What is the Best Vitamin B12 ? Our Advice and Reviews (2023)

And more concretely, which vitamin B12 to buy among the plethora of offers existing on the market? 

Let's look at the three main selection criteria.

A first criterion for choosing the best source of vitamin B12 is its form. 

Indeed, although it is known as vitamin B12, this B vitamin exists in four very similar chemical forms, three of natural origin and one synthetic:

• Methylcobalamin;
• Adenosylcobalamin;
• Hydroxocobalamin;
• Cyanocobalamin.

Often, the attractive price of a food supplement hides a dosage so low in active principle, that one is obliged to swallow many capsules or tablets to reach the optimal dosage.   

However, it is important to know that in the case of vitamin B12, the limited absorption capacity of the body implies the need to provide much more than the recommended daily dose.  

This is why, in order to ensure the 4 µg/d that ANSES recommends for adults aged 18 and over, it is advisable to opt for a dosage between 500 and 1000 µg.  

This is confirmed by a study conducted by the Dutch University of Wageningen, which found that a slight vitamin B12 deficiency in the elderly needs to be compensated for by a dosage of 500 µg to 1000 µg to ensure effective supplementation.  

This is good news: our vitamin B12 is highly dosed at 1,000 µg and you only need to take one capsule a day to cover your needs for four months! Practical, isn't it? 

Traditionally, the best-known and most widely used way to supplement with vitamin B12 was by intramuscular route and the chemical form chosen was the synthetic vitamin B12, cyanocobalamin.  

On this subject, the less young among us will probably keep the unpleasant memory of B12 injections, administered in case of anemia!  

To dispel preconceived notions, a study of vitamin B12-deficient children in Turkey concluded that " sublingual methylcobalamin treatment, which is a new method of treatment, has been shown to be as effective as oral and intramuscular cyanocobalamin treatments.  

But how do you distinguish between these four forms of vitamin B12?  

In short, methylcobalaminand adenosylcobalamin are two naturally occurring coenzymes found in foods. They act synergistically in slightly different ways to cover most of our vitamin B12 needs. Hydroxocobalamin is a highly bioavailable form of vitamin B12, used to treat people with severe deficiencies. Finally, cyanocobalamin is a synthetic form of vitamin B12, which the body converts into adenosylcobalamin and methylcobalamin before it can be used.   

Let's take a closer look at the four types of vitamin B12, with their advantages and disadvantages. 

Natural vitamin B12 comes in three types: methylcobalamin, adenosylcobalamin and hydroxocobalamin. 

Methylcobalamin is found naturally in foods of animal origin such as meat, fish, milk and eggs.  

It is the most active form of vitamin B12, used primarily in the liver, brain and nervous system. There's a reason we chose it to make our Vitamin B12!

✅ Benefits: it's the most bioavailable type of vitamin B12, which means it's more easily absorbed by the body.    

⛔ D isadvantages: it can be a bit more expensive compared to the synthetic form, cyanocobalamin, for obvious manufacturing cost reasons.   

 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 For whom: for all, especially to compensate for anemia or vitamin B12 deficiency. It can also be recommended for chronic smokers and for patients suffering from liver or kidney failure.

Adenosylcobalamin is also a natural coenzyme form of vitamin B12. We can consider it an ally of methylcobalamin, as they work in synergy to provide our body with nearly 100% optimal coverage.  

Adenosylcobalamin is particularly important for supporting and protecting the mitochondria in our cells. These are like power plants in every cell and adenosylcobalamin helps them burn food efficiently to produce energy and boost metabolism.  

In addition, adenosylcobalamin is a key component of the myelin sheath that protects nerve cells, allowing them to react very quickly to stimuli.   

✅ Benefits: adenosylcobalamin plays many vital roles in the body, including carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism. Without this form of vitamin B12, the burning of these food substances becomes inefficient and causes fatigue, pain, increased lactic acid and other metabolic disorders.   

⛔ D isadvantages: as with methylcobalamin, the price is a bit higher compared to the synthetic form.   

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 For whom: for all, in particular for all those who are concerned by neurological or cognitive disorders, thanks to its role in the good transmission of the nervous signals.  

Hydroxocobalamin is naturally produced by bacteria in the digestive tract during the breakdown of food sources. It can also be produced in the laboratory by extracting it from microorganisms.  

This form of vitamin B12 is easily converted by the body into adenosylcobalamin and methylcobalamin, allowing the cells to absorb and use it.  

✅ Benefits: hydroxycobalamin is stored longer in the bodyand then excreted slowly by the kidneys. Because of this, it is often used in intramuscular injections of vitamin B12.   

⛔ Cons: Let's be honest, who among us likes shots? Generally, oral intake is more appreciated and is more convenient for most people!   

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 For whom: hydroxocobalamin is particularly useful in the treatment of vitamin B12 deficiency secondary to disorders that alter its absorption by the gastrointestinal tract, including malabsorption and pernicious anemia. In addition, it is very effective in detoxification in cases of hydrocyanic acid poisoning. 

For the final word on the question of which vitamin B12 to buy, know that the choice is usually between methylcobalamin or cyanocobalamin. That is, between a natural form and a synthetic form.  

Although the body absorbs cyanocobalamin very well, methylcobalamin is considered to be better retained and longer lasting among the different types of vitamin B12.  

This is why we have a preference for this form of vitamin B12, which is natural and safe.  

Made in France, our vitamin B12 contains 120 capsules, which have the considerable advantage of being highly dosed and guarantee you a quality vitamin B12 intake for 4 months. Of what to recover the physical and mental form and to make the full one of energy!