Our bodies are incredible machines that keep our hearts pumping, brains thinking, and many other natural processes. But like all machines, our bodies function best when they’re filled with the right stuff, like essential minerals, fluids, and vitamins.

Many people who want to improve their health take supplements or use IV treatments to get the vitamins they need for optimal health, such as vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin B12, or B complex.

All these vitamins can help you become healthier, and you can get all of them through IV treatments from Mobile IV Nurses. But which ones do you need the most? And what is the difference between B12 and B complex, anyway? 

Let’s take a look at how various B vitamins affect your body.

What Vitamins are in the B Complex?

Vitamin B complex is offered in a variety of combinations that can include a combination of eight essential vitamins that help your body perform at its best. B complexes combinations may contain any of the following:

• B1 (thiamine): This vitamin helps convert nutrients into energy, and it also promotes proper nerve function and a healthy immune system.
• B2 (riboflavin): Riboflavin also helps convert food into energy. It’s also a powerful antioxidant that helps fight free radicals to keep you healthy.
• B3 (niacin): This vitamin plays a role in several bodily processes, including metabolism, brain function, nervous system, and digestive processes.
• B5 (pantothenic acid): Like many B vitamins, B5 helps convert the food you eat into energy. It also helps support the production of hormones and cholesterol.
• B6 (pyridoxine): Vitamin B6 plays a very important role in energy production, brain development, and a healthy nervous system. It also helps regulate your hormones and blood glucose levels.
• B7 (biotin): Biotin helps your body metabolize carbohydrates and fats. It also helps regulate blood sugar, and there is some research to suggest it can promote hair growth.
• B9 (folate): This vitamin helps support red blood cell production. It is especially important for pregnant women to get plenty of vitamin B9, as it helps reduce their baby’s risk of birth defects in the brain and spine.

Each of the nutrients in a vitamin B complex can help improve your health in many ways. And when you get your vitamins from an IV infusion, you can get near-instant results that make you feel better than ever.

Is a Vitamin B12 Deficiency Common?

Another vitamin you can get is vitamin B12. 

This vitamin helps produce DNA and blood cells, promotes healthy brain function and a functioning nervous system, and gives you an all-natural energy boost. It can even help reduce homocysteine levels in your blood, reducing the risk of dementia, heart attack, and stroke.

While B12 is a vital part of a healthy body, many people get plenty of this nutrient from the foods they eat. You can get vitamin B12 from eating beef, liver, poultry, fish, and eggs. However, some may struggle with a vitamin B12 deficiency. 

Research suggests that 1.5 to 15 percent of Americans have a vitamin B12 deficiency. Those who are most at risk include:

• People age 50 or older
• People with pernicious anemia
• People with gastrointestinal conditions like Crohn’s disease
• People who have had weight loss surgery
• Vegans or vegetarians 
• Alcoholics or heavy smokers

If you fall into one of these risk categories, it’s important to keep an eye out for signs of vitamin B12 deficiency. These can include a “pins and needles” sensation in your hands or feet, balance problems, a swollen tongue, brain fog, and weakness or fatigue. If you experience these symptoms, it might be time to schedule an appointment with your doctor.

How Can I Get More Vitamin B?

Like vitamin B12, you can get most other B vitamins from the foods you eat. Meats like salmon, liver, beef, and oysters are rich in B vitamins, as well as leafy greens, milk, and eggs. Eating a balanced diet can help you get B vitamins (not to mention all the other vital nutrients in healthy foods).

But healthy foods are not the only way to get the B vitamins you need. You can also take oral supplements or use IV therapy (our favorite option) to replenish your vitamin levels. IV therapy is especially great because it bypasses your digestive system, which allows your body to absorb more of these nutrients than an oral supplement or meal would. This gives your body plenty of nutrients so you can achieve peak performance.

How to Choose Between Vitamin B12 and Vitamin B Complex

If you’re still wondering, “Should I take B12 or B complex?” We’ve got good news: You don’t have to choose! Mobile IV Nurses offers both options in our Myers’ Cocktail and as vitamin add-ins.

Our IVs will give you all the B vitamins you need to be healthy, energized, alert, and ready to take on the day. And best of all, you can get all those benefits from the comfort of your own home.

If you want to improve your overall health, try a Myers’ Cocktail to get a healthy dose of vitamin B12 and B complex. Or, if you’re simply looking for an energy boost, add some B12 to a bag of pure saline. Our team of registered nurses will help you find the right combination of vitamins, minerals, and medications for your unique health needs, and they’ll keep you safe and comfortable throughout the infusion process.

Don’t worry about choosing vitamin B12 vs. B complex — maximize your health by getting both! Mobile IV Nurses makes it easy to give your body the stuff it needs to keep you feeling healthy and strong.

Contact our team if you have any questions about IV therapy. We’re happy to answer your questions, tell you more about us, and help you book online for your next IV infusion.