B100 complex vitamins derive their name from the fact that they contain most of the B vitamins in 100-mg doses. This can be as much as 6,666 percent of the daily value for some B vitamins, such as vitamin B1, based on a 2,000 calorie per day diet. However, B-complex vitamins are water-soluble and unless you have a medical condition that might interrupt the process, your body disposes as waste any excess levels you consume. You should still speak with your physician, however, before you begin taking any mega-doses of vitamins.
Stress
Niacin, or vitamin B3, has an active role in metabolism. Your brain uses it to help produce serotonin, a hormone of the central nervous system that is instrumental in helping the mind adapt to stress. Pantothenic acid, or vitamin B5, affects the adrenal glances, which also maintain healthy hormonal levels to help you deal with stress.
Energy
Although it's usually possible to get sufficient B vitamins from your diet, some depend on the presence of each other for optimal effectiveness. If your diet is too varied or not consistent day-to-day, you may not be getting sufficient levels of each of them for them to do their best work. These include vitamins B1, B2, B3 and B5, which work in tandem to form adenosine triphosphate, fuel that the body needs for energy. Vitamins B1, B2 and B3 help in the production of energy while vitamin B5 is important to the body's growth, including generation of scar tissue in adults.
Heart Disease
Vitamins B6, B9 and B12 also lower levels of homocysteine, an amino acid. Homocysteine is toxic to blood vessels and is a risk factor in heart disease. All three vitamins are also crucial to the production and maintenance of healthy red blood cells.
Dementia
The Alzheimer and Dementia Center at Methodist Neurological Institute reported in 2010 that high levels of B vitamins, particularly vitamins B6, B9 and B12, also may affect dementia by reducing brain shrinkage by up to 50 percent. Brain shrinkage is usually associated with mild cognitive impairment. However, the Institute's Dr. Gustavo Roman believes that these vitamins might be most beneficial when injected, not taken as a supplement, in patients already suffering with mild cognitive impairment, or MCI. This benefit is also reportedly due to the vitamins' ability to reduce levels of homocysteine. High levels of this amino acid have been linked to Alzheimer's disease.
Birth Defects
Vitamin B9, also called folic acid, prevents neural tube birth defects in the early weeks of pregnancy. Women of childbearing age should take at least 400 mcg additional folic acid a day if there is any chance that they might become pregnant. Not all multivitamins contain vitamin B9 in this amount, but most B100 complex vitamins do.
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