The Best Vegan B12 Supplement to Optimize Your Health

A plant-based diet offers a wide range of health benefits, including decreasing disease risk and promoting longevity. But, getting the most out of it involves planning carefully.

As you probably already know, being a vegan means a higher risk of some deficiencies, including vitamin B12 deficiency. In fact, if you were going to take only one supplement, vitamin B12 would be the one you choose.

That’s why this post focuses on the best vegan B12 supplements currently on the market.

We’re focusing on ones that truly are vegan, are reliable and don’t use any unnecessary additives. We also consider why B12 matters so much and why you can’t simply get it from your diet.

In a Hurry? Skip Straight to the Best Vegan B12 Supplements!

Why B12 is so Important

Like many vitamins, B12 is considered critical for health. In fact, it is one of the essential vitamins. It has many different roles, including implications for your digestion, blood, nervous system and DNA production (1).

Dr. Axe discusses many of these areas in more detail.

Consume too little of the vitamin and you’ll experience symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency. These include issues like tingling, fatigue, weakness, digestive issues and memory loss.

Vitamin B12 deficiency is also surprisingly common. One recent study found that almost 30% of diabetic patients did not have enough vitamin B12 (2). Estimates of deficiency rates for the entire population vary wildly from 5.8% to 52% (3).

Regardless of the exact number, it’s clear that many people aren’t getting enough B12.

Why Vegans Need Vitamin B12

The benefits of a plant-based diet are undisputed. The approach provides many more powerful compounds from plants, including polyphenols and anthocyanins. You also avoid many potential problems, such as adverse reactions to the lactose in dairy.

But, plants don’t contain the same nutrients as animal products.

You can meet most of the nutritional challenges with careful food choice.

This isn’t true for vitamin B12.

• The vitamin is actually produced by microorganisms. Animals eat those microbes. Some species have B12-producing bacteria in their gut too.
• Because of this, vitamin B12 comes from animal products.
• It’s commonly found in meat, poultry, eggs, milk and various milk products. These are all powerful sources – but they’re not very helpful for vegans.

Vegan Vitamin B12 Food Sources

The main vegan B12 sources are tempeh (a fermented soybean product, with some similarities to tofu) and some types of mushrooms. But, these don’t typically contain much vitamin B12 and plant-based vitamin B12 may not have the same benefits.

Nori (edible seaweed) contains a form of vitamin B12. This may have some of the same benefits as vitamin B12 but we don’t know that for certain (4,5). The same is true for spirulina and chlorella (6).

Even if these compounds do function like vitamin B12 – you’re not likely to get enough of it to avoid vitamin B12 deficiency.

The alternative is fortified foods.

• These are foods that don’t naturally contain vitamin B12. Instead, vitamin B12 is added in.
• Fortification is especially common in foods that are popular on a vegan diet, including nutritional yeast and almond milk. Breakfast cereal is often fortified with B12 as well.
• Energy drinks and supplements often contain B-vitamins, including vitamin B12.
• But, fortified foods are often highly processed and may contain additives that you don’t want.
• They tend to rely on synthetic vitamin B12 as well. This type is less appealing and may offer fewer benefits.

Fortified foods are also less practical. It’s much harder to ensure you’re getting enough vitamin B12 and you don’t have the same control over quality.

Supplementing Vitamin B12

Supplementation is healthiest and most reliable way to get the vitamin B12 that you need. The next section highlights some of the best choices out there.

Items were chosen for this list based on independent testing, along with other important criteria. Key considerations include the following.

• Methylcobalamin vs Cyanocobalamin. B12 supplements come in two forms and you’re looking for the methylcobalamin one. It’s sometimes just called methyl B12. This version is obtained from bacteria, while the other is synthetic. As One Green Planet explains, the methyl version is more effective as well.
• Look for liquid, sublingual or sprays, if possible. These forms of vitamin B12 don’t need to be digested first. This allows them to enter the bloodstream faster and may avoid some digestion issues. But, you can still get benefits from pill versions of B12 if that’s your preference.
• Make sure the product is vegan. Some B12 supplements are suitable for vegans, others aren’t. Make sure you read the label carefully and look for any claims that the company makes.
• Look at the ingredients. Some B12 supplements will contain extra ingredients, including artificial sweeteners and flavoring agents. A product with fewer ingredients is always ideal and much better for health.

You can also use these areas when shopping on your own to decide whether a vitamin B12 supplement will meet your needs.

These products are all suitable for vegans and are effective ways to get your vitamin B12 every day. There are multiple styles represented and you may find that some of the products fit your needs better than others.

What Dose Do You Need?

The recommended intake varies depending on your age group and gender. But, for most adults, the official daily value is 2.0 µg (micrograms) per day. This is sometimes written as 2 mcg as well. You can read more details here.

Some authors suggest a higher dose. For example, The Vegan Society suggests one of the following three approaches:

• At least three micrograms of B12 from fortified foods two to three times per day.
• A 10 microgram (or higher) B12 supplement every day.
• A 2,000 microgram (or higher) B12 supplement each week.

The site One Green Planet suggests that 1,000 micrograms per day is a good starting point and that you may need to increase it from there.

So clearly, there is no consensus about ideal dose. But, these outcomes do suggest that two micrograms per day is the absolute minimum you need for health. Higher doses may offer additional benefits.

Research also shows that vitamin B12 is safe, even in very high doses (7), giving you the ability to combine different approaches as you see fit. One technique may be simply to start with a lower dose and increase it over time until you see the benefits you’re hoping for.

Vitamin B12 Side Effects

Vitamin B12 is generally considered safe. Side effects do exist but they tend to be rare and minor (8).

• These include slight blood pressure increases, reddening of the skin and heart rate changes.
• Such side effects are also reversible, causing no long-term harm.

Nevertheless, vitamin B12 can still interact with some medications. Other medications can affect how the body responds to vitamin B12. The Vitamin B12 Fact Sheet from the National Institutes of Health offers examples of specific interactions.

As a general rule, you should talk to your doctor or pharmacist about possible interactions if you are on any medication. You should also ensure they know you're following a vegan diet.

At Risk Groups

Some people may need more vitamin B12 or may be at a higher risk of deficiency. If you fall into any of these groups, you should talk to your doctor about ensuring you get enough B12 and can absorb it efficiently (9).

• Older adults. Aging often decreases vitamin B12 absorption as the stomach does not produce enough hydrochloric acid. But, older adults can still absorb B12 from supplements and fortified foods.
• People with digestive disorders or gastrointestinal surgery. Anything that significantly impacts the gut may reduce B12 absorption. People in this situation may need more B12 to avoid deficiency or may need to rely on supplements only.
• Anyone with pernicious anemia. People with this form of anemia don’t produce the biological factor needed to absorb B12. High doses of B12 or vitamin B12 shots are normally taken to combat the issue.
• People with limited animal product intake. Vegans avoid most food sources of B12, so they’re naturally at risk. The same is true for anyone who eats few animal products. This includes vegetarians and people who have a mostly plant-based diet.
• Breastfed babies. If the mother is a vegan (or a vegetarian), the baby may not get enough B12.

Your doctor can also perform a blood test to see whether you are deficient in vitamin B12. This can help you determine whether you need to supplement the vitamin. If your levels remain consistently low, it may be an indication that you’re experiencing absorption issues.

Final Thoughts

The best vitamin B12 supplement will depend on your needs. But, the items featured in this list are fantastic places to start. They can all help ensure you get sufficient vitamin B12 to keep you healthy and to avoid any deficiency symptoms.

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