Vitamin B Complex: compare the panel, not the name

Complex is not a defined recipe

There is no rule that fixes which B vitamins a product called a B complex must contain. Two packs with the same name can have different numbers of rows in the panel.

So the name narrows the shelf and the panel does the comparing. Count the rows first, then read the amounts.

The rows you might find

Labels use both the common name and the number, and often print them together, which makes a panel easier to scan than it first looks.

• Thiamin, B1
• Riboflavin, B2
• Niacin, B3
• Pantothenic acid, B5
• Vitamin B6
• Biotin
• Folate, which may be written as folic acid
• Vitamin B12

Each row can arrive in more than one form

Most B vitamins have several permitted sources, and the ingredients list names the one used. Niacin may appear as nicotinamide or as nicotinic acid. Vitamin B6 may appear as pyridoxine hydrochloride or as pyridoxal 5 phosphate.

Folate may be written as folic acid or as a methylfolate salt, and B12 as one of the cobalamins. None of that changes the panel figure, which is always stated as the nutrient.

Percentages are per row

Every nutrient has its own labelling reference value, so each percentage in the column is measured against a different baseline.

Read down the column to see where a pack is generous and where it is thin. Do not add the percentages together, they are not parts of one total.

Capsules, shells and the things around the nutrients

This pack is 60 capsules. A capsule brings a shell material and usually a bulking agent and an anti caking agent, all of which belong in the ingredients list.

Any vegan, vegetarian or gluten free wording has to hold true for the shell and those excipients as well as the nutrients, which is why it needs verified records.

Sixty capsules, unknown portions

Sixty is a count of capsules. The portion that count divides into is printed on the label.

Compare pack price against pack price with the capsule count beside it, then check the label for the per portion figure.

What the label tells you

The full ingredients list, the amount per portion, allergens, dietary suitability, directions and storage are printed on the pack.

Read the label before you take any supplement, and check the product page for the format, pack size and price before you buy.