Vitamin B12 (also known as ‘cobalamin’ in some circles) is an essential vitamin that is found naturally occurring in animal foods such as red meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and dairy.
- Good performance
- Safe and effective
- Absorbed readily
- High quality
- Affordable price
- Excellent option
- Essential mineral
- Unique option
- Liquid form
- Extremely potent
- 5000mcg per serve
- Rapidly boost
Interestingly, even despite its apparent appearance in many foods that we would consider common within a ‘normal’ diet, vitamin B12 deficiency is thought to be one of the leading nutrient deficiencies in the entire world – so much so that has been regarded as a major health concern here within the United States for the better part of a decade.
The deficiency of Vitamin B12 is viewed so important because of the many roles it is known to play within the human body.
In fact, Vitamin B12 is has been shown to play integral roles maintaining mood, energy levels, cognitive function, all while also demonstrating importance in regards to the maintenance of cardiovascular and metabolic health, skin and hair quality, and even digestive function.
Beyond that, Vitamin B12 has also been suggested to play an important role in the maintenance of optimal nervous system function, ensuring the body’s ability to transfer nerve signals around the body effectively and efficiently.
Why should I supplement with Vitamin B12?
Considering that Vitamin B12 plays so many roles within the human body, combined with the fact that many of us are deficient in Vitamin B12 (despite being completely unaware of it), its supplementation can have a host of benefits to both our physical and mental health.
Vitamin B12 Can Reduce Chronic Pain
One of the most interesting aspects of Vitamin B12 supplementation relates to its impact on perceived pain.
The supplementation of Vitamin B12 has been shown to acts as a mild analgesic, reducing painful sensations throughout the body. Recent research has shown that the daily consumption of Vitamin B12 can even reduce the signs and symptoms of chronic lower back pain – irrespective of whether a Vitamin B12 deficiency is present or not [1].
This suggests that Vitamin B12 supplementation may offer a good alternative to traditional pain medications, such as NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatories)
Vitamin B12 Supplementation Improves Cognitive Function and Brain Health
Vitamin B12 has been shown to play an important role in maintaining the function of themany neurons throughout the body, ensuring their capacity to transfer nerve signals is optimal.
With this in mind, the supplementation of Vitamin B12 has been shown to improve our cognitive function in its entirety. Within this, it has been said to improve our ability to solve problems, increase attentiveness, while improving focus and mental clarity.
Building on this notion further, the consumption of Vitamin B12 has also been shown to prevent disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, stave off age related declines in cognitive function, all while reducing the risk of developing dementia significantly [2].
Vitamin B12 Supplementation Improves Sleep
Due to its impact on the body’s nervous system, Vitamin B12 has been suggested to interact heavily with our sleep cycles. With this in mind, the supplantation of vitamin B12 has been shown to improve our quality of sleep, while also having some benefits for sleep duration.
This is thought to be due to increased consumption of Vitamin B12 leading to an improved ability to regulate the body’s circadian rhythm [3].
Vitamin B12 Supplementation and Mood
And finally, in conjunction with the above, the supplementation of Vitamin B12 has also been suggested to impact our mood in a very big way.
The consumption of Vitamin B12 in individuals without a Vitamin B12 deficiency has been suggested to cause large improvement in the ability to regulate mood, reducing feelings of stress and anxiety. This often comes with large improvements in focus and mental clarity.
These effects have been demonstrated clearly in individuals with clinical depression, where Vitamin B12 supplementation also resulted in a large reduction on depressive symptoms [4].
It is important to note that these effects are thought to be further improved within those individuals who do have a Vitamin B12 deficiency.
Best Vitamin B12 Supplement Reviews
There are a vast number of Vitamin B12 supplements available on the market – in which some are of a much better quality than others. With this in mind, we have outlined what we believe to be the top three Vitamin B12 supplements available on the market at the moment.
Each of these offers an excellent option on their own right, and are well deserving of a place on this list.
- Good performance
- Safe and effective
- Absorbed readily
- High quality
- Affordable price
- Excellent option
- Essential mineral
- Unique option
- Liquid form
- Extremely potent
- 5000mcg per serve
- Rapidly boost
This great option by Purathrive is arguably the most effective on the market. It uses a specific type of Vitamin B12 known as Liposomal B12 to boost health and performance in a huge way. This specific compound has been shown to be more readily absorbed than other vitamin B12 supplements, meaning that it is more effective per gram.
With this effectiveness comes some of the highest quality production processes within the supplement industry – the result of which is this great quality product that you can be assured is both safe and effective.
Nature made have been a favorite of ours for a long time. They consistently put out high quality products at exceptionally affordable price points.
And fortunately, their Vitamin B12 supplement is no different.
Providing a potent dose of Vitamin B12, which is easily absorbed into the body, this is an excellent option. As an added bonus, it is one of the more affordable B12 supplements available on the market, meaning it wont burn too much of a hole in your pocket.
Salt lake supplements haven’t been about for quite as long as some of their competitors, but they have been making a bit of a splash within the health and fitness industry of late.
With this in mind, their Vitamin B12 supplement is an excellent option that is uses scientifically supported dosages to provide the body with a healthy boost of this essential mineral.
This option is unique in that it is provided in liquid form, meaning it is absorbed more rapidly into the body. This also makes it a fantastic option for those individuals who aren’t particularly keen in tablets and capsules.
Jarrow Formulas are another company that have been producing excellent quality supplements for a very long time. This particular Vitamin B12 supplement is extremely potent, providing us with a whopping 5000mcg per serve.
This makes it one of the strongest Vitamin B12 supplements available on the market at the moment, and a great option for those looking to rapidly boost their B12 intake.
Take-Away Message
Vitamin B12 is one of the most important essential nutrients found within the entire body – unfortunately it is also one of the most under consumed, which as we know, can have a host of negative health implications.
But by increasing our consumption of vitamin B12 via a high quality B12 supplement, we can cause huge improvement in cognitive function, mood, and mental health. This can also cause large reductions in pain, in conjunction with significant improvement in sleep quality.
If you have had any experience with the supplements outlined in this article we would love to hear about it, so please drop us a comment and we will get back to you ASAP.