B Vitamins
Introduction
B vitamins include a number of different vitamins. They include thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, vitamin B6, folic acid, and vitamin B12. B vitamin supplements may include all or some of these types. B vitamins are thought to improve brain function and blood flow. They are often recommended for pregnant women. B vitamins can be taken as pills or as a powder.
Dosages
There are no advised doses for B vitamins.
What Research Shows
Likely Effective
May Be Effective
- High Blood Pressure—may lower blood pressure when taken with arginine C1
- Schizophrenia—may ease psychiatric symptoms H1
Unlikely to Be Effective
- Cognitive disorders—unlikely to prevent cognitive decline A1-A9
- Major adverse cardiovascular events—unlikely to result in fewer events D1
- Osteoporosis fractures—unlikely to help prevent fracture E1
Not Enough Data to Assess
- Parkinson diseaseF1
- Perinatal depression G1
Editorial process and description of evidence categories can be found at EBSCO NAT Editorial Process.
Safety Notes
It is likely safe to take B vitamins in small doses for a short time. Not enough studies have been done to say whether they are safe to use for a long period.
Interactions
Talk to your doctor about any supplements or therapy you would like to use. Some can interfere with treatment or make conditions worse.
References►
A. Cognitive Disorders
A1. Wald DS, Kasturiratne A, et al. Effect of folic acid, with or without other B vitamins, on cognitive decline: meta-analysis of randomized trials. Am J Med. 2010;123(6):522-427.
A2. Dangour AD, Whitehouse PJ, et al. B-vitamins and fatty acids in the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease and dementia: a systematic review. J Alzheimers Dis. 2010;22(1):205-224.
A3. Clarke R, Bennett D, et al. Effects of homocysteine lowering with B vitamins on cognitive aging: meta-analysis of 11 trials with cognitive data on 22,000 individuals. Am J Clin Nutr. 2014;100(2):657-666.
A4. Cao L, Tan L, et al. Dietary Patterns and Risk of Dementia: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Cohort Studies. Mol Neurobiol. 2016 Nov;53(9):6144-6154.
A5. Muñoz Fernández SS, Ivanauskas T, et al. Nutritional Strategies in the Management of Alzheimer Disease: Systematic Review with Network Meta-Analysis. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2017 Oct 1;18(10):897.e13-897.e30.
A6. Butler M, Nelson VA, et al. Over-the-Counter Supplement Interventions to Prevent Cognitive Decline, Mild Cognitive Impairment, and Clinical Alzheimer-Type Dementia: A Systematic Review. Ann Intern Med. 2018 Jan 2;168(1):52-62.
A7. D'Cunha NM, Georgousopoulou EN, et al. Effect of long-term nutraceutical and dietary supplement use on cognition in the elderly: a 10-year systematic review of randomised controlled trials. Br J Nutr. 2018 Feb;119(3):280-298.
A8. McCleery J, Abraham RP, et al. Vitamin and mineral supplementation for preventing dementia or delaying cognitive decline in people with mild cognitive impairment. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018 Nov 1;11:CD011905.
A9. Rutjes AW, Denton DA, et al. Vitamin and mineral supplementation for maintaining cognitive function in cognitively healthy people in mid and late life. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018 Dec 17;12:CD011906.
B. Esophageal Cancer
B1. Qiang Y, Li Q, et al. Intake of Dietary One-Carbon Metabolism-Related B Vitamins and the Risk of Esophageal Cancer: A Dose-Response Meta-Analysis. Nutrients. 2018 Jun 27;10(7). pii: E835.
C. High blood pressure
C1. Menzel D, Haller H, et al. L-Arginine and B vitamins improve endothelial function in subjects with mild to moderate blood pressure elevation. Eur J Nutr. 2018;57(2):557-568.
D. Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events
D1. Zhang C, Wang ZY, et al. Association between B vitamins supplementation and risk of cardiovascular outcomes: a cumulative meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. PLoS One. 2014 Sep 19;9(9):e107060.
E. Osteoporosis Fractures
E1. Ruan J, Gong X, et al. Effect of B vitamin (folate, B6, and B12) supplementation on osteoporotic fracture and bone turnover markers: a meta-analysis. Med Sci Monit. 2015 Mar 24;21:875-881.
F. Parkinson disease
F1. Shen L. Associations between B Vitamins and Parkinson’s Disease. Nutrients. 2015;7(9):197-208.
G. Perinatal Depression
G1. Sparling TM, Henschke N, et al. The role of diet and nutritional supplementation in perinatal depression: a systematic review. Matern Child Nutr. 2017 Jan;13(1).
Schizophrenia
H1. Firth J, Stubbs B, et al. The effects of vitamin and mineral supplementation on symptoms of schizophrenia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychol Med. 2017 Jul;47(9):1515-1527.
I. Stroke
I1. Hankey GJ, Ford AH, et al. Effect of B vitamins and lowering homocysteine on cognitive impairment in patients with previous stroke or transient ischemic attack: a prespecified secondary analysis of a randomized, placebo-controlled trial and meta-analysis. Stroke. 2013 Aug;44(8):2232-2239.
I2. Zhang C, Chi FL, et al. Effect of B-vitamin supplementation on stroke: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. PLoS One. 2013 Nov 25;8(11):e81577.
I3. Dong H, Pi F, et al. Efficacy of Supplementation with B Vitamins for Stroke Prevention: A Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. PLoS One. 2015;10(9):e0137533.
I4. Park JH, Saposnik G, et al. Effect of B-Vitamins on stroke risk among individuals with vascular disease who are not on antiplatelets: A meta-analysis. Int J Stroke. 2016;11(2):206-211. I5. Spence JD, Yi Q, et al. B vitamins in stroke prevention: time to reconsider. Lancet Neurol. 2017 Sep;16(9):750-760.
Last reviewed July 2019 by EBSCO NAT Review Board Eric Hurwitz, DC Last Updated: 9/9/2019