. It took a lot of interest searching to find anything on having too high B12.
I take 1/4 tsp niacinamide twice a day. Because I have psoriasis and I have had actinic keratosis that were burned off or I use salicylic acid. Because of psoriasis, the SUN is the best healing. So niacinamide is supposedly good for skin, psoriasis and hopefully a preventative for actinic keratosis. The dermatologist thought it was okay to take. Your thoughts please? What’s considered a high dose?
I appreciate your perspective and humor. Thank you; however, one must begin to differentiate what we know about these vitamins’ effects, and what we see with their chemically derived pieces effects, often called vitamins. B3 in whole food form has not side effects. Folate is toxic to 50% who lack the enzyme to convert it to methyl B9, and so much more. Stick with fresh whole food, and consider blending with organic stabilized rice bran, with B1-8, not 9, all whole food. Great to add to fresh vegetable smoothies. Never use frozen F/V, they are dead food, broken C molecules, and potentially toxic. See, “Mineral Medicine, the Missing Elements that Change Everything,” 2026 Amazon. Vitamins cannot work without minerals. over 95% are severely deficient. Over 90% are severely deficient in Potassium inside their cells. HTMA is required to measure it. T3 cannot work without Potassium inside the cells. The average level seen is 15% of normal. No one is looking and those that do, do not typically understand what they are seeing. Diet is most important. EMF may be affecting Ca channels. HTMA is essential to healthfulness.
Robert Thompson, MD
I was diagnosed with toxic levels of B-6 two years ago and do not take any B6 supplements. Many doctors don’t know about this dangerous toxicity & I had to teach them. I try to eat foods that contain B’s. My body got toxic from too much turmeric/cucermin supplements for inflammation. I took these for quite awhile as well as a multivitamin. Can you direct me on moving forward and achieving healthy results? Thank you
One thing that you failed to mention with regard to the B vitamins is, they are all cofactors with each other, thus taking a high amount of a single B vitamin like B12 can precipitate a folate deficiency and vice versa, taking folic acid alone or by itself in a higher dose can precipitate a B12 deficiency thus if you’re going to take single B vitamins, it is always best to take a B complex with it. Overall, an excellent article well written, especially giving plant based sources of the B’s
I have a genetic disorder called MTHFR which if you have both varients can interfer with the absorbtion of B12 and Folate causing a rise in homocysteine levels predisposing one to cardiac issues and an increased chance of blood clots. Unfortunately, my sister found this out when she got a pulmonary embolism out of the blue.A simple blood test can determine if you have the gene so I requested the test and found that I had both the varients of the gene. Because the B-12 and Folate are not well absorbed by through food or most oral supplements, I take a B-12 and methyl folate sublingualy under the tongue. This was the recommendation of my hematologist. I get the Jarrows brand.
Shingles. I went racing to a Naturopathic Doctor when I was hit with a horrible, painful rash. He took one look and said, “Shingles. Most everyone thinks it is a leftover of Chicken Pox,” he said, “but it isn’t. It’s vitamin B deficiency. Get the most potent B-complex you can find. At least 1000%. Make sure it’s all eight B’s. And be faithful and take it every day for at least a month.” But it only took two weeks for the rash to completely disappear. I continued it for a month but have taken it off and on since then, especially since I have now passed 70. It gives me my youthful energy levels. And the shingles haven’t even tried to come back.
Great article! Am so anxious to try your recipes! I take B12 250 mcg almost every day, and about 2 tsps of nutritional yeast. My blood.level is spot on. I recently started taking biotin for mild hair loss but have read it can cause problems so I cut back
Thank you for this analysis….
Thank you, Lydia, we appreciate your comment! –Ina, Food Revolution Network Impact Team
You forget to mention that B6 is added to many supplements eg magnesium which can and has resulted in a person taking too high levels of B6. This can result in neuropathy. Low levels of B6 also may be evidenced by neuropathy. Taking B supplements or any supplements without testing the levels of each B vitamin is ill advised and could be dangerous. From my own personal experience. Not all Practitioners are aware.