The most effective way to get an energy boost in your vegan diet: backed by science

A common question we hear from our vegan customers - whether they have just made the choice to become a vegan, recently embarked on a vegan diet or have been a vegan for many years - is how do I get an energy boost in my vegan diet? Now there are short term stimulants that can mimic energy - such as caffeine or sugar - but there is one vital vitamin that can help improve your energy levels and which basically speeds up every action in your body. That is Vitamin B12. So why is Vitamin B12 so important for vegans and why is it something you may need to consider supplementing?

Before we start talking about supplements for a vegan diet, it’s important to understand what Vitamin B12 is and why your body needs it. Basically, Vitamin B12 is essential to all of your bodily processes, speeding up reactions in the body, and is directly linked to your metabolism. A long term lack of B12 has been linked to some serious health issues, such as anaemia and problems with the immune system and the nervous system.

As we’ve just discovered B12 is linked to your metabolism, speeding up reactions. This helps you to get the most of the energy in your food and to function properly. The problem for vegans and vegetarians is that B12 isn’t found in a plant-based diet. So if you are following a vegan diet, you will need to find alternative sources - either through fortified foods or supplements. If you aren’t getting enough Vitamin B12, you will notice a lack of energy and fatigue. It’s important, if you are worried about being deficient in B12, that you consult your GP or doctor as well.

If Vitamin B12 isn’t found in plants, it is a reasonable next question to ask - what is in vegan Vitamin B12 supplements? Here at Vegetology, we make our B12 through a fermentation process, a bit like brewing beer. We take it from a microorganism origin but there are no animal or dairy products used in the process. To make sure it is pure we do it in a laboratory setting.

We love the fact that many of our customers are very well informed and so we often get asked about the form of Vitamin B12 in our supplements. Vitamin B12 does come in a couple of different forms but we use Cyanocobalamin, as it is the most stable form by far from the research we have seen. That means that you get the maximum benefit when you take a supplement with this form of B12 in it, as it won’t start to degrade before use.

Here at Vegetology we spend a lot of time researching and developing our supplements to ensure we provide the absolute best in nutrition for our customers. When it comes to Vitamin B12, the first thing to say is that it is a water based vitamin. That means that when you take a supplement with B12, or a fortified food with B12, your body grabs what it needs and expels the rest. If you take a lot of B vitamins you may have noticed the fluorescent yellow urine that can result! This is your body expelling the excess it can’t use in that moment. At Vegetology, we have developed 2 different Vit B12 formulas, sublingual and sustained release.

In our sustained release formula, we have a high dose of B12 - 1000 mcg per day - a lot higher than the standard recommended dose. Now rather than that be one big hit, which as we have just discovered will be partly used and largely wasted, we have come up with a unique sustained release formula. The tablet breaks down a little bit at a time during the day so that over a period of between six to eight hours you will get a regular sustained release of Vitamin B12. As this essential vitamin is used up quickly by the body, this formula means you will get lots of little hits of energy through this vitamin, but only need to take one tablet a day.

In our sublingual formula, we have a medium strength dose of B12 - 100 mcg per day. This is maintenance dose. This medium strength sublingual tablet is designed to dissolve under the tongue and deliver B12 straight into the bloodstream. As this is a fast acting tablet, to ensure optimal absorption, we recommend taking this a short time after breakfast time (i.e. if you do drink water/juice/coffee, go to the bathroom and then take the tablet).

The reason this supplement is designed for vegans and vegetarians is that a meat eater will tend to get enough B12 from their diet. However, if you are a meat eater who often doesn’t have meat every day or has a tendency to reach for fast and junk food over a balanced meal, you may want to consider a Vitamin B12 supplement too.

We often get asked if this supplement is safe for pregnant women and children as well. There is no issue in either case with the formula but we would always recommend checking with your GP or doctor before taking this or any supplement if pregnant, or when thinking of giving to your children.

You can take Vitamin B12 with other multivitamins but it’s important to check whether you need to - see what is in your multivitamin or check with your GP or doctor. If you are following a plant-based diet, you are likely to need Vitamin B12 and this formula can help to allow the body to get the amount it needs.

If you are following plant-based diet, you cannot get Vitamin B12 from your diet, as it is not present in plants. Often this isn’t talked about enough when it comes to vegan supplements, but it’s a hugely important vitamin. You may have fortified foods that provide enough B12 but if you are looking for a supplement, our sustained release formula is a simple and effective way to get the B12 your body needs throughout the day. This can help improve your energy levels and is important for your immune and nervous systems.

To buy Vegetology Vitamin B12 Sustained Release Formula shop here:

Shop Sustained Release Vit B12

To buy Vegetology Vitamin B12 Sublingual Formula shop here:

Shop Sublingual Vit B12