Activated B-Complex

All eight of these B vitamins are essential nutrients help convert our food into fuel, allowing us to stay energized throughout the day. While many of the following vitamins work in tandem, each has its own specific benefits — from promoting healthy skin and hair to preventing memory loss or migraines and much more.

Starting with Vitamin B1, let's discuss the importance of each.

Vitamin B1 (Thiamine HCl)
You can find vitamin B1 naturally in whole grains, peanuts, beans, spinach, kale, blackstrap molasses and wheat germ

Vitamin B1, also known as thiamin or thiamine is often called an anti-stress vitamin because of its ability to protect the immune system and helping the body make healthy new cells. Vitamin B1 processes carbohydrates, fat, and proteins. Vitamin B1 is required to form adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the key source of energy for the body. Thiamine also promotes nervous system health.*

Pure Prescriptions B-Complex provides a superior form of B1 called Thiamine Hydrochloride. Most manufacturers of B-Complex vitamins will use a cheap and poorly absorbed form of Vitamin B1 called Thiamin Mononitrate.

Vitamin B2 (as Riboflavin-5-Phosphate Sodium and Riboflavin)
You can find vitamin B2 naturally in almonds, wild rice, milk, yogurt, eggs, Brussels sprouts, spinach and soybeans

Vitamin B2, known more commonly as Riboflavin has shown to assist with eye fatigue and visual problems like cataracts. Vitamin B2 is also commonly used for skin difficulties, digestive issues, leg cramps and the treatment of migraines.*

Pure Prescriptions B-Complex provides a superior form of Vitamin B2 as Riboflavin-5-Phosphate Sodium and Riboflavin. Most manufacturers of B-Complex vitamins fail to disclose the type of Riboflavin used. We provide full label disclosure.

Vitamin B3 (as Niacinamide and Inositol Hexaniacinate)
You can find vitamin B3 naturally in yeast, red meat, milk, eggs, beans and green vegetables

Vitamin B3 is also more popularly known as niacin. One of the primary uses for niacin is to boost HDL cholesterol (i.e. the good cholesterol). And the higher a person’s HDL, the less bad cholesterol he or she will have in their blood. Vitamin B3 deficiency is very rare in developed countries, though alcoholism has been shown to lower Vitamin B3 levels in some individuals. Niacin, used topically and ingested, has also been found to treat acne.*

In keeping with full label disclosure and using only B-Vitamins and avoiding cheap, poorly absorbed raw ingredients, Pure Prescriptions B-Complex product provides you superior forms of Vitamin B3 as as Niacinamide and Inositol Hexaniacinate.

Vitamin B5 (as Calcium-D-Pantothenate)
Found naturally in avocados, yogurt, eggs, meat and legumes

Vitamin B5, also known as Pantothenic Acid supports adrenal gland health and is also known as the “anti-stress” vitamin. Pantothenic Acid is important in the cellular metabolism of carbohydrates and fats for the release of energy. * In addition to breaking down fats and carbs for energy, it’s responsible for the production of sex and stress-related hormones including testosterone. Studies show B5 also promotes healthy skin with the ability to reduce signs of skin aging such as redness and skin spots.

Vitamin B6 (as Pyridoxine HCl and Pyridoxal-5-Phosphate)
Found naturally in chicken, turkey, tuna, salmon, lentils, sunflower seeds, cheese, brown rice and carrots

Along with Vitamins B12 and Folate (Vitamin B9), Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) is very important in breaking down and keeping harmful blood homocysteine in check. Elevated homocysteine levels are a key indicator of cardiovascular disease.

Vitamin B6 is also very important in mood and sleep patterns because it helps the body produce serotonin, melatonin and norepinephrine, a stress hormone. Some studies suggest vitamin B6 can reduce inflammation for people with conditions like rheumatioid arthritis.*

Vitamin B7 (Biotin)
Found naturally in Barley, liver, yeast, pork, chicken, fish, potatoes, cauliflower, egg yolks and nuts

Because of its association with healthy hair, skin and nails, this B vitamin also goes by “the beauty vitamin.” It may help people with diabetes control high blood glucose levels, too. This B vitamin is especially important during pregnancy because it’s vital for normal growth of the baby.

Vitamin B9 (as Quatrefolic®)
Found naturally in green leafy vegetables, sprouts, fruits, brewer's yeast, and animal products such as milk and dairy products, egg yolk and liver.

Vitamin B9 is known as folic acid or folate. Vitamin B9 is one of the most important of all the B-Complex vitamins and you will want to pay special attention as we we go a little deep so as not to underscore just how critical this nutrient is for your health.

Folic acid or folate go far beyond just being important for a healthy pregnancy since it supports the growth of the baby and prevents neurological birth defects. Folic acid, is known to support the production of healthy DNA and chromosomes. At the molecular level, the main function of folate is to donate methyl groups in key biochemical reactions occurring in blood cells, neurons, the vasculature and many others.

Folates contained in foods are unstable and susceptible to oxidation; they rapidly lose activity during food processing, manufacturing and storage and have a bioavailability range of 25-50%, depending on the kind of food. Fresh leafy vegetables stored at room temperature may lose up to 70% of their folate activity within three days and a cooking process in water can increase the loss to 95%.

Humans cannot synthesize folate and because of its water soluble nature, the body stores folate to a limited extent. For this reason folate represents a dietary requirement and must be consumed by diet. Whether we ingest food containing natural or synthetically-derived folates, they are metabolized to 5-methyltetrahydrofolate, which is considered the biologically active form of the B-vitamin folic acid.

Clinical research emphasizing the importance of folate supplementation for the following:

Lifestyle putting people at risk of low folate levels:

Folate Deficiency

Folate deficiency represents one of the most common nutritional deficiencies and may occur when dietary intake is inadequate, when an increased need is not matched by an increased intake (particular physiological conditions such as pregnancy, lactation, child growth), when there is altered absorption/excretion (or losses) and when metabolism or drug use interferes with the ability of the body to use folate.

Several conditions can lead to nutritional folate deficiency such as enzyme defects, malabsorption, digestive system pathology, liver disease but also conditions with a high rate of cell turnover such as rapid tissue growth (infants, kids and adolescents) pregnancy and lactation.

In severe cases deficiency can cause many clinical abnormalities, including macrocytic anemia, cardiovascular diseases, birth neural tube defects (NTDs) and cancer. Folate deficiency is associated with elevated levels of homocysteine, cerebrovascular and neurological diseases, and mood disorders.

The Pure Prescriptions Difference

I think we can all agree, all supplements and vitamins are not created equal. There is no shortage of cheap, ineffective brands you can buy online, from big box retailers and even your local mom and pop stores...but, you'd be better off throwing your money away as most of these are just plain bad for your health.

The right folic acid supplement is very important! Choosing Quatrefolic® as a source of folate presents several advantages:

In the recent years increasing evidence of the advantages of reduced folate vs folic acid have been found. The rational use of reduced folate (particularly reduced and methylated such as Quatrefolic®) is derived from the inability of a part of world population to assimilate and metabolize folic acid from food or supplements (the most of folate assumption is coming from folic acid man-made version in supplements and added to foods).

Folic acid and also food folate are not biologically active and need to be converted to the metabolically active 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF) through a multi-steps process where the enzyme methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) owns a key role. It is estimated that over 50% of the population has a defect in the MTHFR gene.

In individuals with a MTHFR gene defect this enzyme conversion is limited and consequently it will predispose these individuals to not being able to use supplemental folic acid or dietary folate. This conversion deficiency can lead to an increased risk for certain disease conditions. To ensure proper methylation, Quatrefolic® is recommended by top health professionals world wide.*

Vitamin B12 (as Methylcobalamin)

Found naturally in fish, shellfish, dairy, eggs, beef and pork

B12 is known as the "energy vitamin" because it works together with vitamin B9 (Folic Acid/Folates) to produce red blood cells and help iron do its job: create the oxygen carrying protein, hemogloblin.

But that's not all B12 does!

Vitamin B12 supports healthy nerve cell activity and DNA replication. Vitamin B12 also acts with folic acid and vitamin B6 to control homocysteine levels. An excess of homocysteine is associated with an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, and potentially other diseases such as osteoporosis and Alzheimer’s disease.*

What you need to know about Vitamin B12

Given that B12 is found only in animal-based foods, supplementing quality B-12 is absolutely essential. If you're already a vegan, then you know this, which leads us to the quality. When looking at supplements you want to make certain that the B12 is as a Methylcobalamin and NOT as Cyanocobalamin.

B12 as Cyanocobalamin is a cheap form used by many manufacturers to keep the cost down. There are two reasons why B12 as Methylcobalamin is superior:

#1 The safety of Cyanocobalamin has raised concerns due to the fact that cyanide is a component of this cheap form of B12, and the cyanide molecule is removed from Cyanocobalamin when used by the body's cells.

#2 The body must convert Cyanocobalamin into an active form first, whereas B12 as Methylcobalamin is already in the active form and ready to be used by the body.

If read this far, it's probably very clear that you want to avoid cheap Vitamin B-Complex products and go for Pure Prescriptions brand, containing only activated and highly absorbable forms of all eight B-vitamins that do not contain any harmful magnesium stearate fillers and binders, no food dyes or sugar.