Vitamin B complex - detailed information

B vitamins: essential nutrients for metabolism

If you want to be fit, resilient, and able to concentrate well in your everyday life, you should ensure you have an adequate supply of B-complex vitamins. With the eight B vitamins in Vitamin B Complex, you'll be doing something for your physical resilience, mental alertness, and nervous system.

The B vitamins (B1, B2, B6, B12, niacin, pantothenic acid) support normal energy metabolism and thus ensure that your body can obtain energy from food. Vitamins B6 and B12, together with folic acid, support normal homocysteine metabolism. Regulating homocysteine concentrations in the blood is so important because too much of this amino acid can cause damage to blood vessels, increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, and is linked to depression and dementia in old age. Taking folic acid is particularly recommended for women who want to have children and for pregnant women to support a healthy pregnancy and the growth of the child.

Properties of B vitamins

Vitamin B1 (thiamine) contributes to normal energy metabolism
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) contributes to the protection of cell components from oxidative damage (immune protection)
Niacin (vitamin B3) contributes to the normal function of the nervous system (mental functions)
Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) contributes to normal homocysteine metabolism and supports normal psychological functions
Biotin (Vitamin B7), the beauty vitamin, contributes to the maintenance of normal skin and mucous membranes
Folic acid (vitamin B9) contributes to normal blood formation and normal cell division
Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) is important for blood formation and your energy balance

We have chosen the dosage so that you can cover your daily requirement of all important B vitamins with just one soft gel capsule of vitamin B complex.

Good to know: The B vitamins have other beneficial properties, both individually and in combination. Adequate intake of all B vitamins is important. A high intake of any one B vitamin can lead to a relative deficiency of another. Therefore, a balanced intake plays a crucial role. People who follow a vegan diet should pay particular attention to supplementing with B12 supplements, as B12 in its usable form is found almost exclusively in animal foods.

B-complex intake

The B complex comprises eight vitamins. These serve as precursors for coenzymes and play a central role in many metabolic processes. For example, B vitamins are important for digesting sugar, proteins, and fats. They are also essential for DNA synthesis, the formation of blood, hormones, neurotransmitters, and the functioning of the nervous system.

The function of the B vitamins essentially consists in activating different, but often closely interacting, enzymes. Therefore, you should ensure you get enough of all B vitamins and maintain a balanced diet to protect yourself from deficiencies, which can manifest as fatigue and poor concentration, for example. A high intake of one B vitamin can lead to a relative deficiency of another. For a balanced intake of all vitamins, dietary supplements containing all eight B vitamins in a set amount, for example, the recommended daily intake for adults, can be useful.

Vitamin B dosage: Which foods contain a lot of vitamin B?

Vitamin B1 (thiamine)

Recommended daily dose: 1 – 1.5 mg

Contained in 100 grams: dried yeast (2.2 mg), wheat germ (2 mg), sunflower seeds (1.9 mg), peanuts (0.9 mg), pork (0.8 mg), peas (0.8 mg), pistachios (0.7 mg), oat flakes (0.6 mg), lentils or chickpeas (0.5 mg), whole grain cereals (up to 0.5 mg).

Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)

Recommended daily dose: 1.2 – 1.6 mg

Contained in 100 grams: Dried yeast (4.5 mg), offal of almost all animals (2 – 3 mg), dried chanterelles or porcini mushrooms (1.8 mg), wheat germ (0.7 mg), Camembert or almonds (0.6 mg), blue cheese (0.5 mg), egg yolk or mushrooms (0.4 mg)

Vitamin B3 (niacin, nicotinic acid)

Recommended daily dose: 13 – 17 mg

Contained in 100 grams: Dried yeast (42 mg), peanuts (15.3 mg), pork liver (15.7 mg), beef liver (13.6 mg), oyster mushrooms (10 mg), chicken (10 mg), sardines (9.7 mg), tuna (8.5 mg), salmon (8.2 mg), pumpkin seeds (7.8 mg), mackerel (7.7 mg), ham (6.9 mg), chanterelle mushrooms (6.5 mg), wholemeal flour (5.5 mg), brown rice (5.2 mg), dried apricots (3.3 mg)

Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)

Recommended daily dose: 6 mg

Contained in 100 grams: Offal (3-8 mg), peanuts (2.9 mg), porcini mushrooms (2.7 mg), mushrooms (2.1 mg), peas (2.0 mg), rice (1.7 mg), lentils or eggs (1.6 mg), raw broccoli (1.3 mg), wholemeal flour (1.1 mg), avocados (1.1 mg), Camembert (0.9 mg), walnuts (0.8 mg), almonds (0.5 mg)

Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)

Recommended daily dose: 1.2 – 1.8 mg (requirements increase)

Contained in 100 grams: Beef liver (0.9 mg), yeast (0.7 mg), lentils, chickpeas, avocado, chicken, pork or beef fillet, or wheat germ or bran (approx. 0.5 mg), nuts (0.2 – 0.8 mg), whole grain products, garlic or bananas (approx. 0.4 mg), Brussels sprouts or potatoes (approx. 0.3 mg), Camembert or lamb's lettuce (0.25 mg)

Vitamin B7 (biotin)

Recommended daily dose: 30 – 60 μg

Contained in 100 grams: Dried yeast (200 μg), beef liver (103 μg), egg yolk (50 μg), soybeans (30 μg), oat flakes (20 μg), walnuts (19 μg), mushrooms (12 μg), unpolished rice (12 μg), whole wheat flour (8 μg), fish (7 μg), spinach (6 μg), beef and pork (5 μg), bananas (5 μg)

Vitamin B9 (folic acid)

Recommended daily dose: 400 μg

Contained in 100 grams: Duck/turkey beef liver (approx. 600 µg), wheat germ and bran (400 µg), yeast (290 µg), kale (185 µg), peanuts (169 µg), peas (160 µg), spinach (145 µg), broccoli (114 µg), asparagus (108 µg), Brussels sprouts (100 µg), beetroot (83 µg), chicken egg (67 µg), whole grain products (20 µg)

Vitamin B12 (cobalamin)

Recommended daily dose: 3 μg

Contained in 100 grams: Beef/veal liver (60 µg), caviar (16 µg), oysters (14 µg), herring (8.5 µg), beef (5 µg), Camembert or Emmental (3.1 µg), salmon (2.9 µg), egg yolk (2.0 µg)

Vitamin B1 – the mood booster

Vitamin B1, also known as thiamine, aneurin, or popularly known as the "mood vitamin," is a water-soluble vitamin in the B complex. It was given the name vitamin B1 because it was the first B vitamin to be isolated by scientists. This vitamin is particularly essential for muscle and nervous system function, as it is involved, among other things, in nerve impulse transmission. As a coenzyme, it plays a major role in carbohydrate metabolism and is important for the production of energy from sugars. Vitamin B1 strengthens concentration and improves memory, as well as general physical fitness. Vitamin B1 is also needed for elevated blood glucose levels, which can occur in poorly controlled diabetes mellitus. Since the body can neither produce vitamin B1 itself nor store it in large quantities, regular intake through food is essential for your health.

Which foods contain vitamin B1?

Larger amounts of vitamin B1 are found primarily in pork muscle meat, pork schnitzel, and chicken breast. Fish, savoy cabbage, legumes, unpolished brown rice, corn, potatoes, mushrooms, peas, zucchini, fennel, as well as whole grain products, oatmeal, and wheat germ also serve as sources of the vitamin. Your dietary habits therefore determine how well you get enough vitamin B1.

How much vitamin B1 does your body need?

The German Nutrition Society (DGE) provides a table listing the recommended vitamin B dosage depending on age and gender. For men between 25 and 65 years of age, the reference value is 1.2 mg, and for women of the same age group, it is 1 mg. Male adolescents have the highest requirements. Boys between 15 and 19 years of age need 1.4 mg of vitamin B1 per day. Pregnant women in their third trimester and breastfeeding mothers are the group with the second highest requirements, with a recommended daily dose of 1.3 mg.

Are you lacking vitamin B1?

If one of the following applies, your supply of vitamin B1 could be too low:

You eat few whole grain products and legumes
You drink alcohol regularly
You eat very one-sidedly
You drink excessive amounts of coffee and tea

Intense physical training or hard work, fever, stress, burns, hyperthyroidism, liver disease, and pubertal growth in adolescents also increase the need for thiamine. The same applies to pregnant women, breastfeeding women, and dialysis patients. If you consume a lot of medication, as is often necessary for chronic or serious illnesses, or if you take the contraceptive pill or consume a lot of refined sugar, you should pay particular attention to ensuring you have an adequate supply of thiamine. Otherwise, deficiencies can occur, which in the worst case can have lasting health consequences. If you are unsure, consult your family doctor.

Vitamin B1 deficiency

If the body is deprived of vitamin B1 for a period of two weeks, 50 percent of its stored reserves will already be used up. The need for vitamin B increases; after 40 days at the latest, your organism will have no vitamin B1 reserves left and will be susceptible to illness. A mild vitamin B1 deficiency is not uncommon, even among people in affluent societies. Typical symptoms are lack of appetite and digestive disorders. A mild deficiency of the "mood vitamin" can also manifest itself in central nervous system disorders such as fatigue, depression, poor concentration, and weak memory. Energy metabolism decreases.

Vitamin B1 use

If you have an increased need for thiamine and cannot or do not want to cover this need by eating certain foods due to dietary habits or illness (for example, if you are on a certain diet), we recommend taking vitamin B1 as a dietary supplement.