The research behind our B vitamins
We hold 259 clinical studies on the B vitamins in Methylated B Complex Ultra, and we checked every citation against PubMed. A selection of them is below, each linked so you can read it.
Start here: 14 single-nutrient trials
Folate, B12, riboflavin, B6, thiamine, niacin, biotin and pantothenic acid, each tested on its own.
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1
Folate (B9) 667ug
Effect of 3-year folic acid supplementation on cognitive function in older adults in the FACIT trial: a randomised, double-blind, controlled trial
818 adults aged 50 to 70 with raised homocysteine took 800ug of folic acid daily for three years.
Result: Memory and information processing scores improved against placebo.
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2
Folate (B9) 667ug
Dose-dependent effects of folic acid on blood concentrations of homocysteine: a meta-analysis of the randomized trials
Individual data from 25 randomised trials.
Result: Folic acid lowered blood homocysteine, the analysis identified the dose at which the effect levels off, and vitamin B12 added a further reduction.
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3
Riboflavin (B2) 30mg
Riboflavin lowers homocysteine in individuals homozygous for the MTHFR 677C->T polymorphism
Adults with the MTHFR 677TT gene variant took 1.6mg of riboflavin daily for 12 weeks.
Result: Homocysteine fell markedly in that group and not in the others.
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4
Riboflavin (B2) 30mg
Correcting a marginal riboflavin deficiency improves hematologic status in young women in the United Kingdom (RIBOFEM)
123 young women in the UK with marginal riboflavin deficiency took 2mg or 4mg of riboflavin daily for eight weeks.
Result: Riboflavin status improved and haemoglobin rose.
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5
Folate (B9) 667ug
Red blood cell folate concentrations increase more after supplementation with [6S]-5-methyltetrahydrofolate than with folic acid in women of childbearing age
144 women took either 400ug of folic acid or the same amount of methylfolate for 24 weeks.
Result: Red blood cell folate rose more on methylfolate.
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6
Vitamin B12 500ug
Oral vitamin B12 versus intramuscular vitamin B12 for vitamin B12 deficiency
A Cochrane review of three randomised trials in people with B12 deficiency.
Result: Oral B12 raised blood B12 as effectively as injections.
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7
Vitamin B6 10mg
Low-dose vitamin B-6 effectively lowers fasting plasma homocysteine in healthy elderly persons who are folate and riboflavin replete
22 healthy older adults, already topped up with folate and riboflavin, took 1.6mg of vitamin B6 daily for 12 weeks.
Result: Fasting homocysteine fell.
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8
Thiamine, as benfotiamine 75mg
Thiamine supplementation mood and cognitive functioning
120 young women took 50mg of thiamine daily for two months.
Result: Better thiamine status went with feeling more clear headed, composed and energetic, and with faster reaction times.
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9
Thiamine, as benfotiamine 75mg
Influence of thiamin supplementation on the health and general well-being of an elderly Irish population with marginal thiamin deficiency
80 elderly women with marginal thiamine status took 10mg of thiamine daily.
Result: They reported better appetite and general wellbeing than placebo.
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10
Thiamine, as benfotiamine 75mg
Effects of thiamine supplementation on exercise-induced fatigue
16 athletes took 100mg of thiamine daily for three days before cycling.
Result: Measures of exercise induced fatigue were lower than on placebo.
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11
Niacin (B3) 100mg
Oral nicotinamide protects against ultraviolet radiation-induced immunosuppression in humans
Healthy volunteers took 1.5g of oral nicotinamide daily for a week.
Result: Skin immune responses were protected from suppression by ultraviolet light.
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12
Riboflavin (B2) 30mg
Suboptimal biochemical riboflavin status is associated with lower hemoglobin and higher rates of anemia in a sample of Canadian and Malaysian women of reproductive age
416 women in Canada and Malaysia.
Result: Poorer riboflavin status went with lower haemoglobin and higher rates of anaemia.
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13
Biotin 900ug
Treatment of brittle fingernails and onychoschizia with biotin: scanning electron microscopy
Nails of 32 people were examined under an electron microscope before and after biotin.
Result: Nail thickness increased after treatment.
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14
Pantothenic acid (B5) 100mg
Pantothenic acid levels in blood of athletes at rest and after aerobic exercise
96 high performance athletes.
Result: Blood pantothenic acid was lower than the reference values for untrained people.
The rest of the list
Grouped by the nutrient it tested. Tap a name to jump to it.
Biotin 900ug 3 studies
- Serum Biotin Levels in Women Complaining of Hair Loss Biotin levels were measured in 541 women reporting hair loss, to see how often low biotin was actually present.Result: Low biotin was found in 38 per cent of them, and the authors concluded that biotin should not be given for hair loss unless a deficiency has actually been shown. Link to study
- A Review of the Use of Biotin for Hair Loss A review of 18 reported cases of biotin being taken for hair or nail changes.Result: Every case had an underlying cause for the poor hair or nail growth. The authors found no sufficient evidence for biotin supplementation in healthy people. Link to study
- Biotin for Hair Loss: Teasing Out the Evidence A review of the published trials of oral biotin for hair growth or hair quality, with case reports excluded. Three studies qualified.Result: The strongest of the three, double blind and placebo controlled, found no difference between biotin and placebo. The other two were in specific patient groups and were not convincing. Link to study
Folate (B9) 667ug 3 studies
- Effects of homocysteine lowering with B vitamins on cognitive aging: meta-analysis of 11 trials with cognitive data on 22000 individuals Pooled data from 11 trials in 22,000 adults.Result: B vitamins lowered homocysteine, and the analysis found no effect on the rate of cognitive ageing. Link to study
- Lowering blood homocysteine with folic acid-based supplements: meta-analysis of randomised trials Individual data on 1,114 people in 12 randomised trials.Result: Folic acid based supplements lowered homocysteine, and the fall was largest in people who started highest. Link to study
- Effects of Four-Week Supplementation with a Multi-Vitamin/Mineral Preparation on Mood and Blood Biomarkers in Young Adults: A Randomised, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial 58 healthy adults aged 18 to 40 took a multivitamin and mineral for four weeks, with mood and blood markers measured.Result: Blood B vitamin levels rose and homocysteine fell against placebo, and the depression and dejection mood score improved. Link to study
Pantothenic acid (B5) 100mg 2 studies
- The effects of pantothenic acid on human exercise capacity A double blind trial in 18 trained distance runners testing pantothenic acid and exercise capacity.Result: No difference against placebo in run time to exhaustion, or in cortisol, glucose, creatine phosphokinase or electrolytes. Link to study
- Acute pantothenic acid and cysteine supplementation does not affect muscle coenzyme A content, fuel selection, or exercise performance in healthy humans Eight healthy men took pantothenic acid with cysteine.Result: Muscle coenzyme A, fuel use and cycling performance were unchanged. Link to study
Riboflavin (B2) 30mg 5 studies
- Vitamin supplementation for 1 year improves mood 129 young adults took nine vitamins at ten times the recommended amount, or placebo, for a year.Result: Mood scores were better in the vitamin group at 12 months. Link to study
- Riboflavin supplementation promotes butyrate production in the absence of gross compositional changes in the gut microbiota A randomised trial in healthy adults testing whether riboflavin supplementation changes butyrate production by the gut microbiome.Result: Pooling the 50mg and 100mg groups, riboflavin significantly raised butyrate production by the gut bacteria, without changing the overall make-up of the microbiome. Link to study
- Riboflavin status of adolescent vs elderly Gambian subjects before and during supplementation Adolescents and older adults with low intakes were given 0.25mg to 2.5mg of riboflavin daily.Result: Riboflavin status improved across the dose range. Link to study
- Riboflavin deficiency and iron absorption in adult Gambian men Riboflavin deficient men were given riboflavin.Result: Riboflavin status and haemoglobin improved, with no measurable change in iron absorption. Link to study
- Impact of the MTHFR C677T polymorphism on one-carbon metabolites: Evidence from a randomised trial of riboflavin supplementation Adults with the MTHFR 677TT gene variant were given riboflavin.Result: One carbon metabolites shifted, which fits riboflavin acting as the cofactor for that enzyme. Link to study
The B vitamins together 7 studies
- A double-blind, placebo-controlled, double-centre study of the effects of an oral multivitamin-mineral combination on stress 300 adults with high stress levels took a multivitamin and mineral combination.Result: Psychological stress scores fell against placebo. Link to study
- Improvements to mood, stress and loneliness following 12-week multivitamin supplementation in older adults: a randomised, placebo-controlled, trial 228 adults over 70 took a multivitamin with B vitamins for 12 weeks.Result: The supplement group reported better mood and lower stress than placebo. Link to study
- The effects of multivitamin supplementation on mood and general well-being in healthy young adults. A laboratory and at-home mobile phone assessment 138 healthy adults aged 20 to 50 took a B vitamin rich multivitamin for 16 weeks, with mood measured in the laboratory and again at home by phone a few hours after each dose.Result: The laboratory measures showed no change. The at-home ratings showed less stress, less physical fatigue and less anxiety than placebo. Link to study
- Effects of multivitamin, mineral and herbal supplement on cognition in younger adults and the contribution of B group vitamins 116 adults aged 20 to 50 completed 16 weeks on a multivitamin with B vitamins.Result: Blood homocysteine fell and some measures of mental performance improved. Link to study
- Multivitamins and minerals modulate whole-body energy metabolism and cerebral blood-flow during cognitive task performance: a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial 97 healthy women took a multivitamin and mineral supplement.Result: Whole body energy use and blood flow in the brain during mental tasks were both affected. Link to study
- The Effects of Four-Week Multivitamin Supplementation on Mood in Healthy Older Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial A four week randomised, placebo controlled trial of a multivitamin in 76 healthy women aged 50 to 75, measuring mood.Result: The laboratory measures showed no change. The at-home ratings, taken hours after the dose, showed improved stress scores and a trend towards less mental fatigue. Link to study
- The effect of 90 day administration of a high dose vitamin B-complex on work stress 60 adults in full-time work took a high dose B complex for 12 weeks, in a double blind, placebo controlled trial.Result: The B complex groups reported lower personal strain and less confusion and dejected mood than placebo. Other mood and anxiety measures were unchanged. Link to study
Thiamine, as benfotiamine 75mg 4 studies
- Comparative bioavailability of various thiamine derivatives after oral administration A crossover study in seven volunteers comparing blood thiamine after 100mg of benfotiamine, fursultiamine or thiamine disulphide.Result: Thiamine in the blood rose faster and higher after benfotiamine than after either of the other two forms, giving benfotiamine the best absorption of the three. Link to study
- Physiological and performance responses to supplementation with thiamin and pantothenic acid derivatives Six highly trained cyclists took a thiamine derivative with pantethine for seven days before a 50km ride and a 2,000m time trial.Result: No difference from placebo in heart rate, gas exchange, blood lactate, glucose, free fatty acids, or time trial time. Link to study
- Safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of single and multiple ascending doses of benfotiamine in healthy subjects Two phase I trials in healthy volunteers measured how benfotiamine is absorbed at doses from 150mg to 1,200mg, and reported it was well tolerated.Result: Benfotiamine was safe and well tolerated at every dose from 150mg to 1,200mg, and thiamine and its active diphosphate form built up moderately over repeated dosing. Link to study
- Pharmacokinetic study of benfotiamine and the bioavailability assessment compared to thiamine hydrochloride A pharmacokinetic study in healthy volunteers comparing how much thiamine reaches the blood after benfotiamine and after thiamine hydrochloride.Result: Thiamine in the blood reached about eleven times the level seen after the same oral dose of thiamine hydrochloride, and the active diphosphate form in red cells about twice. Link to study
Vitamin B12 500ug 2 studies
- Effects of high-dose B vitamin complex with vitamin C and minerals on subjective mood and performance in healthy males 215 working men aged 30 to 55 took a high dose B complex.Result: They reported lower stress and mental tiredness, and performed better on a demanding mental task. Link to study
- Effective treatment of cobalamin deficiency with oral cobalamin 38 people newly diagnosed with B12 deficiency were given either injections or 2mg of oral B12 daily.Result: Both corrected the deficiency. Link to study
Vitamin B6 10mg 2 studies
- Low Circulating Vitamin B6 Is Associated With Elevation of the Inflammation Marker C-Reactive Protein Independently of Plasma Homocysteine Levels 891 adults.Result: Lower active vitamin B6 went with higher C reactive protein, a marker of inflammation, independently of homocysteine. Link to study
- Pyridoxine supplementation: effect on lymphocyte responses in elderly persons Adults aged 65 to 81 took vitamin B6.Result: Active B6 in blood rose and lymphocyte responses improved. Link to study
The studies here are on the nutrients, not on Methylated B Complex Ultra, and researchers used their own doses and their own groups of people. A study appearing here is not a claim for our tablet. Within UK and EU authorised wording: vitamin B6, vitamin B12 and folate contribute to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue; riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B6, biotin and vitamin B12 contribute to normal energy-yielding metabolism; folate, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 contribute to normal homocysteine metabolism.
