Most B-complex supplements contain vitamin B6. If you already get B6 from food or other supplements, or have been advised to keep it low, you may want one without it. This page explains how to check the label, what a B-complex usually contains and how to add up your B6.
In short: a B-complex without B6 is one whose nutrition table has no line for "vitamin B6" or "pyridoxine". The words "B-complex" on the front tell you nothing, so read the table on the back. If you take other products as well, add up the B6 across all of them and take the labels to your pharmacist.
Who looks for a B-complex without B6, and why
People usually look for one for one of three reasons. They may already get B6 from food or from other supplements. They may have been advised by a doctor or pharmacist to keep B6 low. Or they are adding up their B6 against the upper level that the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) set in 2023: 12 mg a day for adults.
That upper level is not a target and not a recommended amount. UK guidance sets a lower figure: the NHS says not to take more than 10 mg of vitamin B6 a day in supplements unless a doctor has advised it.
If your doctor has prescribed B6 for you, nothing on this page is a reason to stop or change it. Please ask your doctor before making any change.
Related productB-Complex without B6 - Supports Energy & Metabolism4.83· 87 reviews920,00 Kč
View productHow B6 shows up on a label
The supplement facts or nutrition table is on the back or side of the pack. B6 appears there under one of two names: "vitamin B6" or "pyridoxine". They are the same vitamin.
Go through each product in the same way:
- Find the B6 line under either name.
- Note the amount per serving, in mg.
- Check how many capsules make one serving. It can be one or two.
- Multiply by the number of servings you take in a day.
The front of the pack is no guide. "B-complex", "B vitamins" and "full B range" are all names a maker can use whether or not B6 is inside.
On a label, "without B6" means that no B6 has been added. Ordinary food still contains some, and that is normal. The NHS lists pork, poultry, some fish, peanuts, oats, bananas and milk among the sources.
Which B vitamins a B-complex usually holds
There are eight B vitamins in the NHS list. A B-complex usually contains most of them. Leaving B6 aside, this is what the NHS says each one does, in plain words:
- Thiamin (B1) helps the body release energy from food.
- Riboflavin (B2) also helps release energy from food.
- Niacin (B3) helps release energy from food. Some B-complexes include it and some do not.
- Pantothenic acid (B5) helps the body release energy from food.
- Biotin (B7) is needed in very small amounts to help the body make fatty acids.
- Folate (B9) helps the body form healthy red blood cells.
- Vitamin B12 helps make red blood cells and release energy. Vegans may not get enough from food, according to the NHS.
On a product label in the EU, the authorised wording is narrower. For riboflavin, vitamin B12 and pantothenic acid it is that they contribute to normal energy-yielding metabolism and to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
If you are pregnant or could become pregnant, the NHS has separate folic acid advice, so speak to your GP or midwife before choosing any B-complex.
How to read %NRV, and why some numbers are so high
NRV stands for Nutrient Reference Value, the EU yardstick for a day's amount of a vitamin. 100% means the amount equals that reference.
Some B vitamins are needed only in small amounts. Thiamin is a good example: the NHS says women aged 19 to 64 need about 0.8 mg a day. So a capsule with 50 mg of thiamin prints a percentage in the thousands.
A high percentage does not tell you that an amount is safe, strong or better. It only tells you how far it sits above the reference. So read the amount as printed and check the unit:
- mg is a milligram.
- µg is a microgram, which is 1,000 times smaller than a milligram.
The NHS says, for most of the B vitamins, that there is not enough evidence to know the effects of taking high doses every day, and that if you take supplements you should not take too much. For anything above the reference amounts, your pharmacist is the right person to ask. Some ingredients, such as choline and myo-inositol, have no NRV at all, so the table shows no percentage for them.
Adding it all up
B6 often comes from more than one product. A multivitamin, an energy or stress formula or a magnesium blend can each contain it. Two or three together can add up to far more than you meant. If you also take a daily multivitamin, our page on a multivitamin without B6 explains that side.
So make a list. Write down every supplement you take, the B6 amount in each and how many you take a day. Take the bottles or clear photos of the labels to your GP or pharmacist. Tell them about pregnancy, kidney problems or other medicines. If you have been told your B6 is high on a blood test, read where a high B6 result usually comes from.
See your doctor promptly if you notice tingling or numbness in your hands or feet, or feel unsteady when you walk. Our page on vitamin B6 symptoms and upper levels has the detail.
Our own range includes a B-complex without added B6: Desert Harvest's B-Complex without B6, 90 vegan capsules, one a day with a meal. Per capsule, as printed on the label: thiamin (B1, as TTFD) 50 mg, riboflavin (B2) 5 mg, folate 400 µg (as L-5-methyltetrahydrofolate), vitamin B12 50 µg (as methylcobalamin), biotin 400 µg and pantothenic acid (B5) 5 mg. It also holds choline, myo-inositol and 10 mg of purified Aloe Vera. It has no added vitamin B6 and no niacin (B3), so it adds nothing to your B6 total. It is a food supplement and not a medicine. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, take medication or have a medical condition, ask a healthcare professional before starting it.
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