The 6 Best B-Complex Supplements of 2023

Are B-Complex Supplements Beneficial?

While the B vitamins can work in conjunction with each other, each one has its own unique structure and function in the body. Since most people obtain adequate B vitamins in their diets, B vitamin deficiencies are rare in the United States. Deficiencies cause various symptoms including impaired cognition, skin rashes, anemia, and reduced immune function. If you have a deficiency in any B vitamins, be sure to discuss recommended dosage with a healthcare provider to find a supplement that provides adequate amounts.

Those who might benefit from B vitamin supplementation include:

• People with limited diets: According to Lauren Manaker, MS, RDN, LD, CLEC, CPT, “People who do not eat a balanced diet may benefit from a B-complex, as this supplement could help fill potential nutritional gaps. For example, people who follow a vegan lifestyle run the risk of becoming deficient in certain B vitamins—specifically vitamin B12. Sources of vitamin B12 most often include foods derived from animals (i.e., beef, chicken, eggs, and milk).”
• Pregnant People: “B vitamins are especially important during pregnancy because they help reduce the risk of birth defects,” says Paula Doebrich, RDN, MPH. Women who are planning a pregnancy, are pregnant, or are breastfeeding have an increased need for folate and must take a folate supplement. However, it might make the most sense to get the necessary B vitamins from a prenatal-specific multivitamin. If your prenatal does not contain adequate levels of B vitamins, a B-complex supplement may be beneficial.
• People looking to support wound healing or prevent canker sores: In addition to their basic everyday functions, research shows the important role that B vitamins play in wound healing. Thiamine is particularly vital to promote wound healing and increase breaking strength during healing. There is also evidence to support B-complex supplementation to help prevent recurring canker sores in the mouth, particularly with vitamin B12.
• Older adults: B-complex supplementation may have some benefit on cognitive function for older adults who have mild cognitive impairment or those without cognitive impairment. Older adults may be at particularly high risk of vitamin B12 deficiency, as they are often less able to absorb the micronutrient. Supplementation may help prevent or correct related issues, including issues with red blood cell formation and psychiatric symptoms.
• People with gastrointestinal disorders: People with gastrointestinal disorders such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) can have malabsorption of several vitamins and minerals, including vitamins B1, B6, B12, and folate. A B-complex supplement can help counteract malabsorption and ensure adequate nutrient levels.

Who May Not Benefit From B-Complex Supplements

For most healthy individuals eating a well-balanced diet, B-complex supplements are not necessary. B vitamins are found in a wide variety of foods in different amounts, including leafy greens, salmon, legumes, eggs, milk, beef, and whole grains.

The FDA does not evaluate any supplements for safety and effectiveness before they go to market, including B-complex supplements. Some of the B vitamins may interfere with certain medications. For example, folate may reduce the effectiveness of methotrexate (used to treat certain cancers and autoimmune diseases) and some antiepileptic drugs. It is important to consult with a healthcare professional before beginning any supplementation routine, especially if you are taking any medications.

Supplement companies may claim that a B-complex supplement offers a host of other benefits, including reducing anxiety, improving athletic performance, and treating ADHD. However, research in these other areas is limited with mixed results. We need more research to make conclusions about the effectiveness of B-complex supplementation in these other areas. And, since B vitamins are found naturally in several foods in our diets, most people will get enough B vitamins from eating a well-balanced diet.

How We Select Supplements

Our team works hard to be transparent about why we recommend certain supplements; you can read more about our dietary supplement methodology here.

We support supplements that are evidence-based and rooted in science. We value certain product attributes that we find to be associated with the highest quality products. We also consulted with these nutrition experts for their valued opinions on what to consider when shopping for B-complex supplements:

• Lauren Manaker, MS, RDN, LD, CLEC, CPT
• Paula Doebrich, RDN, MPH, founder of Happea Nutrition in New York City

It's important to note that the FDA does not review dietary supplements for safety and effectiveness before they go to market. Our team of experts has created a detailed, science-backed methodology to choose the supplements we recommend.

What to Look for in a B-Complex Supplement

Third-Party Testing

Supplements that are third-party tested are sent to a lab where they are tested to ensure they contain what they say they contain and are not contaminated with specific high-risk, common contaminants. However, it’s important to note:

1. Third-party testing does not test to see if a product is effective or safe for everyone, and it does not ensure the supplement will not interact with other supplements or medications.
2. Not all third-party testing is created equal. It is not uncommon for supplement companies to pay labs for certificates after conducting minimal to no testing. 
3. The third-party certifications we can trust are: ConsumerLab.com, NSF, and USP. However, these certifications are difficult to obtain and/or expensive for manufacturers, so many companies choose not to get their products tested by one of these three organizations. 
4. Sometimes products tested by these three companies are more expensive to try to offset the cost they pay for certification.
5. Just because a supplement is not tested by one of these three companies, it does not mean it’s a bad product. We recommend doing some research on the reputability of the manufacturer, and calling up the manufacturer and their testing lab to determine their protocols and decide if you feel comfortable consuming the supplement.

Form

Vitamins exist in different forms, and some forms are better absorbed by our bodies than others. For B-complex supplements, the forms of folate are particularly important to look for. Folic acid, a synthetic form of folate, is better absorbed by the body than folate, including food sources of folate. Another readily bioavailable form of supplemental folate is methylfolate.

Vitamin B12 will likely be listed as cyanocobalamin, adenosylcobalamin, methylcobalamin, or hydroxocobalamin. Absorption rates of each type are similar.

Ingredients & Potential Interactions

It is essential to carefully read the ingredient list and nutrition facts panel of a supplement to know which ingredients and how much of each ingredient is included, relative to the recommended daily value of that ingredient. Please bring the supplement label to your healthcare provider to review the different ingredients contained in the supplement and any potential interactions between these ingredients and other supplements and medications you are taking.

Some of the B vitamins may interact with certain medications, including antiepileptics, anticonvulsants, and methotrexate. Speak to a healthcare provider about potential medication interactions before beginning any new supplements.

B-Complex Dosage

There are no regulations or standards that dictate what nutrients a B-complex supplement must contain and in what amounts. Therefore, different supplements will contain different amounts of each vitamin.

Similarly, there are no established Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) guidelines for B-complex supplements. However, there are RDAs and ULs established for the individual B vitamins themselves, which can be found in the Dietary Supplement Fact Sheets provided by the National Institutes of Health.

You may notice supplement ingredient labels list amounts higher than the RDA for B vitamins. It’s important to note there are several factors that impact the bioavailability of nutrients, or the amount your body can actually absorb and use the vitamins. Because your body may not actually use the entire amount added, supplement companies often add more than the RDA. 

Be sure to carefully read the supplement facts panel to ensure the amount of each B vitamin included is appropriate for your needs. If you have a deficiency or are at risk of a deficiency, you may need particularly high doses of certain B vitamins—a healthcare provider can tell you the specific quantities to look for.

Here are a few specific dosage recommendations for vegans and pregnant people:

• Vegans and vegetarians: Vegans should supplement with 250 micrograms of vitamin B12 per day, and vegetarians who eat eggs and dairy should supplement with this amount every few days.
• Pregnancy: The CDC recommends women who may become pregnant consume at least 400 mcg of folate daily in the form of folic acid.

How Much Is Too Much?

B-complex supplements generally include all eight B vitamins. Even though B vitamins are water-soluble and don’t build up in the body long term, please take care not to take large doses above the Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (UL). 

The UL for folate/folic acid is 1000 mcg/day. Folate toxicity can cause kidney damage or mask a vitamin B12 deficiency.

The UL for niacin is 35 mg/day. This level was determined because 30-50 mg of niacin in the form of nicotinic acid may cause flushing. However, the niacinamide (also known as nicotinamide) form of niacin is not associated with flushing, and adverse effects have only been shows with doses much higher than this (typically 500 mg/day or more).

The UL for vitamin B6 is 100 mg per day. Toxicity can present as nerve damage or skin lesions.

Biotin, thiamin, riboflavin, B12, and pantothenic acid do not have listed UL levels because there has been no evidence of toxicity at high doses. However, biotin supplements can lead to falsely high or low lab values. In addition, supplements over 50 mg/day of thiamine have not been studied thoroughly. In general, cases of toxicity with B vitamins are rare and occur from excess supplementation in addition to adequate dietary intake of B vitamins.