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How Much Vitamin B12 Supplement Should I Take

What Vitamins And Minerals Are In Fish

Ask Dr. Nandi: Should you take Vitamin B12 to boost mood?

Fish is filled with omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins such as D and B2 . Fish is rich in calcium and phosphorus and a great source of minerals, such as iron, zinc, iodine, magnesium, and potassium. The American Heart Association recommends eating fish at least two times per week as part of a healthy diet.

Recommended Vitamin B12 Dosage For Seniors

The proper vitamin B12 dosage for seniors depends on if they have underlying health conditions and how severe their deficiency is. In some cases, doctors may recommend high doses more than 1,000 micrograms per day. A recent study found that for seniors, a daily dose of 500 micrograms was efficient in reversing the signs of B12 deficiency.

In general, experts recommend 2.5 micrograms of vitamin B12 per day for people over the age of 14. You can get these amounts from taking dietary supplements like multivitamins, B12 supplementation including sublingual tablets, or by eating certain foods rich in vitamin B12.

There is no one recommended vitamin B12 dosage for seniors. Rather, the right daily intake will largely depend on your specific situation. Make an appointment to talk with your doctor about the best treatment plan for you.

What Does The Department Of Health And Social Care Advise

You should be able to get the amount of niacin you need by eating a varied and balanced diet.

If you take niacin supplements, do not take too much as this might be harmful.

Taking 17mg or less of nicotinic acid supplements a day, or 500mg or less of nicotinamide supplements a day, is unlikely to cause any harm.

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You May Need A Little Or A Lot Of B12 But Its Worth Investigating

Annie Oakley, the larger-than-life sharpshooter and star of Buffalo Bills Wild West Show, was cut down by an invisible foe: a deadly form of anemia caused by a lack of vitamin B12.

Back in Annies day, we didnt know B12 existed or that deficiency could lead to dangerous consequences . It wasnt until later in the 20th century that scientists discovered B12 and how to use it as a treatment.

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There Are Very Few Reasons To Take Supplements But Getting Enough Of This Vitamin May Be One Of The Most Important

How Much Vitamin B12 Should I Take To Lose Weight

Vitamin B12 may not be high on your nutritional radar, yet it is essential to some of the body’s most important functions, like forming red blood cells and maintaining nerve function. Doctors don’t routinely test for vitamin B12 levels, so vitamin B12 deficiency can go unnoticed. But over time, such deficiency may cause anemia, nerve damage, and even problems with memory and reasoning. However, it’s easy to avoid vitamin B12 deficiency by recognizing if you’re at risk and taking measures to avoid developing a deficiency.

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What Is Cyanocobalamin Tablets And How Does It Work

  • Cyanocobalamin or vitamin B12 is an essential B-vitamin that is classified as a water-soluble vitamin. Food sources of vitamin B12 include fish, shellfish, meats, and dairy products. Vitamin B12 is necessary for growth, reproduction of cells (for example, production of red blood cells, and the production of myelin that protects nerves and proteins within the nucleus of cells. Vitamin B12 also plays an important role in the breakdown or metabolism of fats and carbohydrates and production of proteins. Vitamin B12 deficiency may result in anemia, gastrointestinal problems, and nerve damage.

What brand names are available for cyanocobalamin tablets?

Vitamin B12, B12

Is cyanocobalamin tablets available as a generic drug?

Do I need a prescription for cyanocobalamin tablets?

How Much B12 Should You Take

For healthy individuals who are not at risk for B12 deficiency, eating a well-rounded, healthy diet should provide all the B12 their body needs.

Food sources of this vitamin include eggs, red meat, poultry, seafood, milk, yogurt, fortified cereals, nutritional yeast and fortified non-dairy milks.

However, individuals on medications that impact B12 absorption, pregnant or breastfeeding women, vegans and anyone with a condition that negatively impacts the absorption of or increases the need for B12, should consider taking a supplement.

Additionally, evidence from population studies suggests that B12 deficiency in older adults is common, which is why its recommended that adults over 50 take supplements .

While megadoses of up to 2,000 mcg are considered safe in treating B12 deficiency, its always best to avoid excessive amounts of any vitamin, especially when its not needed.

Though daily high doses of B12 are unlikely to cause harm in most people, extremely high doses should be avoided unless prescribed by a healthcare professional.

If you think you may be deficient in B12, speak with your doctor, who can recommend an appropriate treatment based on your level of deficiency.

While no UL has been set for B12, your bodys ability to absorb the vitamin depends on how much it actually needs.

For example, its estimated that only 10 mcg of a 500-mcg B12 supplement is actually absorbed in people without a deficiency (

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Do Vegans Need To Take B12 Supplements

Taking B12 on as a vegan is non-negotiable. Back when we transitioned to a vegan diet in 2012, this vitamin wasnt even on our horizons, and we didnt take any supplements at all for a couple of years luckily, as we were exposed to more and more research on the topic, we let go of the idea that we could just get all of our nutrients naturally by eating plant-based food.

While there are some anecdotal cases of people following a strictly vegan diet without any supplementation and still having decent vitamin B12 levels even after years, there are no studies suggesting that you can get enough B12 on a vegan diet without any fortified foods or taking supplements.

The risk of a deficiency increases the more plant-based one eats, with long-term vegans being at the highest risk. A study published in the journal Nature showed that up to 86% of vegans were affected by vitamin B12 deficiency!

Fortunately, this can easily be prevented by taking a risk-free and cheap supplement and/or focusing on eating enough fortified foods.

The Benefits Of B12 Supplements

How Much B12 Should I Take Daily For Weight Loss?

Taking B12 supplements has many benefits over trying to meet this nutritional need via your diet. The B12 content in foods can vary widely, and through supplementation, you can control how much youre getting on a regular basis.

Its a cheap and easy way to prevent deficiencies, especially for vegans and vegetarians.

But since simply eating animal products doesnt automatically ensure adequate vitamin B12 intake, its a good idea to get your levels checked anyway and act according to your results.

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Is B12 Level Of 1500 Too High

There is no consensus on the definition of high or elevated B12. Previous studies have chosen a variety of levels to represent high or very high B12 levels. Some examples include: 664.219 5131 700 and 1500 11 and 601 and 1000 10.

The common forms of vitamin B include vitamin B1 , B2 , B3 , B6 and B12 . Except for niacin , there is no evidence that the other B vitamins, in physiologic or even super-physiologic high doses cause liver injury or jaundice.

Who Should Be Checked For Vitamin B12 Deficiency

An older person should probably be checked for Vitamin B12 deficiency if he or she is experiencing any of the health problems that can be caused by low levels of this vitamin.

I especially recommend checking vitamin B12 levels if youre concerned about memory, brain function, neuropathy, walking, or anemia.

To make sure you arent missing a mild vitamin B12 deficiency, you can also proactively check for low vitamin B12 levels if you or your older relative is suffering from any of the common risk factors associated with this condition.

For instance, you can request a vitamin B12 check if youre vegetarian, or if youve suffered from problems related to the stomach, pancreas, or intestine. Its also reasonable to check the level if youve been on medication to reduce stomach acid for a long time.

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Health & Wellnesswhat Experts Desperately Want You To Know Before You Pop Another Multivitamin

Those with gastroesophageal reflux disease or acid reflux should also talk to their doctor about their vitamin B12 levels, as should older people, who are especially prone to a B12 deficiency because they dont make as much stomach acid.

In some cases, low levels of vitamin B12 may be treated with injections of vitamin B12. Injections may also be used to help prevent vitamin B12 deficiencies in some people. Shots of vitamin B12 are typically injected subcutaneously or into a muscle. They’re widely regarded as safe and don’t tend to cause any B12 vitamin side effects. However, in some rare instances, a person could have an allergy or sensitivity to the injection that causes a reaction.

A vitamin B12 deficiency may cause symptoms like:

  • Fatigue
  • Soreness of the mouth and tongue
  • Irregular heartbeats
  • Neurological issues, such as tingling in your hands and feet
  • Muscle weakness

Is There A Vegan Alternative To B12

Pin on Hashimotos

If for any reason you choose not to use fortified foods or supplements you should recognise that you are carrying out a dangerous experiment – one that many have tried before with consistently low levels of success. If you are an adult who is neither breast-feeding an infant, pregnant nor seeking to become pregnant, and wish to test a potential B12 source that has not already been shown to be inadequate, then this can be a reasonable course of action with appropriate precautions. For your own protection, you should arrange to have your B12 status checked annually. If homocysteine or MMA is even modestly elevated then you are endangering your health if you persist.

If you are breast feeding an infant, pregnant or seeking to become pregnant or are an adult contemplating carrying out such an experiment on a child, then don’t take the risk. It is simply unjustifiable.

Claimed sources of B12 that have been shown through direct studies of vegans to be inadequate include human gut bacteria, spirulina, dried nori, barley grass and most other seaweeds. Several studies of raw food vegans have shown that raw food offers no special protection.

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Vegetarian Sources Of B

Vegetarians who eat dairy products and eggs can obtain enough B-12 through responsible consumption of those foods. For instance, a cup of plain, low-fat yogurt contains 1.37 micrograms of B-12 — about half your daily requirement. A cup of skim milk contains 1.23 micrograms. A single large egg delivers .45 micrograms of B-12. The ample amount of B-12 in these foods makes it easy for ovo-lacto vegetarians, meaning those who east eggs and dairy products, to consume adequate amounts of B-12. Vegans must rely on foods fortified with B-12 to meet their dietary needs. Fortunately, B-12 is added to many cereals, grains and nutritional yeasts. Read the labels on food products to determine whether they’ve been fortified with B-12.

Vitamin B12 Through The Oral Mucosa

Vitamin B12 can also be absorbed through the oral and nasal mucosa, which is why it is also available in the form of lozenges, drops/sprays and as nasal spray. To make full use of this mechanism, the B12 should be kept in the mouth for as long as possible, to take effect on the mucous membranes.

The effectiveness of B12 absorption via the oral mucosa is similar to that via the intestine. It remains unclear, however, how much B12 absorbed via swallowing is actually just absorbed in the intestine . The superiority/inferiority of the sublingual route over the digestive route has not been fully researched the dosage and efficacy seem to be the same in both cases. However, the key advantage of this form is above all the ease of administration.

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What About Vegetarians & Meat

While it is true that animal products are the most common sources of vitamin B12, there is still a risk for vegetarians and even meat-eaters to develop a deficiency.

According to research conducted by Tufts University, 40% of the US population is deficient or low in vitamin B12! And those 40% surely werent all vegan.

Vegetarians are also at risk for becoming deficient in B12 as well as meat eaters who have absorption problems.

Also, we need to look at ones diet as a whole, and since eating meat is correlated with a higher risk for mortality and higher chance of developing certain diseases, relying on it for your B12 intake is probably not the best idea.

This finding hopefully helps to bust some myths around how only vegans need to worry about this essential nutrient.

Risk Factors For Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Vitamin B12 – How Often & The Dangers Of Taking Too Much

Some people, including seniors, have a higher risk of vitamin B12 deficiency. Vegans also have a higher risk, since its difficult to get the vitamin from food not sourced from animals.

Seniors may be predisposed to vitamin B12 deficiency, especially if they suffer from health conditions. Additionally, seniors with pernicious anemia are at higher risk for a deficiency. Thats because this disorder makes it hard for your body to produce intrinsic factor , a protein that plays a key role in the absorption of vitamin B12.

Digestive disorders including Celiac disease, atrophic gastritis, and shortened small intestines can all increase the risk of vitamin B12 deficiency since nutrients arent as easily absorbed. Crohns disease and pernicious anemia may also increase the risk of malabsorption.

Taking certain medications may also inhibit B12 absorption in seniors. Metformin, a drug used to treat diabetes and chloramphenicol, may make it difficult for your body to absorb B vitamins. Heartburn medications including proton pump inhibitors can also increase your deficiency risk.

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Only The Best Reviews

We chose products that were as close to 5 star ratings as possible with thousands of reviews.

  • Supplement type: multivitamin capsule
  • Quality and safety standards: cGMP certified, United States Pharmacopeia certified for Women 18+ Multivitamin

Not only are these multivitamin supplements vegan, but theyre clinically backed to provide B12 and other nutrients that tend to be missing in our diet. Theres no fillers, artificial colors, or unneeded vitamins or minerals sometimes, less is more!

Considerations: Since B12 is tagging along with many other vitamins and minerals, check with your doc that youre A-okay to be taking a multivitamin at these dosages.

How to take it: Take 2 capsules daily to get in 8 micrograms of B12.

  • Supplement type: capsule
  • Quality and safety standards: cGMP compliant

Take a quick online quiz about your lifestyle and get your vitamin recommendations with the reasons why they were selected for you. You can either get the B12 on its own, or go with the B complex, which contains all of the B vitamins .

Considerations: Although you can alter what vitamins are sent to you, the personalized subscription may wind up being more costly than buying the supplement solo.

How to take it: Take 1 capsule with a meal to get in 250 micrograms of vitamin B12.

  • Supplement type: softgel
  • Quality and safety standards: cGMP certified, USP verified

How to take it: Each softgel contains 1000 micrograms of B12 and youll take one a day with water and a meal.

Staying Healthy As The Years Go By

As we get older, we have to get more creative and involved in staying healthy. Planning regular visits to the doctor and getting blood tests can help us stay on top of vitamin deficiencies and other issues that may cause health problems. Fortunately, if you have a B12 deficiency, its relatively easy to get a diagnosis and start a treatment plan.

For other ways to stay healthy, Snug has you covered. Visit our blog for more information on how to stay active, including tips for yoga, tai chi, core exercises, and balance exercises for seniors. Youll find advice ranging from the best vitamins for seniors to tips on recovering from surgeries such as hip replacements and bunion surgery.

We also make it easy for you to stay connected in an increasingly digital world. Discover how to stay in touch with loved ones with the best cell phones for seniors, and learn how to stay connected with online forums. The Snug app is also a free and friendly way to get daily check-ins that can give you peace of mind and freedom. The app will check in with you each day. If somethings amiss, itll notify your emergency contacts.

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How Much Vitamin B12 Should You Take A Day

Vitamin B12 is essential for many bodily functions. Vitamin B12 is important for creating red blood cells, for helping nerves to function, and for synthesizing DNA.1 A deficiency in vitamin B12 can lead to things like anemia, fatigue, weakness, and more.1 Fortunately, its available in many foods we eat, and its included in multivitamins and other supplements. So how much vitamin B12 should we be getting each day? Read on to learn about the recommended doses of vitamin B12, how to get it in your diet, and whether you should consider a supplement.

Can People Have High Vitamin B

How Much Vitamin B

Healthcare professionals have not identified an upper limit blood level of vitamin B-12. The body will typically excrete excess vitamin B-12 that a person gets from the diet or via supplements.

The body does not absorb vitamin B-12 supplements very effectively. This means that even if a person takes very high amounts of vitamin B-12, their body still does not absorb a significant amount.

In addition, taking some medications may impair the bodys ability to absorb vitamin B-12. Examples of these medications include:

  • chloramphenicol , which is an antibiotic
  • H2 receptor antagonists

Vitamin B-12 supplements are safe to take during pregnancy.

In fact, the ODS recommend that women who follow strict vegetarian or vegan diets should take vitamin B-12 supplements, as deficiency can severely affect the fetus.

For example, low vitamin B-12 levels in pregnant women can lead to an increased risk of neural tube defects, preterm birth, preeclampsia, and pregnancy loss, according to a review paper in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition .

The authors conducted a literature review on how frequently pregnant women were vitamin B-12 deficient. They found that, on average, around 25% of pregnant women were deficient in vitamin B-12 across all trimesters.

Research in the journal American Family Physician has found that the children of vitamin B-12 deficient women who breastfeed are more likely to experience failure to thrive, developmental delays, anemia, and weakness.

  • appetite loss

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