Health information on the internet – there’s a lot that’s true, more that’s untrue, and most that’s hard to find a clear consensus on.

B vitamins are no exception. An old and long-held belief is that vitamin B supplements are derived from coal tar and/or petroleum-based compounds. The claim has been popularized so strongly that some people opt not to consume B vitamins at all.

On the other hand, others claim that B vitamins should be a foundational supplement for most people. Considering the necessity of B vitamins for life, the stripped nature of our food, and the estimated 60-70% prevalence of genetic mutations that require additional B vitamins,1 one quickly realizes there’s a solid argument to be made for B vitamin supplementation.

So who’s right?

A Brief History of B Vitamins

All vitamins are biosynthesized by living organisms.

Humans can biosynthesize some vitamins like D and B3. Some are made by gut bacteria, like vitamin K, and for the rest, we are solely dependent on nutritional intake to prevent disease and cellular dysfunction.

The discovery of vitamins began with the study of the disease states that their deficiencies cause. The first vitamin discovered was thiamine (B1) by Polish chemist Casimir Funk in 1912. He found that crystallized extracts of rice polishing prevented beriberi in chickens and humans.2

The discovery that specific molecules could prevent disease inspired scientists to begin isolating and synthesizing them. Over the next 21 years, the remaining B vitamins were identified and synthetically produced.2 Merck was a leader in this field and was one of the first to market commercially available vitamin supplements.

The Early Days of Vitamin Synthesis

For thiamine, the method of crystalizing and isolating rice bran extract was time-consuming and had a small yield. Commercialization demanded a more efficient production method.

In 1932, the molecular structure of thiamine was identified as C12H18N4OSCl2. The race was on to produce this exact molecular formula in a laboratory setting. Early chemical synthesis used a molecule called 4-amino-5-bromomethyl-2-methylpyrimidine and thiozole. Later, several more efficient routes of synthesis were discovered. Some of these included the use of hydrochloride and formyl groups.3

By the 21st century, labs had reduced production of thiamin to the cheapest and most efficient means. Chemical synthesis of thiamine begins with 4-amino-5-bromomethyl-2-methylpyrimidine made from malononitrile and then reacting it with various chemicals, including:3

Orthoformate -> aminomethylene malononitrile.

acetonitrile or methyl acetimidate -> 5-cyanopyrimidine.

A Lewis acid, enolate, N-formyl Grewe diamine, or an enamine ->thiamine.

It is true that these chemicals can be derived from petroleum. In fact, this is the cheapest way to produce these chemical reactors.

Petroleum is a naturally occurring fraction of fossil fuel that consists mainly of hydrocarbons (carbon chains with hydrogens attached). Because carbons are the fundamental element of all organic compounds, petroleum serves as an easy ‘building block’ for organic chemicals. Petroleum is also used to produce nearly all pharmaceutical drugs.

The problem with petroleum-based health and beauty products is that the process of making different petroleum chemicals can create toxic metabolites such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, BHT, BHA, etc.

However, these dangerous metabolites are not present in vitamins because these petroleum-based compounds are isolated and used as chemical reactants that make vitamins. They pose no threat to health because they are not present in the end product. However, the use of petroleum-based compounds for vitamin synthesis is very damaging to the environment.4

 

Are your B vitamin supplements made from coal tar and petroleum?

No. Not if they’re of good quality.

While petroleum-derived compounds were the original methods by which B vitamins were made, science has come a long way since the 30s and 40s. Much the same way that Casimer Funk initially discovered thiamine in 1912, high-quality B vitamin supplements today are also derived from natural sources.

Some companies are certainly still using these outdated methods; this is why it matters that the supplements you take come from quality, trusted, and third-party-tested brands. What’s often more important than the supplement ingredients themselves is the sourcing of them.

Modern chemical processing continues to evolve rapidly. Today, all B2 and B12 on the market are produced by fermentation processes. 4, 5 Specific species of bacteria (much like the ones that inhabit your gut) are used for making these vitamins. Chemical synthesis is no longer used.4 B5 will soon follow suit.6

The chemical components needed to produce thiamine and other B can be derived from food-based sources such as malononitrile, which can be created from the chemical components of vinegar.

Food-extraction methods have also been developed. Plants produce and store B vitamins within their cells.7 The appropriate extraction methods allow for the isolation and concentration of vitamins directly from plant sources. This can be done for B1, B2, B3, B6, B98 and B12.9

 

Is Supplementation Necessary?

Certain plant foods, like quinoa, rice bran, broccoli sprouts, yeast, and molasses, are rich in B vitamins. Animal-based foods, specifically beef liver, are also good sources.

Supplementation of B vitamins took off in the first place because people worldwide stopped eating organ meat; food processing stripped away most of the naturally occurring B vitamins from plant sources; and people were getting sick.

It is estimated that 40% of the Western population has marginally low B12, and 21% of older adults are deficient.10 Additionally, mutations to the MTHFR gene increase the need for B vitamins, specifically B2, B6, folate, and B12.11, 12, 13  60-70% percent of the population have one or more mutations to this gene.1

B vitamins are water-soluble, meaning they are not stored in the body. We use them up and must replace them daily. Supplementation can be the difference between health and disease if we do not consume adequate amounts in our diet.

The research consistently shows the benefit of B vitamin supplementation.14 Even early petroleum-synthesized  B vitamins offered immense benefits to thousands of people suffering from beriberi, pellagra, pernicious anemia, and other ailments.4

There is certainly a place for B vitamin supplements in our modern world. With the ever-improving methods of vitamin synthesis and the ability to isolate them from whole foods, you can trust that supplements like B Complex IQ are 100% natural.

It’s time we put the petroleum fear of B vitamins to rest. We’ve combined 100% plant-extracted and fermentation-derived B vitamins with USDA-certified organic whole foods to offer a clean and chemical-free B complex.

We can’t speak for every supplement out there, but with FIQ, you can rest assured that none of the vitamins you see on our label are made from petroleum or coal tar. Transparency and quality ingredients have always been two foundational pillars of our company. That’s why our customers have loved and trusted our brand since 2013.