Nature Made Vitamin B12 1000 mcg Time Release Tablets, 160 Tablets

Nature Made's B12 1000 mcg is one of the cheapest ways to take B12 from a brand you'll find in any US pharmacy. A 160-tablet bottle costs about $11 on Amazon, so under 7 cents a day, and it has a 4.7-star average from around 35,000 reviews.

What you get

Each time-release tablet contains 1,000 mcg of vitamin B12. Nature Made says the time-release formula extends absorption. The directions are one tablet a day with water and a meal. The listing says there's no color added, no artificial flavors and no preservatives.

The wording on the listing is more honest than most B12 marketing: B12 "helps reduce fatigue for those low in vitamin B-12." That last part matters. If your B12 is normal, extra B12 won't give you more energy.

Is 1,000 mcg too much?

It sounds like a lot next to the 2.4 mcg adult recommended intake. But only a small fraction of a large oral dose gets absorbed, which is why supplements use high amounts. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements hasn't set an upper limit for B12, because no harm has been found from high intakes from food and supplements.

As with any supplement, it isn't FDA-approved before sale. Check with your pharmacist if you take other medications.

Who it's for

• Adults over 50, who absorb B12 from food less well
• People taking metformin or long-term acid reducers (PPIs or H2 blockers)
• Vegetarians who want a low-cost daily B12

Who should skip it

If you have tingling, numbness, balance problems or memory changes alongside tiredness, see a doctor before you start any B12. Those can be signs of a significant deficiency that needs proper diagnosis, and people with pernicious anemia may need injections or a doctor-directed high dose. Also mention any B12 you're taking before a blood test, since it raises the result. The why am I always tired guide explains what else to rule out.

Alternatives

Vegans may prefer Jarrow Formulas Methyl B-12, a vegan-labeled methylcobalamin chewable for about $12. If you'd rather cover B12 as part of a broader baseline, the Nature Made Multivitamin for Him includes it, though at a lower dose.

For how B12 deficiency compares with low iron and low vitamin D, read iron, B12, or vitamin D: which supplement for energy. Our full picks are in the best vitamins for energy and tiredness.