Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
About B Vitamins
The B vitamins are:
- B1 (thiamine)
- B2 (riboflavin)
- B3 (niacin)
- B5 (pantothenic acid)
- B7 (biotin)
- B12
- Folic acid
These vitamins help the process your body uses to get or make energy from the food you eat. They also help form red blood cells. You can get B vitamins from proteins such as fish, poultry, meat, eggs, and dairy products. Leafy green vegetables, beans, and peas also have B vitamins. Many cereals and some breads have added B vitamins.
Not getting enough of certain B vitamins can cause diseases. A lack of B12 or B6 can cause anemia.
It sits within Food and Nutrition.
The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements.
When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.
Research on B Vitamins
281 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.
What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.
Research currently under way
- Clinical and Laboratory Study of Methylmalonic AcidemiaNational Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)
- Benfotiamine Versus Vitamin B1-6-12 for Diabetic Peripheral NeuropathyThammasat University
- Early Check: Expanded Screening in NewbornsRTI International
- Validation of a Novel Functional Food Designed to Meet the Nutritional Needs of People Living With Parkinson's DiseaseUniversity of Ulster
- Folic Acid Salt Study (FISFA Zambia)University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Study of Choline Chloride for Injection in Adolescent and Adult Patients With Intestinal Failure Receiving Long Term Parenteral SupportProtara Therapeutics
Research already completed
- Clinical Comparative Evaluation of the Use of Photodynamic Therapy in Conjunction With the Use of Vitamin D in Management Stage II Grade B Periodontitis PatientsCairo University
- Clinical Assessment of Adjunctive Omega-3 Versus Vitamin D Daily Supplements on Active Periodontal Therapy With Stage II Grade B Periodontitis PatientsCairo University
- Cholecalciferol in Newly Diagnosed Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma or Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia With Vitamin D DeficiencyUniversity of Nebraska
- The Role of Thiamine After Transcatheter Closure in Children With Left-to-Right Shunt Congenital Heart DiseaseUniversitas Sumatera Utara
Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.
Where to read more
Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.
Start Here
- NiacinNational Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements
- Pantothenic AcidNational Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements
- RiboflavinNational Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements
- ThiaminNational Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements
- Vitamin B12National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements
- Vitamin B6National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements
Diagnosis and Tests
- Homocysteine TestNational Library of Medicine
- Methylmalonic Acid (MMA) TestNational Library of Medicine
- Vitamin B TestNational Library of Medicine
Related Issues
- Niacin to Improve Cholesterol NumbersMayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
- Vitamin B-12 and Depression: Are They Related?Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
- Vitamin B12-Deficiency AnemiaNational Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
- Vitamin Deficiency AnemiaMayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
Genetics
- Transcobalamin deficiency: MedlinePlus GeneticsNational Library of Medicine
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: BiotinNational Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: NiacinNational Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: RiboflavinNational Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: ThiamineNational Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Vitamin B ComplexNational Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Vitamin B12National Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Vitamin B6National Institutes of Health
Medical subject headings
Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Vitamin B Complex. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.
This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for B Vitamins, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.