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Vitamin

Vitamin B Complex

Vitamin B complex is a supplement that combines several or all of the eight water-soluble B vitamins, such as thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, B6, folate and B12.

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Different foods contribute different B vitamins

These examples from NIH tables show why a single “B-vitamin amount” is not useful. Each row names the vitamin being measured; the amounts cannot be added together as though they were one nutrient. 1 2 3

Chickpeas, canned

1.1 mg1 cupVitamin B6. 2

Spinach, boiled

131 µg DFE½ cupFolate, expressed as dietary folate equivalents. 3

Salmon, Atlantic, cooked

2.6 µg3 oz (about 85 g)Vitamin B12. 1

Milk, 2% fat

1.3 µg1 cupVitamin B12. 1

There is no one daily target for the whole group

DGE gives adults a folate reference of 300 µg folate equivalents daily and a B12 estimated adequate intake of 4 µg daily. These describe different nutrients and are total-intake references, not a formula for a B-complex tablet. Requirements also change with life stage. 4 5

Sources

  1. Vitamin B12: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals NIH Office of Dietary Supplements
  2. Vitamin B6: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals NIH Office of Dietary Supplements
  3. Folate: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals NIH Office of Dietary Supplements