Vitamin B12 for better health
Are you getting enough vitamin B12? You'll want to make sure that you do in order to stay healthy.
Vitamin B12 is very important for your body. It aids in the formation of your DNA and red blood cells, for example.
Since your body does not make vitamin B12 on its own, you need to get it from animal-based foods or from supplements. And you should do this regularly. While B12 is stored in the liver for up to five years, but you can eventually become deficient if your diet doesn't help maintain the levels.
Recommended average recommended amounts, measured in micrograms (mcg), vary by age:
Infants up to age 6 months of age: 0.4 mcg
Babies age 7-12 months of age: 0.5 mcg
Children aged 1-3 years: 0.9 mcg
Children aged 4-8 years: 1.2 mcg
Children aged 9-13 years: 1.8 mcg
Adolescents aged 14-18 years: 2.4 mcg (2.6 mcg per day if pregnant and 2.8 mcg per day during lactation)
Adults: 2.4 mcg (2.6 mcg per day during pregnancy and 2.8 mcg per day during lactation)
Food sources of vitamin
You can get vitamin B12 in animal foods that naturally contain it or from items that have been fortified with it.
Vitamin B12 deficiency
Most people in the United States consume enough of this nutrient. If you are not sure, you can ask your doctor if you should have a blood test to check your vitamin B12 levels.
As you age, it can become harder to absorb this vitamin. This can also happen if you have had weight loss surgery or other surgery to remove part of your stomach, or if you drink a lot.
You also have a higher risk of developing a vitamin B12 deficiency if you:
Atrophic gastritis, in which your stomach lining has thinned out
Pernicious anemia, which makes it harder for your body to absorb vitamin B12
Conditions that affect your small intestine, such as Crohn's disease, celiac disease, bacterial growth, or a parasite
Alcohol abuse or heavy drinking can make it difficult for your body to absorb nutrients or prevent you from eating enough calories. A sign of B12 deficiency may be glossitis or a swollen, inflamed tongue.
Immune system disorders, such as Graves' disease or lupus
You have taken certain medications that interfere with the absorption of B12. These include some heartburn medications, including proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) such as esomeprazole (Nexium), lansoprazole (Prevacid), omeprazole (Prilosec OTC), pantoprazole (Protonix), and rabeprazole (Aciphex); H2 blockers such as cimetidine (Tagamet) and famotidine (Pepcid AC); and certain diabetes medications such as metformin (Glucophage).
You can also get a vitamin B12 deficiency if you follow a vegan diet (meaning you do not eat animal products, including meat, milk, cheese, and eggs) or if you are a vegetarian and do not eat enough eggs or dairy products to meet your vitamin B12 needs. In either case, you can add fortified foods to your diet or take supplements to meet this need. Learn more about the different types of vitamin B supplements.
Symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency on pregnant mothers?
Are you a pregnant woman who follows a vegan or vegetarian diet and plan to exclusively breastfeed your baby? You should talk to your doctor before you have your baby so you have a plan for getting enough vitamin B12 to keep your baby healthy.
Without enough vitamin B12, your baby may have developmental delays and not thrive and grow as he or she should
Symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency
If you are deficient in vitamin B12, you may become anemic. A mild deficiency may not cause any symptoms. However, if left untreated, it can lead to symptoms such as the following:
Weakness, fatigue or lightheadedness
Heart palpitations and shortness of breath
Pale skin
A slippery tongue
Constipation, diarrhea, loss of appetite or bloating
Nerve problems such as numbness or tingling, muscle weakness, and trouble walking
Loss of vision
Mental problems such as depression, memory loss, or behavior changes
Treating vitamin deficiency
If you have pernicious anemia or have problems absorbing vitamin B12, you will first need shots of this vitamin. You may need to continue receiving these shots, take high doses of a dietary supplement, or nasally administer it afterward.
If you do not eat animal products, you have other options. You can change your diet and take vitamin B12-fortified cereal, a dietary supplement, B12 injections, or high-dose oral vitamin B12 if you are deficient.
Older adults who are deficient in vitamin B12 will likely need to take a B12 supplement or a B12-containing multivitamin daily.
For most people, treatment solves the problem. However, nerve damage caused by the deficiency can be permanent
Most people can prevent vitamin B12 deficiency by eating enough meat, poultry, seafood, dairy products, and eggs.
If you do not eat animal products or you have a medical condition that limits your body's absorption of nutrients, you can take vitamin B12 in a multivitamin or other dietary supplement and foods fortified with vitamin B12.
If you decide to take vitamin B12 supplements, tell your doctor so he or she can tell you how much you need and make sure that taking vitamin B12 supplements does not interfere with taking medications.
If you do not eat animal products or you have a medical condition that limits your body's absorption of nutrients, you can take vitamin B12 in a multivitamin or other dietary supplement and foods fortified with vitamin B12.
If you decide to take vitamin B12 supplements, tell your doctor so he or she can tell you how much you need and make sure that taking vitamin B12 supplements does not interfere with taking medications.
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