Vitamin B-Complex

What Are "Star" Ratings?

a7_3star Reliable and relatively consistent scientific data showing a substantial health benefit.

a7_2star Contradictory, insufficient, or preliminary studies suggesting a health benefit or minimal health benefit.

a7_1star For an herb, supported by traditional use but minimal or no scientific evidence. For a supplement, little scientific support.

Our proprietary “Star-Rating” system was developed to help you easily understand the amount of scientific support behind each supplement in relation to a specific health condition. While there is no way to predict whether a vitamin, mineral, or herb will successfully treat or prevent associated health conditions, our unique ratings tell you how well these supplements are understood by the medical community, and whether studies have found them to be effective for other people.

For over a decade, our team has combed through thousands of research articles published in reputable journals. To help you make educated decisions, and to better understand controversial or confusing supplements, our medical experts have digested the science into these three easy-to-follow ratings. We hope this provides you with a helpful resource to make informed decisions towards your health and well-being.

This supplement has been used in connection with the following health conditions:

Used for	Amount	Why
Wound Healing	Follow label directions	Thiamine (vitamin B1), pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), and other B vitamins have all been shown to play a role in wound healing. For this reason, some healthcare practitioners recommend a high-potency B vitamin supplement to promote wound healing.
Wound Healing Follow label directions Thiamine (vitamin B1),¹pantothenic acid (vitamin B5),² and other B vitamins³ have all been shown to play a role in wound healing in animal studies. For this reason, although human research is lacking, some alternative healthcare practitioners recommend a high-potency B vitamin supplement to promote wound healing. Learn More

Used for	Amount	Why
Canker Sores	300 mg B1 daily, 20 mg B2 daily, 150 mg B6 daily	People with recurrent canker sores may have a B vitamin deficiency. Supplementing with vitamins B1, B2, and B6 has been reported to provide relief.
Canker Sores 300 mg B1 daily, 20 mg B2 daily, 150 mg B6 daily Several preliminary studies,⁴ ^{, 5} ^{, 6} ^{, 7} though not all,⁸ have found a surprisingly high incidence of iron and B vitamin deficiency among people with recurrent canker sores. Treating these deficiencies has been reported in preliminary⁹ ^{, 10} and controlled¹¹ studies to reduce or eliminate recurrences in most cases. Supplementing daily with B vitamins—300 mg vitamin B1, 20 mg vitamin B2, and 150 mg vitamin B6—has been reported to provide some people with relief.¹² Thiamine (B1) deficiency specifically has been linked to an increased risk of canker sores.¹³ The right supplemental level of iron requires diagnosis of an iron deficiency by a healthcare professional using lab tests. Learn More

Used for	Amount	Why
Acne Rosacea	Refer to label instructions	The relationship between B vitamins and rosacea is unclear, one study found it caused rocacea-like symptoms, other preliminary reports have found benefits.
Acne Rosacea Preliminary reports in the 1940s claimed that rosacea improved with oral supplements or injections of B vitamins¹⁴ ^{, 15} ^{, 16} On the other hand, one report exists of rosacea-like symptoms in a patient taking 100 mg per day of vitamin B6 and 100 mcg per day of vitamin B12; these symptoms subsided when the supplements were discontinued.¹⁷ More research is needed to evaluate the potential benefits or hazards of B vitamins for rosacea. Learn More

Used for	Amount	Why
Alcohol Withdrawal	Refer to label instructions	Research suggests it is possible that successful treatment of B-complex vitamin deficiencies may actually reduce alcohol cravings, because animals crave alcohol when fed a B-complex-deficient diet.
Alcohol Withdrawal Deficiencies of B-complex vitamins are common with chronic alcohol use.¹⁸ The situation is exacerbated by the fact that alcoholics have an increased need for B vitamins.¹⁹ It is possible that successful treatment of B-complex vitamin deficiencies may actually reduce alcohol cravings, because animals crave alcohol when fed a B-complex-deficient diet.²⁰ Many doctors recommend 100 mg of B-complex vitamins per day. Learn More

Used for	Amount	Why
Anxiety	Refer to label instructions	Double-blind research suggests that supplementing with vitamin B-complex multivitamin may reduce feelings of anxiety, perceived stress, and tiredness.
Anxiety In one double-blind study, 80 healthy male volunteers (aged 18 to 42 years) were randomly assigned to receive a daily multivitamin-mineral formula or placebo for 28 days.²¹ The multi contained the following: thiamine (15 mg), riboflavin (15 mg), niacin (50 mg), pantothenic acid (23 mg), vitamin B6 (10 mg), biotin (150 mcg), folic acid (400 mcg), vitamin B12 (10 mcg), vitamin C (500 mg), calcium (100 mg), magnesium (100 mg), and zinc (10 mg). Compared with the placebo group, the multivitamin group experienced consistent and statistically significant reductions in anxiety and perceived stress, as determined by questionnaires measuring psychological state. This group also tended to rate themselves as less tired and better able to concentrate. Learn More

Used for	Amount	Why
Athletic Performance	Refer to label instructions	B-complex vitamins are needed to produce energy from carbohydrates. Exercisers may have slightly increased requirements for some of the B vitamins, including vitamins B2, B6, and B5, athletic performance can suffer if these slightly increased needs are not met.
Athletic Performance The B-complex vitamins are important for athletes, because they are needed to produce energy from carbohydrates. Exercisers may have slightly increased requirements for some of the B vitamins, including vitamin B2, vitamin B6, and vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid);²² athletic performance can suffer if these slightly increased needs are not met.²³ However, most athletes obtain enough B vitamins from their diet without supplementation,²⁴ and supplementation studies have found no positive effect on performance measures for vitamin B2,²⁵ ^{, 26} vitamin B3 (niacin),²⁷ or vitamin B6.²⁸ On the contrary, large amounts of niacin have been shown to impair endurance performance.²⁹ Learn More

Used for	Amount	Why
Attention Deficit–Hyperactivity Disorder	Refer to label instructions	B vitamins have been used for ADHD. High amounts of B vitamins have shown mixed results in relieving ADHD symptoms.
Attention Deficit–Hyperactivity Disorder B vitamins, particularly vitamin B6, have also been used for ADHD. Deficient levels of vitamin B6 have been detected in some ADHD patients.³⁰ In a study of six children with low blood levels of the neurotransmitter (chemical messenger) serotonin, vitamin B6 supplementation (15–30 mg per 2.2 pounds of body weight per day) was found to be more effective than methylphenidate (Ritalin®). However, lower amounts of vitamin B6 were not beneficial.³¹ The effective amount of vitamin B6 in this study was extremely large and could potentially cause nerve damage, although none occurred in this study. A practitioner knowledgeable in nutrition must be consulted when using high amounts of vitamin B6. High amounts of other B vitamins have shown mixed results in relieving ADHD symptoms.³²^{, 33} Learn More

Used for	Amount	Why
Hives	Refer to label instructions	In one study, treatment with a hydrochloric acid supplement and a vitamin B-complex supplement helped to treat people with hives.
Hives According to preliminary studies from many years ago, lack of hydrochloric acid (HCl) secretion by the stomach was associated with chronic hives, presumably as a result of increasing the likelihood of developing food allergies. In one such study, 31% were diagnosed as having achlorhydria (no gastric acid output), and 53% were shown to be hypochlorhydric (having low gastric acid output).³⁴ In a related study, treatment with an HCl supplement and a vitamin B-complex supplement helped to treat people with hives.³⁵ Betaine HCl is the most common hydrochloric acid-containing supplement; it comes in tablets or capsules measured in grains or milligrams. One or more tablets or capsules, each containing 5–10 grains (325–650 mg) are typically taken with a meal that contains protein. Diagnosis of a deficiency of HCl and supplementation with HCl should be supervised by a doctor. Learn More

Used for	Amount	Why
Indigestion, Heartburn, and Low Stomach Acidity, and Vitamin B12 Deficiency	Refer to label instructions	For people who have inadequate absorption of vitamin B12 due to low stomach acid, supplementing with vitamin B complex can help correct a deficiency.
Indigestion, Heartburn, and Low Stomach Acidity, and Vitamin B12 Deficiency Vitamin B12 supplementation may be beneficial for a subset of people suffering from indigestion: those with delayed emptying of the stomach contents in association with Helicobacter pylori infection and low blood levels of vitamin B12. In a double-blind study of people who satisfied those criteria, treatment with vitamin B12 significantly reduced symptoms of dyspepsia and improved stomach-emptying times.³⁶

Used for	Amount	Why
Osteoporosis	Refer to label instructions	In one trial postmenopausal women who combined hormone replacement therapy with B vitamins and other nutrients and dietary changes increased their bone density by a remarkable 11%.
Osteoporosis One trial studying postmenopausal women combined hormone replacement therapy with magnesium (600 mg per day), calcium (500 mg per day), vitamin C, B vitamins, vitamin D, zinc, copper, manganese, boron, and other nutrients for an eight- to nine-month period.³⁷ In addition, participants were told to avoid processed foods, limit protein intake, emphasize vegetable over animal protein, and limit consumption of salt, sugar, alcohol, coffee, tea, chocolate, and tobacco. Bone density increased a remarkable 11%, compared to only 0.7% in women receiving hormone replacement alone. Learn More

Used for	Amount	Why
Premenstrual Syndrome	Refer to label instructions	Research has linked B vitamin deficiencies to PMS, so some women may benefit from supplementing with B-complex vitamins for symptom relief.
Premenstrual Syndrome Many years ago, research linked B vitamin deficiencies to PMS in preliminary research.³⁸ ^{, 39} Based on that early work, some doctors recommend B-complex vitamins for women with PMS.⁴⁰ Learn More

Used for	Amount	Why
Tardive Dyskinesia	Refer to label instructions	In some studies, taking vitamin B-complex along with other nutrients appeared to prevent the development of tardive dyskinesia.
Tardive Dyskinesia During a ten-year period, doctors at the North Nassau Mental Health Center in New York treated approximately 11,000 people with schizophrenia with a megavitamin regimen that included vitamin C (up to 4 grams per day), vitamin B3—either as niacin or niacinamide—(up to 4 grams per day), vitamin B6 (up to 800 mg per day), and vitamin E (up to 1,200 IU per day). During that time, not a single new case of TD was seen, even though many of the people were taking neuroleptic drugs.⁴¹ Another psychiatrist who routinely used niacinamide, vitamin C, and vitamin B-complex over a 28-year period rarely saw TD develop in her patients.⁴² Further research is needed to determine which nutrients or combinations of nutrients were most important for preventing TD. The amounts of niacinamide and vitamin B6 used in this research may cause significant side effects and may require monitoring by a doctor. Learn More

Used for	Amount	Why
Vitiligo	Refer to label instructions	PABA, a compound commonly found in B-complex vitamins, has been shown to repigment skin affected by vitiligo.
Vitiligo An early report described the use of PABA (para-aminobenzoic acid)—a compound commonly found in B-complex vitamins—for vitiligo. Consistent use of 100 mg of PABA three or four times per day, along with an injectable form of PABA and a variety of hormones tailored to individual needs, resulted, in many cases, in repigmentation of areas affected by vitiligo.⁴³ Learn More

Also indexed as:

B vitamins,
cobalamin,
cyanocobalamin,
niacin,
nicotinic acid,
pantothenate,
pantothenic acid,
pyridoxine,
riboflavin,
thiamine,
vitamin B1,
vitamin B12,
vitamin B-12,
vitamin B2,
vitamin B-2,
vitamin B3,
vitamin B5,
vitamin B-5,
vitamin B6

About this treatment

Interactions with Supplements, Foods, & Other Compounds

Vitamin B-complex includes several different components, each of which has the potential to interact with drugs. It is recommended that you discuss the use of vitamin B-complex and your current medication(s) with your doctor or pharmacist.

Interactions with Medicines

At the time of writing, there were no well-known drug interactions with this supplement.

Side Effects

Last Review: 05-11-2011

Learn more about Aisle7, the company.

The information presented in Aisle7 is for informational purposes only. It is based on scientific studies (human, animal, or in vitro), clinical experience, or traditional usage as cited in each article. The results reported may not necessarily occur in all individuals. For many of the conditions discussed, treatment with prescription or over the counter medication is also available. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires June 2011.

© 1995-2011 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.

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