If you’re feeling a lack of energy lately, you might want to look at vitamin B12 supplements. It’s tough figuring out which form of vitamin B12 is best for your needs. So, in this article, we’ll be taking a look at five of the best vitamin B12 choices on the market today. Let’s get started.
1. Vitafusion Extra Strength B12 Gummies
Luckily, Vitafusion makes theirs in a flavourful gummy form, so it’s a much easier pill to swallow. Getting your recommended daily dosage of B12 would be like eating candies rather than dietary supplements. Children and adults with picky palates can get behind eating two of these gummies each day.
But don’t let this delicious chewable gummy fool you. It may taste and feel great in the mouth, but its vitamin content isn’t subdued. It’s got a potent 3000 mcg of B12 per dose. Consuming two chewable pills each day should meet your recommended daily intake.
Vitafusion also made sure only to use beneficial ingredients. They didn’t use artificial sweeteners, fructose, gluten, dairy, or synthetic dyes.
Pros
- The high-potency B12 supplement doesn’t taste bad.
- It has added vitamins A, C, D, and E for more holistic nutrition.
- B12 vitamin comes in the form of cyanocobalamin so that it will have a relatively fast-acting effect.
Cons
- It’s easy to mistake it for those gummy candies for children. So be careful not to mix it in with the rest of the food from the pantry.
- It only comes in a natural cherry flavor.
2. Solgar Methylcobalamin (Vitamin B12) 1000 mcg
It’s designed to be taken sublingually. So, even if it’s methylcobalamin, its effects are still fast-acting. After 30 seconds, it dissolves under the tongue and absorbs into the bloodstream.
Solgar made sure that every ingredient is kosher, gluten-free, non-GMO, and vegan-friendly. You can rest assured that you’re not consuming anything that doesn’t agree with you and your beliefs. The company also didn’t even bother to use any flavoring or artificial sweeteners.
Pros
- It has quick absorption from sublingual delivery.
- Metabolically active coenzyme helps you get the effects even quicker. It’s an excellent supplement for when you need a sudden jolt of energy.
- It comes in an amber bottle that protects against heat, light, and moisture.
Cons
- Sublingual delivery might not be for everybody.
- Because it’s only 1000 mcg, you’re going to have to keep topping up if you want the effects to last longer.
- The absence of flavoring makes it challenging to take, especially for people with sensitive palates.
- It comes in a glass bottle, so you have to take special care of it when traveling.
- The nuggets are sensitive to storage conditions.
3. VitBoost Vegan Liquid B-12 Drops
A full dose from the dropper is equal to 5000 mcg of vitamin B12, which can cover your RDI. This supplement makes for an effective way to get an instant boost of energy to help you power through your day.
Versatility is also a welcome feature of this type of nutrient delivery method. If you want to eat your vitamins with your food, use VitBoost as a liquid ingredient or condiment.
Pros
- It’s a versatile liquid that can be used directly with the dropper or as an ingredient in your food.
- It comes in a delicious raspberry flavor, so it’s easy on the palate.
- Each drop is highly concentrated. The formula consists of vitamin B12, water, natural flavoring agents, and sodium benzoate.
- It has a longer shelf life than other forms if stored in an optimal condition.
Cons
- Since it only comes with a 5000-mcg dropper, it may be difficult to control the dosage less than that amount.
4. Pure Encapsulations – Adenosyl/Hydroxy B12
Pure Encapsulations is one of the best vitamin B12 dietary supplements. Every capsule is weighed, so you know exactly how much B12 you’re getting with each serving.
Where it lacks in quick-response, it makes up in purity. Each Pure Encapsulations pill has exactly 2000 mcg of vitamin B12. Also, it has an equal measure of adenosylcobalamin and hydroxocobalamin.
This way, you can gauge exactly how much you need and when you need it to help you through your usual energy lulls. This way, there’s very little chance of overdosing on B12 that can result in trouble falling asleep at night.
Pros
- It has accurate dosages for more predictable consumption.
- It’s free from common allergens such as gluten and artificial sweeteners.
- The plant-based capsules make it vegan-friendly.
- It travels better as you don’t have to worry about the bottle getting crushed in your bag.
Cons
- If you want your energy boost immediately, capsules aren’t the mode of delivery for you.
- It is flavorless, so it’ll feel like taking medicine.
- Capsules, in general, are prone to counterfeiting.
5. 
Nature Made Vitamin B12 1000 mcg Softgels
Nature Made delivers nutrients in a soft, gel-like compound in a gelatinous substance. Why? Soft gels break down faster than capsules, so you’ll feel the effects much quicker.
You can get a measured dose in a fast-acting package with gel, unlike other modes of delivery. Soft gels also go down quite more easily than capsules, even without water, to help push them down.
Nature Made is gluten-free, and it has no animal product, artificial dyes, or flavoring. Therefore, it has minimal allergens.
Pros
- It dissolves faster than capsules in the gut for quicker absorption into the bloodstream.
- Softgels are tamper-proof, so counterfeiters would have a hard time trying to copy them.
- It comes in 1000 mcg gels for easy dosage measurement.
- Nature Made deliberately didn’t use any flavoring, so you don’t have to worry about artificial sweeteners.
- Its gelatin is made from soybean oil, yellow beeswax, and other vegan-friendly components.
Cons
- Environmental factors such as heat and cold can affect the efficacy of soft gels.
- It does not have a long shelf life.
- It has artificial coloring agents.
Things to Know Before You Buy: Which Vitamin B12 Supplement is Best for You?
Getting your recommended daily dose (RDI) of vitamin B12 shouldn’t be difficult to achieve. It’s abundant in animal products such as fish, meat, and poultry. However, there are some circumstances when we just can’t reach our RDI. People on a plant-based diet are at risk of being vitamin B12 deficient. The elderly can sometimes suffer from B12 malabsorption.
So, if you’re one of them, then you’re probably already looking at which vitamin B12 supplement is best for you. Unfortunately, it’s not an easy choice. Vitamin B12 supplements come in various forms or modes of delivery, and the vitamin itself also comes in 2 distinct varieties.
Cyanocobalamin vs. Methylcobalamin
Methylcobalamin is the naturally occurring variety of vitamin B12. It is found in animal-based foods such as meats, poultry, and fish.
Most supplements use cyanocobalamin which is a synthetic variety of vitamin B12. It was designed to be efficient in the way the body absorbs it. Because it’s artificial, the body still has to convert it into methylcobalamin to be absorbed into the bloodstream.
The research argues cyanocobalamin is absorbed better at a 49% absorption rate than methylcobalamin’s 44%. However, another paper suggests that the retention rate is in favor of methylcobalamin.
Cyanocobalamin tends to have a more intense and immediate effect than methylcobalamin. However, the latter variety of B12 tends to stay longer in the body for a more sustained impact. The main question here is how much does the difference in the absorption and retention rate matter to you?
Modes of Delivery
Perhaps, the most noticeable difference between the five vitamin B12 supplements above is the mode of delivery. More than anything, these forms dictate the efficiency, speed, and retention rate of the vitamin in the body.
Let’s start from the most efficient:
Sublingual
Sublingual delivery is usually the quickest way to get a drug into the bloodstream as it bypasses the gut. Solgar is one of the best brands because it’s not made with artificial sweeteners such as sorbitol, mannitol, or sucralose. However, it does react quite severely to humidity, so be sure to store it optimally.
Liquid (Dropper)
Liquids are also absorbed quickly into the bloodstream through blood vessels in the mouth. Liquid forms of vitamin B12 supplements are a lot more versatile. Other than using a dropper directly into your mouth, you can use it as an ingredient or condiment. This way, it’s a lot more palatable and easier to take.
Capsules
Dietary supplements commonly come in capsule form. It’s one of the most economical ways of consuming vitamins. However, it’s the slowest-acting mode of delivery. The gut still has to break down the capsule before you can feel the effects of vitamin B12.
Softgels
As a hybrid between liquid and capsule forms of delivery, soft gels are quick to affect capsules. It’s also a bit easier to swallow than pills or capsules.
Chewables
Chewables are the most palatable. They usually have the best flavoring, but they tend to break down much slower than the other forms. It uses a low-dose vitamin B12 delivery method. The VitaFusion’s 3000 mcg per chewable should be enough to boost your energy levels throughout the day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is vitamin B12 safe for children?
Children with vitamin B12 deficiency can take a lower dosage of B12 supplements.
What are the side effects of taking vitamin B12?
Normal dosage shouldn’t have any adverse effects. But an overdose can cause acne outbreaks, rosacea, skin irritation, and other skin-related side effects.
Best Brands
VitaFusion
VitaFusion prides itself on its award-winning flavored vitamins and dietary supplements. They concentrate on palatability in addition to the nutrient content of their products. This makes them a favorite among kids and adults with sensitive palates.
Solgar
The amber bottle of Solgar’s methylcobalamin exudes a short maturity. This is what the rest of the selections of the brand projects do. Solgar focuses on offering the best quality ingredients in the most efficient way possible. Their preferred mode of delivery for most of their products are taken sublingually.
VitBoost
There are a ton of dropper options, not just in the vitamin B12 supplement selection of VitBoost. The rest of their line-up also uses liquid droppers as a mode of delivery. It’s fast-acting and quick to administer, which is perfect for busy individuals on the go.
Pure Encapsulations
Specializing in capsules, Pure Encapsulations offers most of its health products in capsule forms. It is the most straightforward and most economical health brand out in the market today. Even their bottles exude a minimalist vibe.
Nature Made
Nature Made has the most mass-market appeal. Because of its soft gel vitamin B12, a broad consumer base can swallow this pill with ease.
Conclusion
While all five brands are capable of vitamin B12 dietary supplements, we’d have to choose VitBoost as the best form. It has unparalleled versatility. It can either be used sublingually for quick-response or used as an ingredient. Now you know which form of vitamin B12 is best.
