Vitamin B12 is not only found in animal products – the substance is also available as drops, tablets or drinking bottles. Öko-Test examined 29 preparations – with mixed results. Three are “very good”, three fail.
Note: The results below are from a test of the February 2023 issue.
Our body cannot produce most of the vitamins itself – for example vitamin B12. We can absorb the substance almost exclusively through animal foods; it is important for the energy metabolism, for the formation of blood cells and for the structure of the nerve sheaths. A balanced diet can prevent a deficiency. Anyone who lives vegan permanently must supplement vitamin B12. But people who eat animal products can also develop a deficiency. Supplementation may be necessary for certain diseases, for example.
There are numerous vitamin B12 preparations in pharmacies, drugstores and online shops. Öko-Test examined 29 funds – and can only recommend three with “very good”.
Vitamin B12 at Öko-Test: test winners and losers
For the vitamin B12 test, Öko-Test examined, among other things, prescription and over-the-counter medicines and dietary supplements. The preparations are very mixed.
The test winners include the “Vitalis Vitamin B12 Ampoules, Raspberry” from Aldi Süd. They carry the V-Label and are therefore marked as vegan. Not all products in the test can be clearly identified as vegan, with some animal components cannot be ruled out. Six products are “good”, seven “satisfactory”. Ten score “sufficient”.
Two products fail the test with “poor”. The “Vitasprint B12 drinking bottles”, which are mainly sold in pharmacies, are even “insufficient”. One of the reasons for this is that Öko-Test does not consider the effect to be sufficiently proven. The bottles are approved as traditional medicinal products and are therefore not based on clinical studies. Instead, they are called “medicinal products” because they have been used for the respective purpose for over 30 years. At the time of the test, the bottles cost 2.60 euros per maximum recommended daily dose – making them the most expensive product in the test.
Öko-Test Vitamin B12: Read all results in the ePaper
Vitamin B12 preparations: Many products are heavily overdosed
Dietary supplements are often overdosed – this is also the case with vitamin B12 preparations. Most contained more than 25 micrograms of vitamin B12 per daily dose. For comparison: The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) and the German Society for Nutrition (DGE) recommend no more than four micrograms a day.
The product “Vitamaze Vitamin B12 Drops” (vegan according to the manufacturer) should even contain 500 micrograms per daily dose – but a laboratory commissioned by Öko-Test found that there are actually about 20 percent less in the glass bottle. “Dr. Jacob’s B12 methylcobalamin, tablets actually come to 500 micrograms per daily dose.
The body cannot absorb such large amounts of vitamin B12 and excretes the remaining vitamins. Nevertheless, manufacturers sometimes advertise the preparations as “high doses”. Öko-Test quotes the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM), which sees this as a “possible misleading of the consumer”.
Who really needs B12 supplements
Many products also lacked an indication of the circumstances under which it makes sense to take vitamin B12. There was also a deduction for this – because, as Öko-Test emphasizes, you don’t need B12 supplements if you’re healthy and eat animal products. Those who eat vegan, on the other hand, are dependent on it. In addition, you have to supplement the vitamin, among other things, in certain diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
Even with the Vitamaze vitamin B12 drops already mentioned, there was no indication of when to supplement B12. They received the overall grade “inadequate”. The pills from Dr. Jacob’s also didn’t point this out and scored “fair”.
A vitamin B12 deficiency can have serious consequences: namely nerve damage. It is diagnosed and treated by medical professionals. The pharmacy-only drugs in the test and the vitamin B12 capsules from Dr. Loges (proclaimed as vegan by the manufacturer) have been proven to help with treatment and to prevent the deficiency. They scored “very good” in the test.
Öko-Test Vitamin B12: Read all results here
Titanium dioxide, phosphates and other problematic substances
Öko-Test also evaluated certain ingredients in vitamin B12 preparations. Two medicines contained titanium dioxide – a white pigment that is banned in food throughout the EU. The nanoparticles are said to be able to penetrate cells and trigger inflammation there. It is still approved in medicines, but the testers emphasize that other drug manufacturers can do without the substance. Another medicine contained a preservative (propylparaben) which is believed to affect hormone balance.
The testers also found questionable substances in the dietary supplements – for example in the mini-tablets “Doppelherz Vitamin B12 350”. They have been awarded the V-Label and are therefore clearly identified as a vegan product. In addition to vitamin B12, however, they contain a thickening agent that animal studies have shown to cause inflammatory changes in the intestinal flora. In addition, Öko-Test criticizes phosphates, which among other things are problematic for kidney patients. The testers also detected problematic connections in the packaging. The Doppelherz tablets are therefore only “sufficient”. The manufacturer no longer offers the product and has replaced it with the product “Doppelherz Vitamin B12 400”.
All details about the test can be found in issue 02/2023 or at Ökotest.de.
Read more on Techzle.com:
- How good is vegan sausage? Öko-Test criticizes these vegan cold cuts
- Vegan cream at Öko-Test: especially organic convinces
- Vitamin B-12 Overdose: Symptoms and Side Effects