B Complex IV Therapy — The Building Blocks Your Body Runs On

Thiamine is the first step in converting the food you eat into energy your cells can use. Specifically, it’s a cofactor for the enzyme pyruvate dehydrogenase, which converts pyruvate (the end product of glucose metabolism) into acetyl-CoA — the molecule that enters your mitochondria to produce ATP (cellular energy).

In simpler terms: without B1, your cells can’t finish converting sugar into energy. The process stalls.

Who runs low: Heavy alcohol users (alcohol directly interferes with B1 absorption), people with poor diets, people with chronic digestive conditions, and anyone who’s been vomiting repeatedly (illness, morning sickness).

What deficiency feels like: Fatigue, confusion, poor coordination, muscle weakness. Severe deficiency (beriberi) can affect the heart and nervous system.

Riboflavin is a building block for two coenzymes — FAD and FMN — that your body uses in energy production AND antioxidant defense. One of its most important jobs is helping your body recycle glutathione, the master antioxidant. Without enough B2, your glutathione recycling slows down and oxidative damage accumulates.

B2 is also essential for metabolizing fats, drugs, and other B vitamins. It helps convert B6 and folate into their active forms.

Who runs low: Vegans and vegetarians (dairy and eggs are top sources), people on certain medications (some antidepressants, anticonvulsants), and women on oral contraceptives.

What deficiency feels like: Cracked lips, sore throat, swollen tongue, light sensitivity, and skin irritation. Often confused with other conditions.

Niacin produces two coenzymes — NAD+ and NADP+ — that are involved in over 400 enzymatic reactions in your body. That’s more than any other vitamin-derived coenzyme. NAD+ is critical for energy metabolism, DNA repair, cell signaling, and the sirtuin enzymes that regulate aging and inflammation.

If NAD+ sounds familiar, that’s because Pure IV also offers standalone NAD+ IV therapy. The B3 in your B Complex provides the precursor your body needs to produce NAD+ naturally.

Who runs low: People with poor diets, heavy alcohol users, and people with Crohn’s disease or other inflammatory bowel conditions that impair absorption.

What deficiency feels like: Fatigue, headaches, memory problems, depression. Severe deficiency (pellagra) causes the ‘three Ds’ — dermatitis, diarrhea, and dementia.

B5 is a component of coenzyme A (CoA), one of the most important molecules in your metabolism. CoA is required for synthesizing fatty acids, producing energy from fats and carbohydrates, and manufacturing steroid hormones — including cortisol, your primary stress hormone.

Your adrenal glands are among the highest consumers of B5 in your body. When you’re chronically stressed, your adrenals burn through B5 to keep producing cortisol. This is one of the reasons chronic stress leads to fatigue — your B5 stores deplete, impairing both cortisol production and energy metabolism simultaneously.

Who runs low: Chronically stressed individuals, people with poor diets, heavy alcohol users. True B5 deficiency is rare because it’s found in most foods, but subclinical insufficiency under chronic stress is more common than recognized.

What deficiency feels like: Fatigue, insomnia, irritability, stomach pain, upper respiratory infections. Often attributed to ‘just being stressed’ rather than recognized as a nutrient issue.

B6 is the most versatile B vitamin. It’s involved in over 100 enzymatic reactions — more than any other B vitamin. Its three biggest roles:

• Neurotransmitter production. Your body needs B6 to produce serotonin (mood), dopamine (motivation and reward), GABA (calm), and norepinephrine (alertness). Without enough B6, production of all four neurotransmitters slows down. This is why B6 deficiency is strongly associated with depression, anxiety, and brain fog.
• Immune function. B6 supports lymphocyte production and antibody formation. Deficiency directly impairs your body’s ability to mount an immune response.
• Hemoglobin synthesis. B6 is required for producing hemoglobin — the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. Low B6 can contribute to a type of anemia where you have enough iron but can’t use it properly.
• Who runs low: Women on oral contraceptives (estrogen increases B6 metabolism), people with autoimmune conditions, kidney disease patients, heavy alcohol users, and anyone with chronic inflammation.
• What deficiency feels like: Depression, confusion, weakened immunity, peripheral neuropathy (tingling or numbness in hands and feet), anemia.