Those who eat animal products or B12 fortified foods regularly. Foods like beef, eggs, salmon, cheese, and fortified nutritional yeast are great sources of B12. If you eat food sources of B12 regularly, you can probably meet your needs without a supplement. Kaur recommends focusing on food sources rather than supplementation if you’re not vegan or vegetarian. Jernerén F, Elshorbagy AK, Oulhaj A, Smith SM, Refsum H, Smith AD. Brain atrophy in cognitively impaired elderly: the importance of long-chain ω-3 fatty acids and B vitamin status in a randomized controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr 2015;102:215-21. [ PubMed abstract] Other ingredients: soybean oil, gelatin, glycerin, yellow beeswax, water, rapeseed lecithin, colors added (including carmine)

Do not take more than 10mg of vitamin B6 a day in supplements unless advised to by a doctor. Biotin (vitamin B7) Djuric D, Jakovljevic V, Zivkovic V, Srejovic I. Homocysteine and homocysteine-related compounds: An overview of the roles in the pathology of the cardiovascular and nervous systems. Can J Physiol Pharmacol 2018;96:991-1003. [ PubMed abstract] To take this supplement, you place a tablet under your tongue and let it dissolve for 30 seconds before swallowing it. This is considered a sublingual supplement; these types of supplements have been shown to be as effective as intramuscular B12 injections for absorption. This form of delivery can also be helpful for people who have digestive or malabsorption issues. Paul C, Brady DM. Comparative bioavailability and utilization of particular forms of b12 supplements with potential to mitigate b12-related genetic polymorphisms. Integr Med (Encinitas). 2017;16(1):42-49. PMID: 28223907 The bacteria that live naturally in your bowel are also able to make vitamin B6. What happens if I take too much vitamin B6?Maruvada P, Stover PJ, Mason JB, Bailey RL, Davis CD, Field MS, et al. Knowledge gaps in understanding the metabolic and clinical effects of excess folates/folic acid: A summary, and perspectives, from an NIH workshop. Am J Clin Nutr 2020;112:1390-403 [ PubMed abstract] In general, evidence from RCTs does not show that vitamin B12 supplementation alone or with folic acid, vitamin B6, or both for 1 to 2 years improves cognitive function in older adults with or without dementia, mild cognitive impairment, or Alzheimer’s disease, even though supplementation lowers homocysteine levels [ 91-94]. For example, an RCT administered 400 mcg/day folic acid and 500 mcg/day vitamin B12 (B-vitamin group) or a placebo for 2 years to 2,919 adults age 65 and older with homocysteine levels of 12 to 50 mcmol/L [ 93]. Although homocysteine concentrations declined significantly more (by 5.0 mcmol/L) in the supplementation group than in the placebo group (1.3 mcmol/L), cognitive test scores did not differ between groups. A Cochrane Review of vitamin and mineral supplements to maintain cognitive function in cognitively healthy people included 14 studies that compared folic acid, vitamin B12, vitamin B6, or a combination of these supplements to placebo in 27,882 participants, most of whom were age 60 years or older [ 95]. The supplements had little to no effect on global cognitive function when administered for up to 5 years and appeared to have no impact when administered for 5 to 10 years. Olaso-Gonzalez G, Inzitari M, Bellelli G, Morandi A, Barcons N, Viña J. Impact of supplementation with vitamins B6 , B12 , and/or folic acid on the reduction of homocysteine levels in patients with mild cognitive impairment: A systematic review. IUBMB Life. 2022;74(1):74-84. DOI: 10.1002/iub.2507

Estimated Average Requirement (EAR): Average daily level of intake estimated to meet the requirements of 50% of healthy individuals; usually used to assess the nutrient intakes of groups of people and to plan nutritionally adequate diets for them; can also be used to assess the nutrient intakes of individuals

What is vitamin B12?

Plus, this supplement is third-party tested and approved. We love the flexibility of this B12 supplement, but note it may have a medicinal flavor that might not be everyone’s favorite. Thorne’s B12 supplement contains the natural form of B12, methylcobalamin, unlike others that include the synthetic form, cyanocobalamin. Methylcobalamin has a higher bioavailability (absorption), and studies show they have a similar efficacy when it comes to reversing or preventing B12 deficiency. Oliai Araghi S, Kiefte-de Jong JC, van Dijk SC, Swart KMA, van Laarhoven HW, van Schoor NM, et al. Folic acid and vitamin B12 supplementation and the risk of cancer: Long-term follow-up of the B Vitamins for the Prevention of Osteoporotic Fractures (B-PROOF) trial. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2019;28:275-82. [ PubMed abstract]