SummaryTo find a functional biomarker of B-group vitamins, we collected 24-h urine samples from young Japanese women who lived in the community (n529) to measure branched-chain 2-oxo acids such as 2-oxo-3-methylbutanoic acid, 2-oxo-3-methylpentanoic acid, and 2-oxo-4-methylpentanoic acid because B-group vitamins are involved in the catabolism of branched-chain amino acids. The relationships between each pair of the three urinary 2-oxo acids were very high (2-oxo-3-methylbutanoic acid and 2-oxo-3-methylpentanoic acid, p,0.001; 2-oxo-3-methylbutanoic acid and 2-oxo-4-methylpentanoic acid, p,0.001; 2-oxo-3-methylpentanoic acid and 2-oxo-4-methylpentanoic acid, p,0.001). The participants were divided into three groups using the upper (n510), middle (n59), and lower tertiles (n510) based on the urinary excretion amounts of the sum of the three branchedchain 2-oxo acids. The administration of capsules containing the daily necessary amounts of B-group vitamins led to a decrease in the urinary excretion of the sum of the three types of branched-chain 2-oxo acids in participants belonging to the upper tertile. A similar phenomenon was observed in the middle tertile, but not in the lower tertile. Intakes of B-group vitamins and the urinary excretion amounts of B-group vitamins were not observed to be significantly different among the upper, middle, and lower tertiles. These results indicate that some young Japanese women need much higher levels of B-group vitamins than the Dietary Reference Intakes for Japanese. Thus, urinary branched-chain 2-oxo acids are useful functional biomarkers for B-group vitamins in humans.