When it comes to the issue of vitamin B12 vs B complex, both types of vitamins are crucial. If you're lacking B12, consume more of it via supplements or food. If you're lacking vitamin B in general, consider B complex vitamins instead. Overall, both vitamins are essential nutrients.
The difference between Vitamin B12 and B Complex is that Vitamin B12 is just one of the eight B vitamins that form the B complex. Together, the set of 8 B vitamins that make up the B complex is presented in the optimum balance to provide the recommended daily amount.
Research shows vitamin B12 and B complex are safe to take together. However, it's important to note that many B complex vitamins already contain B12. If you do want to take both vitamins, make sure to maximize the benefit by finding a B complex blend that contains other essential vitamins.
You're unlikely to get too much vitamin B complex from your diet. That's because B complex vitamins are water soluble. That means they aren't stored in your body but are excreted in your urine daily. You're also unlikely to get too much vitamin B if you're taking any supplementation as directed.
High blood sugar. High doses of nicotinic acid, a synthetic form of vitamin B3, can raise blood sugar levels. This can interfere with diabetes medications. People with diabetes or high blood sugar should not take high doses of nicotinic acid (measuring 1,000 mg or more).
However, taking supplements that contain excessively high and unnecessary quantities of B vitamins could lead to serious side effects. High doses of supplemental B3 (niacin) may lead to vomiting, high blood sugar levels, skin flushing, and even liver damage ( 34 ).
No, intake of vitamin B complex does not make you gain unwanted weight. Taking vitamin B12 supplements or injections assist in weight loss rather than weight gain. Adding B complex vitamins to a daily diet helps you regain muscle strength and muscle mass. It is not the same as weight gain.
Some research shows that having the right amount of B vitamins in your body may help it resist the development of cancerous growth. Vitamin B has been associated with a lower risk of the skin cancer melanoma in particular. If you are looking for ways to combat stress, vitamin B complex supplementation may help.
The best time to take B vitamins is after you wake up. There are also some data suggesting that taking vitamin B in the afternoon can affect your sleep. To avoid a B-complex affecting your sleep, you should take your B vitamins in the morning, preferably with a meal to maximize their absorption.
Vitamin B12 is an essential nutrient that helps the body create DNA, nourishes the brain and nervous system, and assists with the formation of healthy red blood cells. The nutrient occurs naturally in meat, fish, and dairy products, and can be created in a laboratory.
Anyone who wants to proactively support their health from the cellular level on up will benefit from taking B vitamin supplements. B-complex supplements may also be especially beneficial to people who are more prone to experience a B-vitamin deficiency, including: Older people over the age of 50.
So does vitamin B12 give you energy? While B12 doesn't directly provide energy, it does give the body the tools it needs to convert food molecules into energy. Getting the recommended daily amount of B12 can therefore help ensure that the body is able to make the energy it needs to do everything you need it to do.
Methylcobalamin is the most bio-available type of Vitamin B12 which means the body absorbs it more easily. Naturally occurring, it is found in animal-based foods such as meat, fish, milk and eggs so Methylcobalamin B12 is readily available in many people's daily diets.
The results suggest that the use of combined multivitamin supplements, as well as single vitamins, including vitamin B complex, hurts sleep maintenance, causes a higher rate of insomnia, and requires greater use of sleep medicine.
Fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins
Some combinations should be avoided, even if they aren't inherently problematic. For example, although it's safe to take vitamin D with vitamin B12, it's not advisable, says Virgilio Sanchez, MD, a board certified family medicine physician at Conviva Care Center in Miami, Florida.
How long does it take for vitamin B complex to work? The anecdotal effects of B vitamins can be fairly immediate, although research has shown that B vitamins (in addition to vitamin C and minerals) make participants feel more alert within about 2 weeks.
Likewise, B vitamins serve as essential partners (i.e., “cofactors”) in the production of the neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. Many people with depression feel better when these neurotransmitters are boosted or when they become better balanced with one another.
B-vitamins are used for the treatment of specific vitamin deficiency disorders such as beriberi (thiamine); pellagra (niacin) or certain non-nutritional disorders like Wernicke–Korsakoff syndrome (thiamine) and hyperlipidaemia (niacin)5.
B-complex vitamins: These help metabolize carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, activating stored energy instead of letting it turn to fat. Niacin, vitamin B-6, and iron: This impressive trio increases your body's production of the amino acid L-carnitine to help burn fat.
Vitamin B12 deficiency can indeed lead to weight gain. But the weight gain is not a direct result of the deficiency. Instead, vitamin B12 deficiency causes lethargy or lack of energy, and in turn, inactivity causes weight gain.
B vitamins are enzyme cofactors that play an important role in energy metabolism.
All B vitamins play a beneficial role in reducing anxiety and improving your mood. For instance, a study[5] published in the Journal of Functional Foods found that people who ate B vitamin-rich foods saw significant improvements in their anxiety and stress scores compared to those who didn't eat B vitamin-rich foods.
Taking folic acid or B-complex vitamins may reduce risk for heart attack, stroke, or death due to heart disease, but most supplements do not appear to provide any benefit.