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B-Complex Family Overview

B1 through B12, their cofactor identities, deficiency states, and food sources.

A free, animated b-complex family overview you can read here or embed on any website, from Scrollchart.

B-Complex Family Overview

B-Complex Family OverviewEight water-soluble cofactors covering energy, methylation, and neurotransmitter synthesisVitaminActive CofactorPrimary RoleDeficiency DiseaseTop Food SourceB1TPPEnergy (PDH, alpha-KG-DH)Beriberi, WernickePork, legumesB2FAD, FMNETC Complex I-II flavinAriboflavinosisDairy, eggsB3NAD+, NADP+Redox + sirtuin substratePellagra (3 D s)Meat, fishB5CoAAcyl carrier, TCA, fatty acidsRareUbiquitousB6PLPTransamination, NT synthesisPeripheral neuropathyChicken, bananaB7BiotinCarboxylases (ACC, PC, PCC)Rare (raw egg whites)Eggs, liverB95-MTHFOne-carbon, DNA synthesisNTDs, megaloblasticLeafy greensB12Methyl/Adeno-CblMethylation + Hcy salvageMegaloblastic + neuroMeat, fish, eggsAll eight are water-soluble: daily intake required, excess excreted in urine (B6 the exception, neuropathy >200 mg/day chronic)

A grid: each B vitamin in a row, columns for cofactor name, primary use, deficiency disease, food source, supplemental form. B1 is TPP for energy with beriberi as the deficiency, B12 is cobalamin for methylation with megaloblastic anemia, and so on across the family.

Good for

  • Buyer guides comparing single-vitamin vs B-complex products
  • Deficiency screening articles linking presenting symptom to the right B
  • Methylation and energy-metabolism content that needs a quick reference grid

Source & accuracy

This b-complex family overview is an editorial illustration built to represent the concept accurately. Where it shows figures, they are typical or representative values chosen to make the relationship clear, not a single underlying dataset. The diagram and its explainer are reviewed and maintained centrally, and updated over time as understanding improves.

Eight vitamins that share a name but not a job

The B-complex groups eight water-soluble vitamins that were once thought to be a single substance: B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6 (pyridoxine), B7 (biotin), B9 (folate), and B12 (cobalamin). What they share is a role as cofactors or cofactor precursors in metabolism, not a common chemical structure. Thiamine works in carbohydrate breakdown, riboflavin forms FAD and FMN for the electron transport chain, niacin becomes NAD+, and so on.

Because they are water-soluble, excess is largely excreted rather than stored, with B12 a notable exception that the liver can hold for years.

Deficiency signatures and where the vitamins come from

Each B vitamin has a recognisable deficiency state: beriberi (B1), pellagra's dermatitis, diarrhoea, and dementia (B3), megaloblastic anaemia (B9 or B12), and the neurological damage of prolonged B12 deficiency. Whole grains, legumes, leafy greens, eggs, dairy, and meat between them cover most of the family, while B12 comes almost entirely from animal foods or fortification, making it the one of greatest concern on a vegan diet.

Routine high-dose supplementation is not automatically beneficial and is unnecessary for most people who eat a varied diet. This is general educational information, not medical advice; suspected deficiency should be assessed by a qualified professional.

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Reference

What this is
A free, embeddable, animated b-complex family overview for any website.
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Supplement reviewers, Health blogs, Nutrition blogs.
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