The term “vitamin B complex” usually refers to all of the water-soluble vitamins in the B family.
Because all of these vitamins work in different ways, vitamin B complex can be best described as a supplement that improves overall health.
Some people use a vitamin B complex supplement to treat Attention Deficit Disorder, especially in children. Vitamin B complex is currently being researched as a possible preventative for diseases such as cancer.
Folic acid is a part of the vitamin B family. Folic acid is important for maintaining healthy neurological functions and keeping the nervous system balanced.
Vitamin B6 works to regulate and process amino acids while vitamins B3, B1, and B2 help users to have more energy. With more energy, you can hit your workouts harder. Go PRO today for access to a wide-range of goal-oriented workouts.
What Makes Vitamin B Complex Different From Vitamin B?
A bottle of vitamin B supplements can contain many of the same ingredients as vitamin B complex, but a few key elements are likely missing. Since vitamin B has many subgroups, some supplement users don’t get all of the varieties of vitamin B that they need.
With vitamin B complex supplements, you will get the daily recommended amount of B6, B12, folic acid, B1, biotin, B3, B2, and pantothenic acid.
Vitamin B supplements may have all of the types of vitamin B included, but some of the varieties may be present in low doses. You can take all of these vitamins separately, but it would be quite difficult to take eight pills a day just to get all of the vitamin B that is needed daily.
What Happens If You Don’t Get Enough Vitamin B Complex?
Because vitamin B complex includes all of the vitamin types included in the ‘B’ family, becoming deficient in one or more or these areas can cause you to show various symptoms. Folic acid deficiency usually translates into symptoms such as forgetfulness, extreme and constant exhaustion, weight loss, and the inability to concentrate on simple tasks.
WebMD also states that folic acid deficiency can cause patients to develop a form of anemia. When you aren’t able to get many of the ‘B’ vitamins into your system at sufficient levels, you can expose yourself to a higher risk of heart disease in your later years.
Becoming deficient in any type of vitamin B will also negatively impact the way that your brain and body function. It will be difficult for other nutrients to be produced, transported and broken down properly, essentially causing every part of your body to perform less and less efficiently.
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Can Vitamin B Complex Be Used to Treat Diseases?
Prescription drugs are available for nearly every illness and disease in existence, but these medicines are not effective for everyone. Many ADD sufferers report that they feel groggy or unfocused when they take their prescribed medication, which is one of the reasons why vitamin B complex has become very popular.
Many parents are wary of giving their children medication that alters their brain chemistry. However, it is not safe to substitute ADD medications for vitamin B complex without informing your doctor. A detoxification period may be necessary.
Various foods and supplements have been proven to help reduce the risk of developing cancer, but the results for vitamin B complex are inconclusive. Cancer is usually caused by a number of factors.
Cancer-causing factors include genetics, medical history, age, gender, and even geographic location. At this point, it is not possible to say whether vitamin B complex may truly be useful in preventing cancer.
Is Vitamin B Complex a Safe Supplement?
You can overdose on all types of vitamin B, but you would have to take a large number of supplements for this to happen. When taken as recommended, vitamin B complex is perfectly safe.
You should not take vitamin B complex in addition to other vitamin B supplements because of the risk of overdose. Certain individuals, such as pregnant and nursing women, may require some types of vitamin B in higher doses.
Normal precautions should be taken when consuming vitamin B complex. The supplements that you take need to be finished by the expiration date and you should always keep the bottle tightly sealed when not in use.
Your doctor might want to periodically test your vitamin B blood levels to ensure that your results are within the normal range. If you accidentally forget a dose you do not need to increase the dosage.
Vitamin B complex supplements can also be taken along with most supplements without fear of overdose or drug interactions.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Do I have to take supplements?
Unless your doctor has instructed you to take certain supplements, you do not have to take them.
Are supplements safe?
Whether or not dietary supplements are safe to take depends on a number of factors. Learn more about the safety of supplements here.
What supplements do I need to take?
No one can answer that aside from your doctor. To learn more about the various supplements that doctors commonly recommend, check out this article.
Of course, no supplement routine is complete without being paired with a solid exercise routine. Go PRO today for access to certified personal trainers, workout plans, and more.