Vitamin guide
Vitamin B12
B12 products often display extremely large percentages of the EU Nutrient Reference Value. A useful comparison starts with the form, actual microgram amount and how the product is taken — not with the assumption that the largest percentage is the best choice.
Compare products ↓What is vitamin B12?
Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble vitamin also called cobalamin. It occurs naturally mainly in animal-derived foods, while fortified foods and supplements can provide B12 without animal ingredients. Common supplement forms include cyanocobalamin and methylcobalamin.
What does vitamin B12 support?
Vitamin B12 contributes to normal red blood cell formation, normal nervous-system and psychological function, and normal energy-yielding metabolism. It also helps reduce tiredness and fatigue and contributes to normal immune-system function.
What happens if you don’t get enough vitamin B12?
Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause megaloblastic anaemia, with symptoms such as tiredness and weakness. It can also affect the nervous system, causing problems such as numbness, tingling, balance difficulties or cognitive changes. Importantly, neurological symptoms can occur even without anaemia, and prolonged deficiency can sometimes cause irreversible nerve damage.
The body stores substantial amounts of vitamin B12, so deficiency caused by low intake may take years to become apparent. Deficiency can also result from impaired absorption rather than diet alone. Suspected deficiency is therefore better assessed with symptoms, diet and appropriate blood tests than by simply choosing a high-dose B12 product.
B12 for vegan and plant-based diets
Vitamin B12 occurs naturally mainly in animal-derived foods, which makes B12 one of the most relevant supplements for people following vegan diets. Fortified foods can also provide B12, but a dedicated supplement offers a predictable labelled amount and is available in many vegan-friendly formats.
Compare the B12 form and micrograms per recommended day, then check the format and any added ingredients. Tablets, sprays, chewables and sublingual products can all suit plant-based shoppers; IngredientScope marks a product vegan only when the manufacturer or a reliable product source states this clearly.
Cyanocobalamin or methylcobalamin?
Both are forms of vitamin B12 used in supplements. Cyanocobalamin is a stable, widely used form. Methylcobalamin is a naturally occurring coenzyme form and is common in products marketed as “active B12”. Some products combine methylcobalamin with adenosylcobalamin.
IngredientScope does not label methylcobalamin as universally “better absorbed” or cyanocobalamin as inferior. The form name alone does not establish one product as superior.
B12 is essential to normal nervous-system and psychological function, which helps explain consumer interest in cognition and mental performance. However, randomised-trial reviews have not shown that extra B12 improves cognition in people without overt B12 deficiency. For supplement content, the authorised normal psychological function and nervous-system claims are the stronger foundation.
Why are B12 doses so high compared with the NRV?
The EU Nutrient Reference Value (NRV) for vitamin B12 is only 2.5 µg. It is the reference amount used on nutrition labels, not a target supplement dose. B12 absorption uses an intrinsic-factor-mediated pathway that becomes saturated, while a small proportion of a large oral dose can also be absorbed passively. This helps explain why supplement labels commonly show hundreds or thousands of micrograms.
Because the B12 NRV is so small, high-strength supplements can show extremely large percentages on the label. Compare the actual micrograms of B12 per recommended day, form and format rather than using % NRV as a measure of effectiveness.
Tablet, capsule, sublingual, chewable or spray?
These formats mainly differ in convenience and how the manufacturer directs the product to be used. A sublingual nugget or oral spray should not automatically be described as clinically superior to a swallowed capsule unless product-specific evidence supports that conclusion. IngredientScope therefore reports the format without awarding it an absorption score.
What should you compare?
B12 form
Cyanocobalamin, methylcobalamin or a methyl/adenosyl combination should be visible.
Daily B12 amount
Compare micrograms, not only the very large %NRV figure.
Format
Capsule, tablet, chewable, sublingual nugget and spray can all fit different preferences.
Other active ingredients
Some B12 products include chromium or other B vitamins, while others are essentially single-nutrient products.
Vegan status
Useful for an audience in which plant-based dietary patterns are a common reason to seek B12 supplementation.
Product comparison
Compare vitamin B12 supplements
Compare vitamin B12 per day, B12 form, serving, product format, other active ingredients and vegan suitability.
Default order: labelled vitamin B12 per recommended daily serving, lowest to highest; equal amounts alphabetically. The order is not a ranking.
| Product | B12 / day | B12 form | Recommended serving | Product format | Other active ingredients | Vegan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terranova Vitamin B12 500 µg ComplexView product ↗ | 500 µg | Methylcobalamin | 1 capsule daily with food | Vegetarian capsule | Magnifood complex with rice bran, parsley, dandelion, beetroot, ginger and gentian | Yes |
| Solgar Methylcobalamin B12 1000 µg NuggetsView product ↗ | 1,000 µg | Methylcobalamin | 1 nugget daily, preferably with a meal | Fast-dissolving / sublingual nugget | — | Yes |
| Sunday Natural Vitamin B12 1000 µgView product ↗ | 1,000 µg | Methylcobalamin | 1 capsule daily | HPMC capsule | — | Yes |
| Viridian High Potency Vitamin B12View product ↗ | 1,000 µg | 500 µg methylcobalamin + 500 µg adenosylcobalamin | 1 capsule daily with food | Plant-cellulose capsule | Alfalfa, spirulina and bilberry base | Yes |
| BetterYou Boost B12 Oral SprayView product ↗ | 1,200 µg | Methylcobalamin | 4 sprays daily | Oral spray | 40 µg chromium | Yes |
| Solgar Methylcobalamin B12 5000 µg NuggetsView product ↗ | 5,000 µg | Methylcobalamin | 1 nugget daily, preferably with a meal | Fast-dissolving / sublingual nugget | — | Yes |
Format note: Sublingual and spray formats are not automatically ranked above other formats.
EU health claim details
Authorised health claims
A quick consumer view — full regulatory list available below● Vitamin B12 contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.Tiredness & fatigue · General population
Health functions (Article 13)
Condition of use
Food must be at least a source of vitamin B12.
General food: 0.375 µg / 100 g or 100 ml
Beverage: 0.188 µg / 100 ml
Single-portion pack: 0.375 µg per portion
Calculated from the EU NRV significant-amount reference. Claim-specific conditions take precedence.
EFSA / scientific assessment
EFSA Journal 2010;8(10):4114
EU legal source
Commission Regulation (EU) No 432/2012
● Vitamin B12 contributes to normal functioning of the nervous system.Nervous system · General population
Health functions (Article 13)
Condition of use
Food must be at least a source of vitamin B12.
General food: 0.375 µg / 100 g or 100 ml
Beverage: 0.188 µg / 100 ml
Single-portion pack: 0.375 µg per portion
Calculated from the EU NRV significant-amount reference. Claim-specific conditions take precedence.
EFSA / scientific assessment
EFSA Journal 2010;8(10):4114
EU legal source
Commission Regulation (EU) No 432/2012
● Vitamin B12 contributes to normal red blood cell formation.Red blood cells · General population
Health functions (Article 13)
Condition of use
Food must be at least a source of vitamin B12.
General food: 0.375 µg / 100 g or 100 ml
Beverage: 0.188 µg / 100 ml
Single-portion pack: 0.375 µg per portion
Calculated from the EU NRV significant-amount reference. Claim-specific conditions take precedence.
EFSA / scientific assessment
EFSA Journal 2009;7(9):1223
EU legal source
Commission Regulation (EU) No 432/2012
×Other assessed health claims (6)
Not authorised for use in the EUView claims ↓
Other assessed health claims (6)
Not authorised for use in the EU● Necessary for healthy teeth, bones, hair, skin and nails — assessed relationship: maintenance of normal bone.Bones ·
Health functions (Article 13)
Condition of use
—
EFSA / scientific assessment
EFSA Journal 2010;8(10):1756
EU legal source
—
Additional statement / restriction
Non-compliance with the Regulation because on the basis of the scientific evidence assessed, this claimed effect for this food has not been substantiated.
● Necessary for healthy teeth, bones, hair, skin and nails — assessed relationship: maintenance of normal hair.Hair ·
Health functions (Article 13)
Condition of use
—
EFSA / scientific assessment
EFSA Journal 2010;8(10):1756
EU legal source
—
Additional statement / restriction
Non-compliance with the Regulation because on the basis of the scientific evidence assessed, this claimed effect for this food has not been substantiated.
● Necessary for healthy teeth, bones, hair, skin and nails — assessed relationship: maintenance of normal nails.Nails ·
Health functions (Article 13)
Condition of use
—
EFSA / scientific assessment
EFSA Journal 2010;8(10):1756
EU legal source
—
Additional statement / restriction
Non-compliance with the Regulation because on the basis of the scientific evidence assessed, this claimed effect for this food has not been substantiated.
● Necessary for healthy teeth, bones, hair, skin and nails — assessed relationship: maintenance of normal skin.Skin ·
Health functions (Article 13)
Condition of use
—
EFSA / scientific assessment
EFSA Journal 2010;8(10):1756
EU legal source
—
Additional statement / restriction
Non-compliance with the Regulation because on the basis of the scientific evidence assessed, this claimed effect for this food has not been substantiated.
● Necessary for healthy teeth, bones, hair, skin and nails — assessed relationship: maintenance of normal teeth.Teeth ·
Health functions (Article 13)
Condition of use
—
EFSA / scientific assessment
EFSA Journal 2010;8(10):1756
EU legal source
—
Additional statement / restriction
Non-compliance with the Regulation because on the basis of the scientific evidence assessed, this claimed effect for this food has not been substantiated.
● Necessary to maintain energy and general vitality.Energy and vitality ·
Health functions (Article 13)
Condition of use
—
EFSA / scientific assessment
EFSA Journal 2010;8(10):1738
EU legal source
—
Additional statement / restriction
Non-compliance with the Regulation because on the basis of the scientific evidence assessed, this claimed effect for this food is not sufficiently defined to be able to be assessed and the claim could not therefore be substantiated.
Regulatory details
Check how the claims on this page are classified and where their regulatory information comes from.
View page-level details
- Ingredient
- Vitamin B12
- Category
- Vitamin
- NRV
- 2.5 µg
- Authorised claims
- 8
- Other assessed claims
- 6
- Claim framework
- EU nutrition and health claims framework. Individual claim cards show the specific claim type, conditions of use, EFSA reference and legal source available in the version data.
Tip: expand any claim above for its claim-specific source details. The European Commission's EU Register is an information service; legal acts are the authoritative source for legal requirements, and some pending claims are not shown in the Register.
Claim use requirements
How much of this nutrient must a food contain for an EU health claim to be used?
0.188 µg / 100 ml for beverages
0.375 µg per portion if the package contains only one portion