Top 5 Vitamin B12 Supplements: Methyl vs Cyanocobalamin
Why Take Vitamin B12?
If you are looking for a top vitamin B12 supplement that hits the spot then you aren’t alone and this article on the top 5 vitamin B12 supplements is written just for you.
Vitamin B12 supplements are becoming increasingly popular with people who are vegan or vegetarian.
This is because vitamin B12 is found in very small quantities in plant-based foods and in higher quantities in animal-based foods. This puts vegans and vegetarians at a small disadvantage. For vegans there is positive news in that there are effective B12 supplements that you can take. If you are vegan then this article on the top 5 B12 supplements is for you.
With a highly bioactive B12 supplement, such as one on this top 5 B12 supplements list, you could actually put yourself ahead of the game. You might find yourself absorbing more B12 than you would do through an omnivorous diet without supplements.
Vital for normal energy production and brain function, vitamin B12 is an essential metabolic cofactor needed by the body. If you are looking to learn a little more about vitamin B12, then you can check out our article on B12 and what it does here. You can also check out our basic fact sheet for cobalamin or vitamin B12 below.
Vitamin B12/Cobalamin
The two main naturally active forms of vitamin B12 are methylcobalamin and adenosylcobalamin
Symptoms of B12 deficiency include: anaemia, tiredness and fatigue
RDI for vitamin B12 is at least 2.4 micrograms per day
Cobalamin is found in animal products, like yoghurt, in high amounts
Vitamin B12 may help with normal metabolism, heart health, cognition and immunity
Key Considerations When Choosing a Vitamin B12 Supplement
There are so many vitamin B12 supplements out there but there are clear variations in their quality.
Top B12 supplements have clear quality markers. For example, understanding the differences in quality between adenosylcobalamin, methylcobalamin and cyanocobalamin is vital.
These differences are important because when B12 is absorbed and used different ions get released into the blood. Some B12 forms are more bioactive than others. We make this clear for each of the top 5 vitamin B12 supplements in the review what forms are in the supplements.
You can find the out a bit more about quality differences in our other article in the B12 series. Methylcobalamin is thought to be the form of B12 that is most used by the body.
We have also labelled each as to if they are vegan or suitable for vegetarians or not.
Finding a top vitamin B12 supplement is not difficult at all and with our insider knowledge of the industry we are well placed to help you find the right one with this review of the top 5 vitamin B12 supplements.
Top 5 Vitamin B12 Supplements
Nature’s Best 1,000µg Tablets
Nature’s Best 1,000µg B12 Tablets is a very strong B12 supplement with 40,000% of the daily recommended NRV. One tablet a day is recommended and plenty of B12 to absorb. This sounds like a lot, however any excess is excreted, without any major side effects reported that we are aware of.
The form of vitamin B12 used is methylcobalamin, containing the specific B12 methyl-group, the most naturally used form of B12 by the body. To save money, some manufacturers would look to either use more filler ingredients or substitute the B12 form for a lower quality B12 like cyanocobalamin.
These B12 tablets have a really simple coating and use filler compounds found in most pharmaceutical grade tablets. The packaging alludes to that sort of a quality of product design too. Allergies might be something to bear in mind, as some people can be allergic to minor filling ingredients.
Personally, we are a fan of the simplicity of the product design and the quality of the product. Some people might want a slightly higher quality product than this and there is higher quality than this available.
This B12 supplement from Nature’s Best quite simply does the job you would want it to. Providing a decent dose for daily coverage. This product is also suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
The product reflects value for money as well with your B12 supplement intake covered for an extended number of months not weeks. An investment of 15 dollars every 3 or 4 months at your local natural health dealership might save you a fortune in your health in the long term. One to share with a partner too.
Solgar Vitamin B12 1,000µg Sublingual
Next up is Solgar, one of the most reputable vitamin brands internationally. This product offers a very similar B12 supplement to the natures best supplement with 1,000µg of methylcobalamin at 40,000% NRV.
As with most major supplement brands, you will find differences in the non-active ingredients. Recently, there has been a small chewable vitamins trend in the market. This has led to the introduction of all sorts of different flavourings.
This product contains a natural cherry flavour, the details of the flavouring is not actually listed so this is something one should be careful of. The actual legal definition of natural under food product listings is vague to say the least.
The other listed filler ingredients are the usual pharmaceutical grade tablet ingredients. Solgar’s B12 supplement is listed as Vegan, Kosher and Halal.
The packing itself looks nice, Solgar has a massive reputation too but offers a lot less tablets than what Nature’s Best offers as a B12 supplement. In terms of a battle of the top B12 supplements, we would conclude Nature’s Best wins out against this one.
Pure Encapsulations B12 Liquid 30ml
Pure Encapsulations offer a liquid B12 product that lasts about one month and is priced at 20 dollars a bottle at the cheapest.
Interestingly, this product once opened will deteriorate quicker than tablet products. This is why there is a preservative here that you wouldn’t find listed in the other products.
Other than that, there is a natural extract as a flavouring used instead of sweeteners and very simple input ingredients. This is probably as close to a what you see is what you get B12 supplement.
Pure encapsulations are very transparent on their website. They avoid the use of stated unnecessary fillers, such as magnesium stearate that you see in some products. They have also stated on their website that they try to use as many naturally based ingredients as possible too.
It is quite nice for the consumer to know that the manufacturer has their best interests at heart.
Pure Encapsulations B12 Liquid 30ml uses methylcobalamin as well, one of the better forms used naturally and required by the body.
This product contains 1,000µg of B12 as well and that is less than some of the other products. However, sometimes liquid forms of vitamins have a better absorption rate than solid forms. This product is also vegan.
There is a nearly identical, but stronger, B12 liquid product by Pure Encapsulations available with 5,000µg B12 selling for around 40 dollars.
Personally, we would say that Nature’s Best just about wins out all round against this one.
Viridian Liquid B12
Viridian climbed the way to the top of the supplements ladder championing their ethical and preservative free products. They offered customers a different solution to these issues compared to the competition.
Priced at 24 dollars a bottle, Viridian B12 liquid contains both adenosylcobalamin and methylcobalamin as the active ingredients.
Personally, we would say this is not as good as a product with pure B12 methylcobalamin.
Viridian offers 50ml of vitamin B12 per bottle and this would last typically just over two months, if taken as indicated, offering better value for money than with Pure Encapsulations.
This product offers 500µg of B12 or 20,000% of your NRV, which is more than plenty per serving.
Viridian liquid B12 has the very minimum possible additives, being only flavoured with natural orange oil. Once again, there is scepticism surrounding the use of the term natural with food supplement products.
Because of the lack of preservative, this product must be stored in a fridge once opened. The commitment to consumer transparency that this brand maintains is really positive for the brands outlook and success.
This one is a tough battle between two strong products. Personally, we prefer the ethical side of the Viridian brand. There is a challenge though to a consumer of working out what the additional natural flavouring is because of how you define natural.
On the balance we prefer Nature’s Best with this supplement, because of the methylcobalamin content, easy to the consumer and value for money.
However, of all the liquid supplements the Viridian liquid B12 product is one of the all-time best that you will find. This is also a vegan product.
Natures Bounty: Quick Dissolve B12 500µg
Nature’s Bounty Quick Dissolve B12 is available more exclusively in the United States. Being around for nearly 50 years you could expect a high-quality product.
This one contains 500µg of cyanocobalamin B12, rather than methylcobalamin. We don’t really prefer this as a B12 form compared to the others, but there is a significant amount offered.
Nature’s Bounty Quick Dissolve B12 is available for 15 dollars which is highly competitive price wise against the rest of the market.
Overall, the fillers don’t look so bad until one sees sucralose. Sucralose is more prevalent in the States as a sweetening food additive than in Europe. Sucralose is gradually being phased out across the food industry, after it was recognised as a possible cause of insulin resistance. The European market is extremely strict and has banned certain food additives, this has led to some products being banned for import.
Some other or newer products don’t contain sucralose suggesting there is moving improvement for possibility on that front. We suggest double checking the product label for the version you are purchasing. This product might be suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
The other issue is the natural cherry flavour which again presents an issue as to how that was decided and if it is a natural extract, synthetic or mimicking type of flavouring. This one classes on the lower end of the spectrum of the top B12 supplements on the review.
Conclusion
We have come to end of the top 5 vitamin B12 supplements review and on the balance of all the supplements Nature’s Best is a clear winner. The Nature’s Best supplement sits alongside Viridian Liquid B12 in a very close second. Both contain minimal preservatives or additives, provide the consumer with an obvious brand direction and market too.
With Nature’s Best you get a pharmaceutical grade product, with Viridian Liquid B12 you get more of an ethically focused product.
The only concern is they might not have gone far enough which lets their brand down slightly on the flavourings side. They may address this at some point or clarify the nature of the orange extract. Price is also a consideration and not a major drawback.
We rate those two products strongly on top of the others. The other products mentioned don’t quite match the elite level of supplement that a standout world class supplement does overall.
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