Thorne Vitamin B12 (Methylcobalamin) 1 mg

1. Ingredients 25% of the rating 3 of 5

   One active, methylcobalamin, with leucine, microcrystalline cellulose and silicon dioxide added as fillers and flow agents; no magnesium stearate, colors or sweeteners.

2. Independent testing 35% of the rating 3 of 5

   NSF lists the product (60 and 90 count, five lots), but Thorne publishes no batch results, its 60-capsule page does not name NSF, and we found no independent test.

3. Evidence 15% of the rating 4 of 5

   1,000 mcg a day matches the oral range our B12 guide cites for deficiency, but our guide finds dose matters more than form, so the page’s “used more efficiently” claim goes further than the research.

4. Trust 10% of the rating 3 of 5

   Thorne settled a 2014 lead case for $250,000 and has two unresolved 2025 lead notices on other products; one buyer reported black specks in the capsule and no reply.

5. Value 15% of the rating 3 of 5

   $24 for 60 capsules is $0.40 a day; the 90-capsule bottle is $0.38.

The rating, 3.2 of 5, is the weighted average of these scores. See how we rank vitamins & minerals and our standard.

• Vitacost (opens in a new tab) approx. $24.00. The 60-capsule bottle (UPC 693749125020), in stock on 2026-10-23. Its description says “NSF Contents Certified”; NSF’s listing we opened is Certified for Sport.
• Amazon (opens in a new tab) approx. $21.60 with Subscribe & Save. The 60-capsule bottle, sold by Pattern, a third-party seller (we could not confirm whether Thorne authorizes it), and shipped by Amazon. The one-time price did not show to our tools, so the price here is the Subscribe & Save one (10 percent off) on 2026-10-23.

Prices as we saw them on October 23, 2026. They change often. These links carry no tracking code and earn us nothing.

1. Vitamin B12 (as methylcobalamin) 1 mg (1,000 mcg)
2. Leucine
3. Microcrystalline cellulose
4. Silicon dioxide
5. Hypromellose (derived from cellulose) capsule

• Paid certification NSF Certified for Sport

  Lists “Thorne Vitamin B12”: capsule, package sizes 60 and 90, five lots, gluten-free claim. Thorne pays for the program. NSF says it verifies label contents, heavy metals and microbes, and 290 banned substances. It publishes no results. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Does Thorne pay influencers and athletes to promote it?

Yes. Thorne’s own ambassador page (opens in a new tab) says ambassadors earn a commission on every new customer who uses their link and receive free products. Its partners page (opens in a new tab) names athletes, a fitness coach and organizations such as the UFC, and states no terms. So a post saying “I use Thorne” may be paid.

Has Thorne had lead or recall problems?

Yes, in the past. Environmental Research Center v. Thorne Research settled in November 2014 for $250,000 over lead in dietary supplements, with warnings or reformulation and testing required (notice 2013-01044 (opens in a new tab)). A second 2014 notice named 13 Thorne products, none of them B12 (2014-01211 (opens in a new tab)). In 2025 two new notices named Daily Greens Plus and Daily Electrolytes, with no settlement or judgment recorded (2025-02343 (opens in a new tab), 2025-03196 (opens in a new tab)). FDA records show two Class II recalls in 2014 of Captomer, a product sold as a supplement that FDA treated as an unapproved drug, closed in October 2014. We found no FDA warning letter.

Is methylcobalamin better than cyanocobalamin?

Not in a way that matters for most people. Our B12 guide says oral B12 at 1,000 to 2,000 mcg corrects deficiency and that dose matters more than form, and our B-complex guide says methylated forms matter mainly with impaired conversion.

Why do some capsules have black specks?

One buyer posted on Reddit (opens in a new tab) in October 2025 that capsules bought through iHerb had black specks and that Thorne had not replied. We could not confirm the cause and found no second report. If you see it, keep the bottle and ask Thorne about that lot.

• NSF’s Certified for Sport database lists “Thorne Vitamin B12”: capsule, package sizes 60 and 90, one capsule a serving, with five lots shown (416646, 417270, 417271, 416898 and 416645).
• The label has one active ingredient with an amount: vitamin B12 as methylcobalamin, 1 mg (1,000 mcg). The other ingredients are leucine, microcrystalline cellulose, silicon dioxide and the hypromellose capsule. Thorne says it avoids magnesium stearate.
• 1,000 mcg is the low end of the 1,000 to 2,000 mcg a day of oral B12 that our B12 guide cites for correcting a confirmed deficiency.
• At $24 for 60 capsules it costs about $0.40 a day, or about $0.38 with the 90-capsule bottle ($34).

• Thorne says the body uses methylcobalamin more efficiently than other forms. Our guide says that dose matters more than form, so do not pay extra for the form alone.
• If you are not low in B12, a 1,000 mcg capsule does little: our guide found no cognitive or neurological benefit in older adults with low-normal B12 and no symptoms.
• NSF lists the 60 and 90 capsule sizes. Thorne’s 90-capsule page names NSF Certified for Sport, but its 60-capsule page (the one we link) says only that the product is third-party tested and certified.
• No batch certificate is public. NSF’s listing shows lot numbers, not results. The label allows up to three capsules a day. Our guide suggests testing first (holotranscobalamin or MMA) if you take metformin or are over 50, since serum B12 alone can miss a deficiency.

Third-party tested

Yes

Tested by

NSF (Certified for Sport)

Certificate of analysis

No

1. Thorne Vitamin B12 (methylcobalamin) product page, 60 capsules. Maker’s page. Price, label and directions as seen 2026-10-23. The 90-capsule bottle is at https://www.thorne.com/products/dp/vitamin-b12-90 (opens in a new tab). Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
2. Vitacost: Thorne Vitamin B12, 60 capsules (1 mg per capsule). Independent source. A store listing that copies the label: microcrystalline cellulose, hypromellose capsule, leucine and silicon dioxide. $24.00 and in stock on 2026-10-23. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
3. Amazon: THORNE Vitamin B12 1,000 mcg, active methylcobalamin, 60 capsules. Independent source. A store listing: ships from Amazon, sold by Pattern. The Subscribe & Save price was $21.60 (10 percent off) on 2026-10-23. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
4. NSF Certified for Sport listing: Thorne Vitamin B12. Certifier or regulator listing. Package sizes 60 and 90; five lots. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
5. NSF Certified for Sport: what the mark means. Certifier or regulator listing. NSF’s description of what it verifies: 290 banned substances, label contents, no unsafe contaminants, GMP audits. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
6. Thorne: quality (testing and manufacturing). Maker’s page. Thorne’s description of its four rounds of testing and its statement that it avoids magnesium stearate. No results are published. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
7. Thorne Ambassadors. Maker’s page. Says ambassadors earn commission on referrals and receive free products. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
8. Thorne Partners. Maker’s page. Lists athletes, a fitness coach and organizations including the UFC; no terms stated. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
9. California Attorney General Prop 65 notice 2013-01044 (Thorne Research). Certifier or regulator listing. Lead in dietary supplements. Complaint filed 2014-03-17; settlement 2014-11-20, $250,000 in total payments; judgment 2015-01-28. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
10. California Attorney General Prop 65 notice 2014-01211 (Thorne Research). Certifier or regulator listing. Lead or cadmium in 13 named Thorne products, none of them B12. No complaint or settlement is recorded. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
11. California Attorney General Prop 65 notice 2025-02343 (Thorne Research). Certifier or regulator listing. Lead in Thorne Daily Greens Plus. No complaint, settlement or judgment recorded as of 2026-10-23. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
12. California Attorney General Prop 65 notice 2025-03196 (Thorne Research). Certifier or regulator listing. Lead in Thorne Daily Electrolytes Drink Mix, Watermelon. No complaint, settlement or judgment recorded as of 2026-10-23. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
13. openFDA drug enforcement records for Thorne. Certifier or regulator listing. Two Class II recalls begun 2014-06-12 of Captomer, sold as a supplement but made from DMSA, the active ingredient of an approved drug, so FDA treated it as an unapproved drug; both terminated 2014-10-15. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
14. Reddit r/Supplements: Is this normal? Thorne B12. Independent source. One buyer’s report of black specks in the capsule powder. A single post; unverified. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)

• Nature Made Vitamin B12 1000 mcg softgels (opens in a new tab) About $17 for 90 on Nature Made’s site, where the page says USP has tested and verified it. We could not open USP’s directory, so the listing is unchecked.
• B12 from food or fortified foods Our guide covers who is at risk and how to choose a dose.

• Neurological Health, Energy, and Who Is at Risk of Deficiency Article Why vitamin B12 is essential for nerves and brain function, who is silently deficient, and how to choose the right form and dose
• The B complex Article Eight essential vitamins that power your metabolism, nervous system, and methylation cycle — and why so many people are quietly deficient
• Which Medications Deplete Nutrients? Article Which common medicines lower vitamin B12, magnesium, iron or potassium, which links are weak, and what to ask your prescriber instead of guessing.
• How to Tell if a Supplement Is Pure and Accurate Article What audits found in supplement bottles, which products are riskiest, and what third-party seals, lab certificates and FDA tools can and cannot tell you.