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Nutrition Reviews

Head to head · Vitamins & Minerals

Nature's Bounty Vitamin B-12 1,000 mcg vs PreserVision AREDS 2 Formula MiniGels

Nature's Bounty scores higher overall (8.5 vs 7.7 out of 10), mainly on efficacy, value and experience.

Updated October 2026 from our full reviews · How we score

Higher score
Front of Nature's Bounty B-12 1000 mcg 200 coated tablets bottle
Nature's BountyVitamin B-12 1,000 mcg
8.5
Excellent

A best-selling 1,000 mcg cyanocobalamin tablet at about 5 cents a day; small and easy to swallow, with no third-party seal.

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Front of the PreserVision AREDS 2 Formula carton and bottle, 120 mini soft gels
PreserVisionAREDS 2 Formula MiniGels
7.7
Good

The exact NEI AREDS2 doses in small MiniGels: worthwhile for intermediate AMD, no help for healthy eyes, and 80 mg of zinc is double the adult upper limit.

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The short answer

Choose Nature's Bounty if…

  • Adults over 50 and others at higher risk of low B12
  • People who eat few or no animal foods
  • Budget shoppers
  • You care most about efficacy, value, experience

Choose PreserVision if…

  • Adults with intermediate AMD, or advanced AMD in one eye, whose eye doctor recommends AREDS2
  • Current or former smokers who need a beta-carotene-free AREDS formula
  • People who want the exact NEI-tested doses in small softgels

Side by side

Vitamin B-12 1,000 mcgAREDS 2 Formula MiniGels
Our score8.5 / 107.7 / 10
Efficacy (30%)8.88.4
Quality & Purity (25%)7.27.4
Value (20%)9.87.0
Experience (15%)9.07.8
Transparency (10%)7.57.3
FormTabletSoftgel
Serving1 tablet200 servings per container1 Soft Gel (MiniGel)120 servings per container
Price per servingSee retailer$0.26
Testing & certificationsNone verifiedNone verified
DietaryVegetarian, Gluten-free, Non-GMO, Soy-free, Dairy-free, Sugar-free—
Key ingredients
  • Vitamin B12 (as cyanocobalamin)1,000 mcg
  • Zinc (from zinc oxide)80 mg per day (40 mg per MiniGel)
  • Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)500 mg per day
  • Vitamin E (dl-alpha tocopheryl acetate)180 mg (400 IU) per day
  • Lutein (marigold flower extract, OcuSorb)10 mg per day
  • Zeaxanthin2 mg per day
  • Copper (from cupric oxide)2 mg per day
Flavors——
Creator video reviews16

Pros and cons

Vitamin B-12 1,000 mcg

  • About $0.05 per day
  • 1,000 mcg dose compensates for limited absorption of oral B12
  • Small, coated tablets that are easy to swallow
  • Non-GMO, gluten-free and suitable for vegetarians
  • No USP or NSF certification
  • Brand site shows an outdated %DV and the Amazon listing has copy errors
  • Far more B12 than people with normal levels need

AREDS 2 Formula MiniGels

  • Matches the NEI AREDS2 formula dose for dose: 500 mg C, 400 IU E, 80 mg zinc, 2 mg copper, 10 mg lutein, 2 mg zeaxanthin
  • Backed by large NEI trials: about 25% lower risk of advanced AMD over five years in higher-risk patients
  • Beta-carotene free, so it suits current and former smokers
  • Small MiniGels that buyers find easy to swallow
  • 80 mg of zinc is twice the 40 mg adult upper limit, and AREDS2 found 25 mg worked as well
  • No proven benefit for healthy eyes, early AMD or cataracts
  • About $0.52 a day at the brand's price, more than store-brand compare-to versions
  • Contains gelatin, carmine and titanium dioxide; the only published OcuSorb absorption study was funded by its maker

Our verdicts

Vitamin B-12 1,000 mcg

For most people who need extra B12, this is the simplest and cheapest effective option: a well-studied form at a dose that compensates for limited absorption, in a tablet anyone can swallow. It lacks independent certification and its listings are sloppy, but the formula itself is sound.

Full review

AREDS 2 Formula MiniGels

For someone whose eye doctor has found intermediate AMD, or advanced AMD in one eye, it delivers the NEI-tested AREDS2 formula dose for dose, in a small, easy MiniGel. It does nothing proven for healthy eyes, early AMD or cataracts. Because the 80 mg of zinc is double the adult upper limit and AREDS2 saw no loss of benefit at 25 mg, ask your doctor whether a lower-zinc AREDS2 formula suits you.

Full review

What creators say

Questions people ask

Is Nature's Bounty better than PreserVision?
In our scoring, Nature's Bounty Vitamin B-12 1,000 mcg rates higher overall (8.5 vs 7.7 out of 10). Nature's Bounty leads on efficacy, value and experience. Scores weigh efficacy, quality, value, experience and transparency.
Who should choose Nature's Bounty over PreserVision?
Our reviews suggest Nature's Bounty is best for adults over 50 and others at higher risk of low B12, people who eat few or no animal foods and budget shoppers, while PreserVision is best for adults with intermediate AMD, or advanced AMD in one eye, whose eye doctor recommends AREDS2, current or former smokers who need a beta-carotene-free AREDS formula and people who want the exact NEI-tested doses in small softgels.

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