B vitamins are a class of water - soluble vitamins that play important roles in cell metabolism. Though these vitamins share similar names, they are chemically distinct that often coexist in the same foods. In general, dietary supplements containing all eight are referred to as a vitamin B complex. Individual B vitamin supplements are referred to by the specific number or name of each vitamin: B = thiamine, B = riboflavin, B = niacin, etc. Some are better known by name than number: niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin and folate.
one of the reasons they are so important is that all b vitamins function as
cell metabolism