The easiest plan is one 1,000 mcg pill a day. That is far more than 10 mcg, because your body takes in only a small share of a big dose. Only 3 of the 203 B12 labels we read hold less than 100 mcg, so almost any B12 pill clears 10 mcg. Fortified foods also work if they give you at least 3 mcg a day, spread over two or three meals.
Why pills hold so much is in our B12 dosage guide.
Ready to buy:
Jarrow Methyl B-12 1000 mcg, lemon chewable
$0.13 a day. Labeled vegan, and it is a chewable tablet, so there is no gelatin capsule.
Which B12 plan fits you?
If you are vegan and happy with a daily chewable, the pick above is all you need. These cases need something else.
Vegetarian? Eggs and milk give you only a little B12.
A large egg has about 0.5 mcg and a cup of milk about 1.3 mcg (NIH). In a UK study, 7% of vegetarians had very low B12, and 52% of vegans did (Gilsing 2010). If your level is normal, a 100 mcg tablet a day keeps it there. If you already run low, take the 1,000 mcg chewable above.
Carlyle Vitamin B12 100 mcg
$0.04 a day, labeled vegan
Rather take one dose a week? Use 2,000 mcg or more.
One big dose a week is another way to get enough. The Vegan Society advises no more than 5,000 mcg a week. These lozenges hold 5,000 mcg each, so one a week fits. Solgar Methylcobalamin 5000 mcg is another vegan 5,000 mcg choice.
NOW Methyl B-12 5000 mcg lozenges
$0.43 a lozenge, one a week, labeled vegan
Pregnant or breastfeeding? Your baby gets B12 from you.
You need 2.6 mcg a day in pregnancy and 2.8 mcg while breastfeeding (NIH). Breastfed babies of vegan mothers can have very small B12 stores and run low within months of birth, which can harm the nerves if not treated (NIH). Tell your doctor or midwife you are vegan, and ask them to check your B12 plan.
How to tell if a B12 pill is vegan
Look for the word vegan on the label, and check for gelatin, which comes from animals. Both main forms of B12 can be vegan, so the capsule or softgel is what to check. NatureWise Vitamin B12, our pick for people who eat meat, is a softgel made with gelatin, so it is not vegan. The maker of Thorne B12 does not say whether it is vegan.
Fortified foods that count
About ¼ cup of fortified nutritional yeast gives 8.3 to 24 mcg, and a serving of cereal fortified with 25% of the Daily Value gives about 0.6 mcg (NIH). Yeast that is not fortified has none, and the amount varies by brand and country, so read the label. Spirulina, nori, tempeh and barley grass are not reliable sources (The Vegan Society).
Frequently asked questions
How long can a vegan go without B12?
Signs of low B12 usually take 5 years or more to show in adults, but some people have problems within a year (The Vegan Society). Waiting for signs is a bad plan, because nerve damage can be lasting. Signs of low B12.
Is a B12 blood test reliable for vegans?
Less than for meat eaters. The Vegan Society warns that algae and some plant foods contain B12 look-alikes that can read as B12 on a blood test, and that a high folate intake can hide the anemia. It calls the MMA test the most specific. The MMA test.
Should vegans take methylcobalamin or cyanocobalamin?
Either one. Both forms come in vegan pills, and NIH has found no difference in how well they are absorbed. Methylcobalamin vs cyanocobalamin.
Related guides
- How much B12 per day: the amount for every age
- B12 deficiency signs: what low B12 feels like and how it is tested
- Methylcobalamin vs cyanocobalamin: why the form matters less than the label
- Best B12 supplements: every B12 pill we score, ranked
Sources
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. "Vitamin B12: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals" (food sources, vegetarians, infants of vegan mothers, RDA). ods.od.nih.gov (updated July 2, 2025; read October 15, 2026).
- The Vegan Society. "What every vegan should know about vitamin B12." vegansociety.com (read October 15, 2026).
- Gilsing AM, et al. "Serum concentrations of vitamin B12 and folate in British male omnivores, vegetarians and vegans..." Eur J Clin Nutr. 2010. PMID: 20648045
- Vegan status: each maker’s product page (Jarrow, Carlyle Nutritionals, NOW Foods, Solgar, Thorne, NatureWise), read October 15, 2026.
- Prices are each brand’s list price, checked October 15, 2026. Amazon’s price may differ.