Vitamin B12 Australia: A Buyer’s Guide
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Vitamin B12 Australia: A Buyer’s Guide

Chloe Matthews | Clinical Nutrition & Supplement Expert Chloe Matthews
📅 August 4, 2026 ⏱️ 12 min read
Home → Supplements → Vitamin B12 Australia: A Buyer’s Guide

B12 deficiency is one of the common vitamin deficiencies around the world and if you’ve been feeling low-energy or fatigued consistently, it might be time to check your B12 levels. Despite its important role in the body, B12 is sourced only from animal products, meaning it can be hard to maintain healthy levels, especially if you’re vegan or vegetarian.

 

In this blog, we cover everything you need to know about Vitamin B12, including what it is, what causes deficiencies, and the supplements to support healthy levels. Read on to find out more!

 

What does B12 do in the body?

 

But first, why is B12 important for your body? B12 is a water-soluble vitamin that helps your body with multiple essential processes and functions, including:

  • Red blood cell formulation: B12 helps produce healthy, mature, and well-shaped red blood cells, maximising their ability to carry oxygen efficiently

  • DNA synthesis: B12 supports healthy cell division (for growth and replacing worn-out or damaged cells) by making the ‘building blocks’ of the entire DNA sequence available

  • Nervous system health: B12 helps maintain the myelin sheath - the protective coating around nerve fibres - that allows electrical signals to travel properly around the body

  • Energy metabolism: B12 helps convert the food you eat (particularly fats and proteins) into usable cellular energy. Rather than directly producing energy, B12 supports the metabolic pathways that produce energy

  • Homocysteine regulation: B12 helps convert homocysteine (an amino acid linked to cardiovascular risk) into methionine

 

Due to all the significant bodily functions B12 is involved in, it’s imperative for your body to have healthy levels of the vitamin and replenish where deficient or as advised by a medical practitioner. Unfortunately, in Australia and worldwide, B12 deficiency is actually quite common.

 

Why is B12 deficiency so common?

 

There are many factors contributing to B12 deficiency and as a result, it’s one of the most common vitamin deficiencies globally. These include:

  • Low dietary intake: B12 is only naturally found in animal products and not eating enough or having a plant-based diet may result in a lack of Vitamin B12 intake

  • Difficult to absorb: B12 is absorbed using stomach acid that separates it from protein food. However, gut conditions and age-related decline may result in low B12 absorption even with healthy dietary intake levels

  • Increased requirements: Some life stages and conditions may require higher B12 intake, such as pregnancy and breastfeeding, rapid growth periods during infancy, and certain chronic illnesses (especially those with increased cellular turnover and demand)

 

What are the symptoms of B12 deficiency?

 

It’s always best to consult a qualified medical practitioner to determine whether or not you’re B12 deficient. However, general symptoms of B12 deficiency to look out for include:

  • Fatigue and low energy

  • Pale or slightly yellow-tinged skin

  • Shortness of breath

  • Heart palpitations

  • Dizziness, headaches or feeling faint/weak

  • Numbness or tingling in the hands and feet

  • Difficulty walking or balancing

  • Brain fog

  • Loss of appetite and unintended weight loss

  • Constipation or diarrhoea

 

Bear in mind, the severity of symptoms doesn’t always match blood test results - for example, some people with low B12 levels may have mild symptoms while others can have significant neurological symptoms despite having mildly low B12 levels. As a result, going to a doctor is the best way to determine exactly whether you have low levels of B12 or not and if deficient, how low.

 

When to get tested

 

It may be a good idea to get tested for B12 deficiency or low levels of Vitamin B12 if you’re experiencing any of the above symptoms, and especially if they can’t be explained by sleep or lifestyle. Those in a higher-risk group (e.g. vegans or vegetarians, people over 60 years of age, have an autoimmune disease) may also consider testing.

 

Forms of Vitamin B12 supplements

 

If you’re considering taking B12 supplements for your general wellbeing or to aid with B12 deficiency, it’s a good idea to learn the different forms and their respective advantages and disadvantages. Although absorption levels are generally similar, different forms of B12 supplements are better suited for particular genetic variants, kidney impairment, or those requiring injectable treatment for diagnosed deficiency. Below’s a detailed breakdown of all you need to know.

 

B12 Form

Benefits

Considerations

Cyanocobalamin

  • Most common and cheapest form of B12 supplement

  • Long shelf life

  • Synthetic form, where body has to convert it to ‘active’ form before it can be used

  • Debated on suitability for people with genetic variations and impaired kidney function

Methylcobalamin

  • A naturally-occurring ‘active’ form of B12 (no reliance on conversion)

  • Popularly marketed for energy, cognitive function, and nerve health

  • Preferred by people interested in methylation support and with reduced kidney function

  • More expensive than cyanocobalamin

  • Less stable than cyanocobalamin

  • Needs to be stored carefully

Hydroxocobalamin

  • Naturally-occurring form commonly used in injections

  • Retained in the body longer than cyanocobalamin, meaning less frequent ingestion needed

  • Body has to convert it to ‘active’ form before it can be used

  • Requires prescription in Australia

Adenosylcobalamin

  • Naturally-occurring form

  • Used specifically in mitochondria for energy metabolism

  • Usually included as a ‘co-enzyme’ in B12 complex and methylcobalamin supplements

 

B12 vs. B Complex

 

Another common deliberation when considering taking B12 supplements is whether a B12 supplement alone or a B Complex supplement is better for your general wellbeing and health goals. B12 alone is just cobalamin (with relatively high dosage) while a B Complex supplement includes all eight B vitamins: B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6 (pyridoxine), B7 (biotin), B9 (folate/folic acid), and B12 in modest doses.

 

When does B12 alone make more sense?

 

B12 makes more sense if you’ve been specifically diagnosed with low levels of B12, or have found that the main gap in your everyday diet is B12 (especially if you’re vegan and vegetarian). It may also be preferred if you’re looking for a targeted, high dosage of B12 rather than low dosages of all the B vitamins. 

 

When does B complex make more sense?

 

Taking a B complex supplement may make more sense if you haven’t been diagnosed with any particular B vitamin deficiencies and just want an all-rounder supplement. A B complex supplement can also be ‘better’ over B12 supplements if you’re especially interested in energy support or if your diet is generally low in all B vitamins.

 

B12 potential side effects and interactions

 

B12 is generally considered one of the safer vitamins to supplement with. It’s water-soluble, meaning any excess the body doesn't use is excreted in urine rather than accumulating to toxic levels, and no upper intake limit has been set for B12 because of this wide margin of safety. 

 

That being said, there are still a few potential and mild side effects that some people report, including:

  • Mild nausea or upset stomach

  • Diarrhoea

  • Headache

  • Itching or mild skin reactions (more often reported with injections than oral supplements)

 

If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms after taking B12 supplements, be sure to stop supplementation immediately and consult with a medical professional.

 

B12 dosing

 

Dosing for B12 depends on your health goal (e.g. maintaining healthy levels or supplementing deficiency). But as a general guide, according to Harvard Education, the Recommended Dietary Allowance for men and women ages 14 years and older is 2.4 micrograms (mcg) daily. For pregnancy and lactation, the amount increases to 2.6 mcg and 2.8 mcg daily, respectively.

 

Shop Vitamin B12 at Elite Supplements

 

Browse our wide selection of B12 and B-Complex supplements here at Elite Supplements, with free shipping over $150 and same-day dispatch.

 

We also have more general health supplements if you’re looking to target other vitamin deficiencies or just want to look after your wellbeing.

 

FAQs

Does B12 give energy?

 

Not directly. B12 plays more of a supporting role in the metabolic processes and helps convert food into usable energy, and it's essential for healthy red blood cells, which carry oxygen to your muscles and organs.

 

B12 injections vs. oral?

 

The main difference between B12 injections and B12 oral supplements is absorption in the body. The main difference comes down to absorption, where oral B12 relies on your digestive system to absorb while injections bypass digestion entirely and deliver B12 straight into the bloodstream or muscle tissue. In Australia, you can purchase over-the-counter oral supplements, while injections are prescription-only.

 

Are B12 vitamins safe for kids?

 

B12 is generally considered safe for children when dosed appropriately for their age, and it's an essential nutrient for growth and development. According to the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, infants (with no diagnosed deficiency) can take 100 mcg B12 daily or alternate daily, or 1000 mcg B12 melts weekly to fortnightly.

 

Are B12 vitamins safe for pregnant women?

 

Although they can be taken, B12 vitamins are not usually recommended for pregnant women unless they have been diagnosed with deficiency. Consult your doctor before taking B12 supplements if you’re pregnant.