The 4 Best Vitamin B Complex Supplements

The vitamins that comprise the B complex family are vital for human health, with benefits ranging from cellular health and cognition to mood and migraines.

But with eight B vitamins in total, it can be difficult to discern which B complex supplements are the best. You may wonder, how much of the RDA is enough? Or is the dose too much? And how do you know if a B complex supplement is high-quality?

Not to worry, we’ve got you covered. In this in-depth article, we’ve outlined the top four B complex supplements you can buy, with details about ingredients, certifications, dosages, price, and personal experiences.

The 4 Best Vitamin B Complex Supplements

Two B complex supplements stood out as the best of the best: Nordic Naturals Vitamin B Complex and Thorne Stress B-Complex, which tied for first place by both receiving A+ grades. 

If you’re looking for a B complex supplement on a budget, Hi-Health Mega B-100 is also a good choice, while Nature’s Sunshine Vitamin B-Complex is your best bet if you want additional supportive ingredients in your supplement (like vitamin C). 

Before diving into the details, here’s a brief overview of each of the B complex supplements tested and how they scored:

The Nutrition Insider Methodology

Here at The Nutrition Insider, we don’t recommend just any old B vitamin supplement off the shelf—and we certainly aren’t swayed by free products or monetary incentives. 

We put a lot of thought and care into the products and brands we recommend—in fact, we have an entire library of trusted brands that we’ve thoroughly vetted here—to help take the guesswork out of your shopping experience.

In the following sections, you’ll see the selection criteria we used when evaluating B complex supplements and the testing methods utilized to determine the best of the best. 

Our Selection Criteria

First, these criteria are how we begin to vet supplements before we even test them out, taking a close look at their ingredients, dosage, certifications, transparency, and price.

Price vs. Serving Size

Of course, price is an important factor when purchasing anything—and supplements are no exception.

While you may expect that a higher-priced supplement is of the highest quality, that’s not always the case. Some of the more economical supplements are excellent, while premium supplements aren’t always the best. 

We also consider serving size, dosage, and ingredient quality relative to the price tag when evaluating price.

Dosage and Concentration

The concentration (aka “dosage”) of a supplement is also an important consideration when choosing the best products—after all, you don’t want to take something that ends up not being effective in any way. 

When looking at a supplement, we answer questions like:

• Is that dosage at or above the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA)?
• Is this dosage close to or exceeding the Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) for these substances?
• Is this a safe dosage?
• Is this dosage similar to dosages used in clinical studies?

The answers to these questions help us determine how safe or effective a supplement might be.

Certifications

Unfortunately, supplements are not a well-regulated industry. As scary as it sounds, literally anybody can put a supplement up on the shelves for you to buy—and the FDA probably won’t even take notice of it unless a problem arises and it ends up on their radar.

At some point––though it is not required before it is sold on the market—dietary supplements have to receive a Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) certification.

However, the FDA only investigates products once they are on the market—so, theoretically, a supplement company could fly under the radar for a while before they get caught.

This is why we always look for third-party certifications on every single product we review and recommend.

Third-party certifications can help clear up any concerns or questions consumers may have about the following:

• Identity. This ensures the product contains exactly what it claims and is accurately labeled.
• Strength. Verifies how potent the product is, ensuring the product contains the correct amount of each ingredient and is accurately labeled so the consumer takes the right amount.
• Purity. Verifies how “pure” the contents are and that they do not contain harmful chemicals, heavy metals, or ingredients not approved for those competing professionally.

Since the FDA requires it, the most common third-party certification is GMP, which can be acquired from multiple certifying bodies, though most commonly through the NSF (National Sanitation Foundation).

A supplement company can also get its products certified with the USP (U.S. Pharmacopeia), guaranteeing accurate identification, purity, potency, and performance. 

Dietary supplement companies can also get certifications for being USDA Organic, Non-GMO Project Verified, certified gluten-free, and certified vegan.

Transparency

When conducting our selection process, it’s not enough to just look at a bottle or product page online and make an assessment of that supplement.

When doing these deeper dives, we like to see how easy or difficult a company makes it to find more information about their business and their products.

This is what we call “transparency.”

The harder it is to find information, the less transparent we consider that company, which throws up a red flag for us as reviewers.

When a company makes it easy to find that information, they generally have all their ducks in a row, making them a more trustworthy option than others on the market.

Ingredients

Supplements don’t solely contain the vitamins or nutrients on the label—they also include ingredients for the capsule, anti-caking or flow agents, and filler compounds to stabilize or bind everything together without gumming up. 

While a laundry list of “other ingredients” on a supplement label may raise red flags, these compounds aren’t always bad—in fact, some of them are even beneficial to help you digest the compounds or can improve taste and aroma. 

That said, there are also many potentially harmful ingredients found in common supplements that we do not want to see, including:

• Titanium dioxide
• Artificial colors or flavors 
• Hydrogenated oils
• Artificial preservatives
• Artificial sweeteners
• High fructose corn syrup
• Shellac

Our Testing Methods

Duration & Frequency

As these B complex supplements were only in capsule form, we followed the same testing protocol for each, taking one serving daily in the morning for at least three days in a row.

Taste Test

The taste test for supplement capsules is pretty straightforward. Some supplements can have a pretty awful aftertaste, though, so we did take note of that.

Usability and Accessibility

For some consumers, certain product characteristics are just as important as the efficacy of the supplement itself.

Aspects like whether or not the bottle is difficult to open, label legibility, and child-proofing can significantly impact a consumer’s ability to use and enjoy a product.

Plus, large capsules or pill sizes can be challenging for some people to take, so any supplements rivaling horse pills were noted.  

Why Trust Our Reviews?

Even after reading through our testing methodology, you might still be left wondering why you should trust our product reviews.

The Nutrition Insider prides itself on being a neutral third party that only reviews products we believe in.

Our team consists of doctors, registered dietitians, and food experts (such as yours truly) who are dedicated to providing you with the best science-backed takes on the latest food and nutrition trends and health products.

Beyond just providing you with research-driven product reviews, our goal is to educate and inform you––our health-conscious audience––of the best practices across the health and wellness spaces, including dieting principles, supplement buying guides, trends, and new developments in the industry, etc.

Our content dives deeper than surface-level branding and marketing claims, providing you with value-added “industry insider” information.

For more information about how The Nutrition Insider conducts its reviews and other aspects of our business, please feel free to read our Editorial Policy.

Our Reviews and Recommendations

Now, let’s get into the reviews of the top four B complex supplements I tested.

1. Nordic Naturals Vitamin B Complex: Best Vitamin B Complex Supplement

Nordic Naturals is one of the top trusted brands at The Nutrition Insider for their excellent quality and transparency—and their Vitamin B Complex is no exception.

I love this supplement because it contains the most bioavailable and research-backed forms of all eight B vitamins and has high transparency and third-party testing. 

While it’s more expensive than the others, I think the quality is worth it.

Overall Rating

A+

Supplement Facts and Ingredients

Each one-capsule serving of Nordic Naturals Vitamin B Complex contains B vitamins in the following amounts:

B Vitamin	Form	Dose	% of RDA/AI
Thiamin (Vitamin B1)	Thiamin mononitrate	37mg	3,083%
Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)	Riboflavin 5’-phosphate	26.6mg	2,046%
Niacin (Vitamin B3)	Inositol hexanicotinate	37mg NE (Niacin Equivalents)	231%
Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5)	Calcium D-pantothenate	60mg	1,200%
Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6)	Pyridoxal 5’-phosphate	45mg	2,647%
Biotin (Vitamin B7)	N/A	300mcg	1,000%
Folate (Vitamin B9)	L-5 MTHF (calcium L-5-methyltetrahydrofolate)	333mcg DFE(Dietary Folate Equivalents)	83%
Cobalamin (Vitamin B12)	Methylcobalamin	250mcg	10,417%

Other Ingredients: Vegetable cellulose capsule, microcrystalline cellulose, silica, and magnesium stearate. 

Like Thorne, this supplement contains research-backed and bioavailable forms of several of the B vitamins. 

For example, inositol hexanicotinate has been shown to be better tolerated and less likely to cause skin flushing than niacin, and methylcobalamin is the biologically active form of vitamin B12 that does not need to be converted first in the body.

Similarly, methyltetrahydrofolate (MTHF) is the active form of folic acid in the human body. 

People with MTHFR mutations (about 25% of the population) have trouble converting folic acid into methyltetrahydrofolate, so supplementing with methyltetrahydrofolate is ideal in these cases.

Dosing

Nordic Naturals uses research-backed concentrations of the B vitamins found in this supplement, and the serving size is just one capsule per day.

Although several of the B vitamins’ doses are thousands of times higher than the RDA, vitamins that have a UL (Tolerable Upper Intake Level) set do not exceed the UL.

For example, the UL for vitamin B6 is 100mg, but this supplement contains 45mg.

While some of the other B vitamins are a bit high (like vitamin B12 and thiamin), taking excess doses of these vitamins is not harmful.

Price vs. Serving Size

Nordic Naturals Vitamin B Complex is $29.95 for 45 (one capsule) servings, coming out to $0.67 per serving. 

Although a bit more expensive than others, this B complex supplement is worth it because the B vitamins are in their most bioavailable forms.

Therefore, you aren’t wasting money by taking less efficiently absorbed and utilized vitamins.

Certifications and Transparency

Nordic Naturals has several certifications, including:

• cGMP-certified
• IGEN (non-GMO certification)
• Certified Vegan

Nordic Naturals is transparent with its supplement line, providing easily accessible Certificates of Analysis (COAs) for each product. I simply searched for the lot number on my supplement bottle and was led to the COA easily, which verifies potency, purity, non-GMO status, and amount of heavy metals or contaminants.

Personal Experience

I had no issues with taking the Nordic Naturals Vitamin B Complex.

In regards to taste, smell, size, and usability, everything was unremarkable—which is a good thing!

I did not experience any noticeable effects after taking these B vitamins.

However, most people only notice immediate benefits if they are deficient in specific B vitamins.

Overall, the experience was good, and I recommend this supplement to anyone looking for a comprehensive B vitamin complex.

2. Thorne Stress B-Complex: Runner-Up Best B Complex Supplement

Thorne Stress B-Complex is an excellent choice for a B complex supplement, as it contains the most bioavailable forms of each B vitamin and in reasonable doses. 

This supplement is also an economical choice. But don’t let the lower price point fool you—Thorne does not skimp on quality.

As you’ll see, they have plenty of certifications, high transparency, and an extensive list of ingredients that they’ll never include in their products. 

Overall Rating

A+

Supplement Facts and Ingredients

Each one-capsule serving of Thorne Stress B-Complex contains B vitamins in the following amounts:

B Vitamin	Form	Dose	% of RDA/AI
Thiamin (Vitamin B1)	Thiamin HCl	50mg	4,167%
Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)	25mg riboflavin and 3.6mg riboflavin 5’-phosphate sodium	28.6mg	2,200%
Niacin (Vitamin B3)	Niacinamide	80mg	500%
Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5)	Calcium pantothenate	250mg	5,000%
Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6)	25mg as pyridoxine HCl and 3.4mg as pyridoxal 5’-phosphate (PLP)	28.4mg	1,671%
Biotin (Vitamin B7)	N/A	80mcg	267%
Folate (Vitamin B9)	L-5-methyltetrahydrofolate	334mcg DFE	84%
Cobalamin (Vitamin B12)	Methylcobalamin	100mcg	4,167%

​​Other Ingredients: Calcium Laurate, Hypromellose Capsule, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Silicon Dioxide

Helpfully, Thorne has an article about what the “other ingredients” in their products are and what they do.

For example, their section on calcium laureate states: “Made from the mineral calcium and lauric acid. Lauric acid is a medium-length fatty acid found in coconut milk and breast milk (it comprises about six percent of the fat content of breast milk). Calcium laurate helps powders flow into capsules and holds those powders together.”

One of the reasons I chose Thorne as one of the best B complex supplements is because it uses the methylated forms of B12 (methylcobalamin) and folate (5-MTHF), which are more bioavailable and beneficial for people with certain gene mutations like MTHFR. 

Some vitamins (riboflavin and B6) have two forms in this supplement, which may help with bioavailability or be better tolerated (although I’m not sure why they don’t use 100% of the more bioavailable ones).

For example, pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP) is the biologically active form of vitamin B6. PLP-based supplements are thought to be preferred over pyridoxine supplements because they may have less of a negative effect when taken in excess.

Vitamin B6 is one of the few B vitamins that is dangerous when taken in excess, as it causes serious neurological symptoms.

Similarly, Thorne Stress B-Complex uses both riboflavin and riboflavin 5’-phosphate, the latter of which is the form that is more readily utilized.

Dosing

Thorne uses clinical research to determine the dosages for each nutrient or compound in their supplements. They even include their supplements in clinical trials worldwide, collaborating with institutions like the Cleveland Clinic, Johns Hopkins University, Mayo Clinic, and the NIH.

Compared to many other B vitamin supplements, the dosages found in the Stress B-Complex are quite reasonable.

Although most of the RDAs are in the few-thousand-percent range, you won’t see them hit 20,000% like many other B vitamin supplements.

Although this supplement exceeds the UL for niacin (the UL is 35mg, and this contains 80mg), the danger only comes from taking nicotinic acid, not niacinamide, the form found in this one. 

The higher amounts of vitamin B5 (5,000% of the RDA) are designed to support a healthy nervous system and modulate cortisol production, which may lead to a healthier stress response. 

Although Thorne does add choline, an essential nutrient for cognitive function, it only provides 14mg or 3% of the RDA (better than nothing, but not doing too much).

Thorne recommends taking one capsule one to three times per day (or as directed by your health care professional).

As most of the B vitamin dosages exceed the RDA by the thousands, it’s likely that taking the lower end (just one per day) would be sufficient unless you have a B vitamin deficiency. 

Price vs. Serving Size

$23 for 60 servings comes out to $0.38 per serving, making this one of the more affordable B complex supplements.

Certifications and Transparency

Thorne has a handful of certifications, including: 

• GMP-certified 
• Thorne’s facility is NSF Certified and manufactures more than 30 NSF Certified for Sport® products 
• TGA

Thorne has an A rating from Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA; similar to the FDA but stricter), widely recognized as the toughest regulatory agency in the world. Only a handful of U.S. companies have achieved certification, and Thorne is the first U.S. nutritional supplement company to be fully certified.

However, they don’t have additional certifications like Non-GMO Project Verified or Certified Vegan. 

They also have an extensive “No List” of ingredients they will never add to their products, ranging from the top food allergens and high-fructose corn syrup to preservatives and artificial sweeteners. 

Thorne products undergo four rounds of extensive testing, including testing raw materials for contaminants when they come in, in-process and finished product testing for purity, identity, and potency, and stability testing to confirm their label claims. 

However, while they have third-party testing for their facilities, these four rounds of testing are within their in-house labs. While that is not always bad, it would be best to show their lab results on their website (via COAs), so consumers know they can trust the testing process. 

Lastly, you can read more about the sustainability initiatives here, which include sustainably sourcing ingredients, creating an innovative dissolvable disc (for some supplements)

Personal Experience

As with most supplements, you don’t immediately feel the effects when taking them. My experience with Thorne Stress B-Complex was good in that there were no issues with taking the pills (smell, taste, bottle opening, etc.).

While I didn’t feel any effects on stress over the few-day trial period, most people who feel immediate effects from B vitamins are deficient in them.

My only minor complaint is that the QR code on the supplement bottle doesn’t work. 

Overall, Thorne Stress B-Complex is an excellent choice for a B-complex supplement—especially if you are dealing with chronic stress. 

3. Hi-Health Mega B-100: Most Economical B Complex

Hi-Health Mega B-100 is a highly affordable choice for B-vitamin supplementers on a budget.

This supplement also contains additional supportive ingredients (like PABA, inositol, and choline), but a few downsides slightly dropped this score. 

For example, it is not a vegan/vegetarian option, has a strong smell and taste, and does not contain the most bioavailable B vitamins.

Overall Rating

B+

Supplement Facts and Ingredients

Each one-capsule serving of Hi-Health Mega B-100 contains B vitamins in the following amounts:

B Vitamin	Form	Dose	% of RDA/AI
Thiamin (Vitamin B1)	Thiamin mononitrate	100mg	8,333%
Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)	Unknown	100mg	7,692%
Niacin (Vitamin B3)	Niacinamide	100mg	625%
Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5)	D-Calcium pantothenate	100mg	2,000%
Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6)	Pyridoxine HCl	100mg	5,882%
Biotin (Vitamin B7)	N/A	100mcg	333%
Folate (Vitamin B9)	Folic acid	400mcg folic acid (667mcg DFE)	167%
Cobalamin (Vitamin B12)	Unknown	100mcg	4,167%

Other ingredients include:

• Choline (100mg; 18% of the RDA): A B vitamin-like compound that’s vital for memory and brain function.
• PABA (100mg): A compound sometimes referred to as vitamin B10 that assists with folate synthesis and may support skin and hair health. However, PABA ​​may interact with sulfa drugs (like some antibiotics) and decrease their effectiveness.
• Inositol (100mg): A type of sugar that may benefit metabolism, moods, blood sugar levels, and female fertility. 
• Gelatin, cellulose, vegetable stearic acid, and vegetable magnesium stearate 

However, Hi-Health Mega B-100 uses an unknown form of vitamin B12 (meaning it’s likely the synthetic form, cyanocobalmin) and folic acid, which is less bioavailable than MTHF.

It also includes gelatin, which is derived from animals, making this supplement not vegan or vegetarian. 

A couple of plusses include the addition of PABA, choline, and inositol (with more relevant amounts of choline). At 100mg per serving, this amount of choline is 18% of the RDA—still not a ton, but a good amount to supplement your diet. 

Dosing

The concentrations used in this supplement are mostly reasonable.

The one exception is vitamin B6, as 100mg is the UL for B6. Therefore, taking another supplement containing B6 or foods high in the vitamin would quickly exceed the UL. 

However, it seems like the dosages used are quite arbitrary—almost all of them are either 100mcg or 100mg, suggesting that they just went with a standard number for each vitamin and did not clinically research any doses. 

Price vs. Serving Size

Hi-Health Mega B-100 contains 100 servings for $29.99, making this a highly economical choice. At one capsule per serving, this supplement comes out to $0.30 per serving.

Certifications and Transparency

Hi-Health products are GMP certified, indicating they have undergone the necessary inspections of the manufacturing facility and testing of the product to confirm its potency as required by the FDA.

They are also certified gluten-free, but they are not vegan or vegetarian due to the gelatin in the capsule. 

Transparency was good, with some certifications displayed on the supplement bottle and others found on the product page.

Personal Experience

The Hi-Health Mega B-100 capsules definitely have a strong smell, making them a tad challenging for me to swallow without a reaction.

The plastic seal on the outside was tough to remove (no perforation), and I had to use a knife to cut it off. 

Regarding effectiveness, like the other B complex supplements, nothing noteworthy was observed in the few days I took them.

4. Nature’s Sunshine Vitamin B-Complex

Nature’s Sunshine Vitamin B-Complex contains all eight B vitamins in addition to many other supportive compounds, including those rich in vitamin C. 

While this supplement is affordable and has several certifications, a few factors brought down the overall grade, including excessive doses of some vitamins when taken at the recommended three times per day and unknown quantities of the proprietary compounds. 

Overall Rating

B+

Supplement Facts and Ingredients

Each one-capsule serving of Nature’s Sunshine Vitamin B-Complex contains B vitamins in the following amounts:

B Vitamin	Form	Dose	% of RDA/AI
Thiamin (Vitamin B1)	Thiamin mononitrate	33mg	2,750%
Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)	Unknown	33mg	2,538%
Niacin (Vitamin B3)	Niacinamide	33mg	206%
Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5)	D-calcium pantothenate	33mg	660%
Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6)	Pyridoxine HCl	33mg	1,941%
Biotin (Vitamin B7)	N/A	100mcg	333%
Folate (Vitamin B9)	Folic acid	120mcg folic acid(200mcg DFE)	50%
Cobalamin (Vitamin B12)	Cyanocobalamin	33mcg	1,375%

Uniquely, this B complex supplement also contains several forms of vitamin C (rose hips, lemon bioflavonoids, rutin, and acerola extract). However, they do not state how much vitamin C is present, which many consumers would want to know. 

It also contains PABA, a compound sometimes referred to as vitamin B10 that assists with folate synthesis and may support skin and hair health.

However, PABA ​​may interact with sulfa drugs (like some antibiotics) and decrease their effectiveness.

The safety of PABA has also not been tested in children and pregnant or breastfeeding women, and it’s unknown how much PABA is in this supplement.

Lastly, this supplement uses vitamin B12 in the form of cyanocobalamin, a synthetic form that may be less bioavailable than the natural form of methylcobalamin.

Cyanocobalamin requires an additional conversion process to become biologically active, which may be slower or less efficient in some individuals. 

Dosing

Nature’s Sunshine recommends that this B complex supplement be taken three times per day. 

However, as a Registered Dietitian, I don’t necessarily agree with that, as each one-capsule serving already contains the RDA for almost all of the B vitamins—several times over, in fact.

Taking three servings of this B complex supplement per day will exceed or put you right up on the edge of the UL (Tolerable Upper Intake Level) for a couple of the vitamins.

The UL for niacin (vitamin B3) is 35mg daily, and each serving of this supplement contains 33mg. Therefore, three servings would almost triple the UL for niacin.

However, adverse effects of supplemental niacin typically only arise when in the form of nicotinic acid, while this supplement contains niacin in the form of niacinamide. 

The UL for vitamin B6 is 100mg per day, and three servings of this supplement equals 99mg. 

Chronic and excessive consumption of vitamin B6 can lead to severe neurological symptoms, including neuropathy in the hands and feet, unsteady gait, light sensitivity, skin rashes and lesions, nausea, heartburn, ataxia (loss of control of body movements), and impaired reflexes.Therefore, this Registered Dietitian recommends taking just one serving daily of Nature’s Sunshine Vitamin B-Complex unless you are deficient in any B vitamins.

Price vs. Serving Size

Nature’s Sunshine Vitamin B-Complex is $24.95 for 100 capsules, equating to 33 servings if you take them three times per day and 100 servings if you decide to take them once daily. 

A thrice-daily serving comes out to a pricier $0.76 per serving, while once per day is a very reasonable $0.25 per serving. 

Certifications and Transparency

Nature’s Sunshine is GMP-certified by the NSF and has TGA certification. TGA is Australia’s regulatory body (equivalent to the FDA) with stricter standards than the U.S. because supplements are considered complementary medicine in Australia.

They also have ISO 9001 and 17025 certifications—audits that assess labs and certify that they have a sound quality management system, including methods and testing techniques. 

Some of their products are USDA Organic, although this supplement is not.

Nature’s Sunshine also undergoes rigorous testing for each batch and ingredient, although it is done in-house rather than by a third party.

While this is not necessarily a bad thing, it would be more trustworthy and transparent if they publicly posted the results of their in-house testing.

According to the brand, they develop their own testing methods “which tend to be even more thorough than vendor or competitor testing,” including over 600 tests for quality and purity that include heavy metals, radiation, dirt, impurities, yeast, mold, pesticides, and herbicides.  

Plus, they report that their Methods Development Group at Nature’s Sunshine created unique testing methods for a variety of active constituents in different herbs or nutrients, and other companies now use their methods for testing.

While this information was not written on the supplement bottle, they offer a QR code that takes you to a page with these details.

Personal Experience

As with the other B complex supplements, this one was unremarkable in terms of taste, pill size, and usability.

Similarly, no noticeable effects were seen regarding energy or mood during these few days, but that doesn’t mean things weren’t working internally.

According to the reviews, many consumers report a boost in energy when taking this supplement. Most of the benefits of B complex supplements are seen in people who are deficient or low in specific B vitamins. 

Key Takeaways

Overall, Thorne Stress B-Complex and Nordic Naturals Vitamin B Complex were the two top B vitamin supplements I tested for reasons including certifications, use of the biologically active forms of certain vitamins, and dosages. 

Hi-Health Mega B-100 was a top choice for an economical B vitamin, while Nature’s Sunshine is great for those wanting to combine vitamin C with their B complex. 

B Complex FAQs