You’ve likely heard the term B Complex or B vitamins before, but you might not know exactly what types of micronutrients these terms refer to or what they do. Today, we’re going to take an in depth look at B Complex supplements and the potential benefits they offer to your body. The term B Complex encompasses all eight B vitamins, a group of water-soluble micronutrients that are essential to your body’s overall health and wellness. Since this group of vitamins is water-soluble, they are not able to be stored within the body, meaning they must be consumed daily either through your diet or supplements (1).

Many people think that because the B vitamins are grouped together, they all complete the same function and are needed in the same amounts. However, this is not the case. Each B vitamin has its own particular role to play within the body, and the daily recommended doses for each type may vary. Here is a list of all eight B vitamins and a little bit about where each one is found and what function it carries out: (2)

• Thiamine (B1): Helps cells convert food into energy. Commonly found in pork, sunflower seeds and wheat germ.
• Riboflavin (B2): Helps break down fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. Commonly found in organ meats, beef and mushrooms.
• Niacin (B3): Keeps the skin, hair, and nervous system healthy. Commonly found in chicken, tuna and lentils.
• Pantothenic acid (B5): Maintains healthy skin and helps the body use proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids. Commonly found in liver, fish, yogurt and avocado.
• Pyridoxine (B6): Keeps the nervous and immune systems healthy while helping with normal brain development. Commonly found in chickpeas, salmon and potatoes.
• Biotin (B7): Aids cell growth and promotes better function of the nervous system. Commonly found in yeast, eggs, salmon, cheese and liver.
• Folic acid (B9): Needed for red and white blood cell formation as well as maintaining cell growth and function. Commonly found in leafy greens, liver and beans.
• Cobalamin (B12): Helps make DNA and keeps the body’s blood and nerve cells healthy. Commonly found in meats, eggs, seafood and dairy.

With some of these basic B vitamin functions in mind, you may be wondering what is the best way to add them into your diet. It can be quite difficult to mold your meals in a way that includes the correct dose of each vitamin every single day, so supplements are an excellent option to consider. Liquid supplements are particularly more effective than pills thanks to their ability to absorb into the body much quicker and more efficiently. While you can choose to take a B complex capsule, B complex liquid drops are largely tasteless and much easier to swallow, making them the preferred choice for many who suffer from dysphagia or vitamin B complex deficiency.

B Complex Liquid Benefits

Since each of the B vitamins has its own specific function in the body, it is difficult to provide a general list of vitamin B complex benefits. Instead, let’s take a quick look at two B vitamins (B1 and B6) in particular and the potential they have to benefit your body’s overall health. Since its function involves converting food to energy, vitamin B1 benefits include both higher energy levels and higher moods. In fact, vitamin B1 deficiency has sometimes been linked to low moods. Maintaining the recommended amount of thiamine in your body’s system better prepares you to fight the symptoms of depression while improving brain function and minimizing the risks of heart disease as well (3).

Vitamin B6 benefits include better circulation, help with PMS, and improved brain function. As indicated by its role in facilitating normal brain development, pyridoxine has the ability to both boost your mood and your memory. Your brain needs B6 in order to produce serotonin, commonly referred to as the happy chemical, so not consuming enough of this particular B vitamin can often contribute to low moods and other symptoms of depression. Pyridoxine also helps regulate the amount of homocysteine in your body, a chemical that has been linked to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease when present in high amounts (4).

As mentioned above, the most efficient and pleasant way to provide your body with essential B vitamins without having to switch up your diet is to add a liquid supplement into your routine. Liquid vitamin B complex benefits encompass various systems and regions throughout the body, from the nervous system, to the immune system, to the brain and its development. There are even vitamin B complex benefits for skin, particularly provided by vitamins B3 and B5. 

Unlike liquid supplements, capsules and pills take time to break down before they can be properly absorbed by the body, often resulting in a small part of the dosage exiting the body without being absorbed at all. A liquid B vitamin supplement or a liquid multivitamin containing B complex will ensure that your body receives enough of each vitamin without having to worry about losing any nutrients to the battle with time.

Sublingual Liquid Vitamin B Complex

While liquid vitamins are a much better alternative to the sluggish absorption rate of pills, for even more efficient absorption, consider trying out a vitamin b complex sublingual liquid. Taking a supplement sublingually involves placing it directly under the tongue to be absorbed into the tissues located there. This method bypasses the need to ingest the vitamin at all, ensuring that no amount of the dosage is lost due to slow digestion and completely eliminating the hassle of swallowing pills (5). Even liquid vitamins must pass into the digestive system before being absorbed by the bloodstream, but sublingual supplements avoid this step entirely, making for much faster absorption rates.

Sublingual supplements come in a few different options. B complex sublingual tablets will dissolve when placed under the tongue, absorbing into the tissue that way. B complex sublingual drops are already in liquid form and must simply be administered beneath the tongue for absorption to begin. Both options work equally well for fast absorption rates. Choosing may depend on your personal preference or even the flavors available in each.

If you’re looking for the best sublingual B complex option, you may want to consider Mary Ruth’s Vegan B Complex Liquid Drops, a highly reviewed product containing no sugar, corn, dairy, soy, or GMOs. These handy liquid drops can be used sublingually by simply administering them directly beneath the tongue and allowing them to absorb into the tissue. Available in a tart cherry flavor, these drops will support your metabolism and boost your neural health.

Liquid B Complex With B12

A liquid B complex supplement may contain all eight of the B vitamins or only a selection of them. As you are picking out your own B vitamin supplement, consider choosing a liquid B complex with B12 in it. One of the most popular B vitamin supplements, vitamin B12, or cobalamin, is well-known for the energy it provides. In fact, many people will swap in a liquid B12 supplement in place of their afternoon cup of coffee to get the same burst of energy without any added caffeine or sugars.

But B12 complex liquid benefits don’t just stop at energy. An assistant to healthy brain function, vitamin B12 has the ability to heighten your mood and reduce symptoms of depression. It also helps with the creation of red blood cells, an essential function that prevents the development of anemia. Those who are pregnant or nursing are often advised to take B12 supplements to encourage healthy development of the fetus and reduce the risk of major birth defects (6). Just like any other B complex supplement, B12 is available in liquid and sublingual options that will help your body avoid deficiencies by absorbing more efficiently.

How Much Vitamin B Complex Should I Take Daily

Since all eight B vitamins play different roles inside your body, the recommended daily intake (RDI) for each one varies. If you are deficient in one or more of the B vitamins, your dosage may be higher for some of them as compared to others. The RDI for each of the eight B vitamins is as follows:

• Thiamine (B1): 1.1 mg
• Riboflavin (B2): 1.1 mg
• Niacin (B3): 14 mg
• Pantothenic acid (B5): 5 mg
• Pyridoxine (B6): 1.3 mg
• Biotin (B7): 30 mcg (not RDI, Adequate Intake)
• Folate (B9): 400 mcg
• Cobalamin (B12): 2.4 mcg

If you would just like to boost your B complex intake overall without focusing on one particular B vitamin, you can take a B complex supplement or a liquid multivitamin that contains B complex.

Since B complex vitamins are not stored in the body, it is unlikely that you will get too much of them unless you’re taking an immense amount of supplements. For that reason, there aren’t many B complex liquid side effects that you will experience while taking supplements. Mainly, your body will be happy and thankful to receive the key nutrients it needs to thrive and be its best self.

References

1. “Vitamin B-Complex.” PeaceHealth, 12 May 2015, https://www.peacehealth.org/medical-topics/id/hn-2922005.
2. Kubala, Jillian. “B-Complex Vitamins: Benefits, Side Effects and Dosage.” healthline, 7 June 2018, https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-b-complex.
3. “Health Benefits of Vitamin B1.” WebMD, 23 June 2021, https://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/health-benefits-of-vitamin-b-1.
4. “Health Benefits of Vitamin B6.” WebMD, 16 November 2020, https://www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-vitamin-b6#1.
5. Narang, Neha and Jyoti Sharma. “Sublingual Mucosa as a Route for Systemic Drug Delivery.” International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 8 December 2010, https://innovareacademics.in/journal/ijpps/Vol3Suppl2/1092.pdf.
6. Berkheiser, Kaitlyn. “9 Health Benefits of Vitamin B12, Based on Science.” healthline, 14 June 2018, https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-b12-benefits.