Vitamin B12 Or B-Complex: What is Right for Me?

B-vitamins are vital for supporting various bodily functions. However, since they’re water-soluble, they aren’t stored in the body. While most people get the right amount of B-vitamins through diet, others may need to supplement these important vitamins through pills or shots.

Each B-vitamin supports different bodily functions. Discover the difference between B12 vs B-Complex and figure out which one is right for you.

Defining Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is a chemically complex vitamin often found in animal-sourced foods like fish, red meat, poultry, liver, eggs, and dairy. B12 is an essential nutrient for several processes in the body like metabolic function, nerve function regulation, red blood cell creation, and DNA production.

Certain fortified foods, like fortified nutritional yeast and enriched soy milk, contain added B12 for those who might not be getting any in their diet. But if you’re on a plant-based diet, it can be extremely difficult to get enough B12 from food alone – which is why it’s essential to supplement with B12 if you follow a mostly vegetarian or vegan diet.

Defining Coenzyme B-Complex

Vitamin B-Complex is made up of 8 different B Vitamins that are essential to your body’s metabolic processes and overall function:

·   Vitamin B1 (thiamine)

·   Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)

·   Vitamin B3 (niacin) 

·   Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) 

·   Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) 

·   Vitamin B7 (biotin) 

·   Vitamin B9 (folic acid) 

· Vitamin B12 (cobalamin)

Each of these essential vitamins contributes to your body’s overall functioning. Vitamin B complex may help support or promote a wide array of important body functions, including cognitive function, metabolism of fats and cholesterol, and energy.

Understanding What Supplement is Right for Me

So, now that you’re more familiar with what each vitamin does, should you take Vitamin B12 or B-Complex?

While they share some similarities, each of the B-vitamins performs its own duties and is needed in different amounts. As suggested by the wide variety of foods each is found in, it is not common to need to supplement all the B-vitamins.

Those with limited diets (like vegetarians, pescatarians, and vegans) may benefit from a B-Complex vitamin. People are most commonly deficient in vitamins B1, B6, and B12 and will see improvement with individual supplements of these.

B12 and B-Complex at Country Life

Adequate daily intake is uniquely dependent on each individual and some people may need to consume more B Vitamins than others. Those following a plant-based diet or who are pregnant or breastfeeding should start to supplement with both B12 and B Complex to get the full spectrum.

If you follow a plant-based diet, are older in age, use certain medications, or are pregnant or nursing, you should talk to your health care practitioner to make sure you’re getting adequate vitamin B’s in the right amounts.

Shop for both Vitamin B-12 and B-Complex at Country Life Vitamins online.

Sources:

https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/vitamin-b-complex#benefits

https://www.cover-tek.com/which-supplement-do-you-need-b12-vs-b-complex/

https://ivboost.uk/b12-vs-b-complex/