The Complete Guide to B Vitamins: B1 to B12 Explained

Eight Vitamins, One Family

The "B complex" is not one vitamin but a family of eight water-soluble vitamins: thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), vitamin B6, biotin (B7), folate (B9), and vitamin B12. They share two practical properties: the body does not store them in large amounts, so regular intake matters; and they appear together in many of the same foods — whole grains, legumes, eggs, dairy, meat, and leafy vegetables.

What the Authorised Wording Allows

The approved nutrient-function claims for the B vitamins are specific to each one. The wording used in the Nutri-Leaf range:

• Vitamins B1, B2, B6 and B12 contribute to normal energy-yielding metabolism.
• Pantothenic acid (B5) contributes to normal mental performance.
• Vitamins B2, B6 and B12 contribute to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
• Biotin (B7) contributes to the maintenance of normal hair and normal skin.
• Vitamin B12 contributes to normal energy metabolism and normal psychological function.

Again the shape is "contributes to normal…" — these are maintenance claims, not promises of extra energy beyond what the body normally does.

Why the "Energy" Wording Is Easy to Misread

B vitamins are part of the machinery that converts food into energy, but they are not energy themselves — no vitamin contains calories. "Contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism" means the process runs normally when intake is adequate. Taking more than the reference amount does not add extra energy; the body excretes the surplus with water.

Where B Vitamins Come From in Food

• Whole grains and legumes — thiamin, niacin, B6, folate.
• Eggs, dairy, and meat — riboflavin, B12, pantothenic acid.
• Leafy vegetables — folate.

The classic gap: vitamin B12 is found almost exclusively in animal-derived foods, which is why plant-based eaters pay particular attention to it.

The Nutri-Leaf B Complex, Declared

The Vitamin B Complex Capsules provide all eight B vitamins at 100% NRV each in one capsule: B1 1.1 mg, B2 1.4 mg, niacin 16 mg NE, B5 6.0 mg, B6 1.4 mg, folate 200 µg, biotin 50 µg, and B12 2.5 µg. Every amount, every form, on the label — including the plant-based HPMC capsule shell. Take 1 capsule daily with water and do not exceed the recommended daily intake. For the label-reading basics, see what the numbers on a label mean.

Food supplements are not a substitute for a balanced and varied diet and a healthy lifestyle.