Vitamin B covers vitamin B12 on its own and full B-complex formulas. Choose methylcobalamin B12 as Jarrow cherry chewables, NOW Foods lozenges or OstroVit tablets, or a complex from Jarrow B-Right, Trec Nutrition, Essensey or OstroVit drops, whether you eat a vegan diet or simply want to top up.
Choose B12 alone if that is your specific gap. Vitamin B12 occurs naturally almost only in animal foods, so it is the B vitamin vegans most often supplement. Vitamin B12 contributes to normal red blood cell formation, the normal function of the nervous system and the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
A B-complex covers thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, B6, biotin, folate and B12 together; many of these contribute to normal energy-yielding metabolism. Jarrow B-Right comes in 100 vegetarian capsules with B12 as methylcobalamin; Trec Nutrition Vitamin B Complex is 60 capsules with added inositol, PABA and choline. Essensey Vitamin B Complex and OstroVit Methyl B-Complex drops complete the range.
NHS advice is not to take more than 10 mg of vitamin B6 a day from supplements unless a doctor advises it. Some B-complex products exceed this, so read the label and count B6 from other products too, such as magnesium with B6. Folic acid above 1 mg a day can mask B12 deficiency, while up to 2 mg a day of B12 is unlikely to cause harm. Superior Source MicroLingual tablets combine B12, B6 and folic acid. If you are planning a pregnancy, the NHS advises 400 micrograms of folic acid daily; see Prenatal & Pregnancy. More options for daily energy routines are in Energy & Fatigue.
The daily reference intake is 2.5 µg, so our 100 µg, 500 mcg and 1000 mcg products all exceed it many times over. Choose by format and price; the NHS says up to 2 mg a day from supplements is unlikely to cause harm.
B12 occurs naturally almost only in animal foods, so vegans need fortified foods or a supplement. Check each label for vegan suitability, as binders and flavourings vary.
Most people take them with breakfast. B vitamins are water-soluble, so a regular daily time with food is the simplest routine.
The colour comes from riboflavin (vitamin B2). The body passes out what it does not use, and the colour is harmless.
Check both labels first. Multivitamins already contain B vitamins, and B6 in particular should stay within 10 mg a day from supplements unless your doctor advises more.
