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Vitamin B12 is an essential water-soluble vitamin that you can only get through diet—primarily from meat, seafood, dairy, and fortified foods—or supplements. Supplementing with vitamin B12 helps prevent or treat deficiencies and is often recommended during pregnancy.
1. Improved Vitamin B12 Status
Getting enough vitamin B12 helps prevent or treat a vitamin B12 deficiency, which can result from inadequate intake, poor absorption, or pernicious anemia (an autoimmune disorder that prevents the body from absorbing vitamin B12).
People with pernicious anemia or vitamin B12 deficiency confirmed by a blood test should receive supplementation until their vitamin B12 levels return to normal. Your healthcare provider will give this as an intramuscular injection of vitamin B12. Once levels have returned to normal, additional oral supplementation can be added for a maintenance regimen.
If you are concerned about your vitamin B12 status, discuss it with your healthcare provider. They can help order tests to check your status and prescribe supplementation.
2. Pregnancy Support
Multivitamin and mineral supplementation is frequently recommended during pregnancy. Research has found that multi-micronutrient supplementation improves maternal and child health outcomes, particularly in underdeveloped countries.
Vitamin B12 supplementation during pregnancy improves vitamin B12 status during and after pregnancy. It helps protect against neural tube defects, developmental delays, and anemia in the offspring.
Still, the clinical impact of this improvement in the long term and on the child’s health has not been studied.
Pregnant people who are at risk of vitamin B12 deficiency should discuss their diet and supplementation options with their primary care provider for pregnancy. For example, if you follow a vegetarian diet, you may need to check your vitamin B12 status and supplement while pregnant or breastfeeding.
3. Lower Homocysteine Levels in the Body
Vitamin B12 plays a role in reducing the amount of homocysteine in the blood by breaking it down. Homocysteine is an amino acid produced in the body. High homocysteine levels can indicate a vitamin deficiency.
Elevated levels may also increase the risk of certain health conditions, such as:
However, research has not found any direct effect of vitamin B12 supplementation on protecting against these diseases.
What Does Vitamin B12 Do?
Vitamin B12 has several primary functions in the human body, including:
Most people get enough vitamin B12 from the foods they eat, but some may require additional vitamin B12 through supplementation.
Food Sources of Vitamin B12
Good food sources of vitamin B12 include:
- Meat, like beef, liver, ground beef, turkey
- Seafood, like clams, oysters, salmon, or tuna
- Dairy products, like milk, yogurt, and cheese
- Eggs
- Fortified breakfast cereals
- Nutritional yeast
How Much Vitamin B12 Do You Need Per Day?
There is a Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) set for vitamin B12 intake. The amounts vary depending on age:
- Birth to 6 months: 0.4 micrograms (mcg)
- 7 to 12 months old: 0.5 mcg
- 1 to 3 years old: 0.9 mcg
- 4 to 8 years old: 1.2 mcg
- 9 to 13 years old: 1.8 mcg
- 14 to 18 years old: 2.4 mcg
- 19 years and older: 2.4 mcg
Vitamin B12 requirements increase to 2.6 mg and 2.8 mg daily during pregnancy and lactation, respectively.
Signs and Symptoms of Vitamin B12 Deficiency
Vitamin B12 deficiency can occur due to the following:
- Inadequate intake
- Poor absorption
- Lack of intrinsic factor (a glycoprotein made by the stomach)
- Gastric acid-reducing medications
The body stores up to 5 milligrams (mg) of vitamin B12, so symptoms of a deficiency take several months to years to develop. Signs of a possible deficiency include:
Who Is at Risk of Vitamin B12 Deficiency?
Deficiency of vitamin B12 is typically the result of too little intake of vitamin B12-rich foods or altered/poor absorption. The following populations are at a heightened risk of vitamin B12 deficiency:
- Vegetarians or vegans: Many good food sources of vitamin B12 are derived from animal products. Strict vegans who avoid all these may have a greater risk of deficiency.
- Infants of vegetarians or vegans: Infants who are solely breastfed by people who are vegans, vegetarians, or are vitamin B12-deficient could also develop a vitamin B12 deficiency.
- Older adults: They may be prone to gastritis or Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) infection, which could result in reduced absorption of vitamin B12.
- People with pernicious anemia: This anemia attacks the parietal cells in the stomach, preventing the production of intrinsic factors. This results in the malabsorption of vitamin B12.
- People with gastrointestinal (GI) disorders: People with Crohn’s disease or colitis may have low levels of several vitamins, including vitamin B12, due to poor absorption.
- People who have had GI surgery: People who have undergone a gastrectomy (removal of a portion of the stomach) or gastric bypass may lose the ability to absorb vitamin B12 properly. Additionally, vitamin B12 is absorbed in the ileum, so people who have undergone a small bowel resection may also be at risk of deficiency.
Who Should Take Vitamin B12 Supplements?
Based on the available evidence, only people with an existing deficiency or risk of developing a deficiency should take vitamin B12 supplements. This may include:
- People who are vegan or vegetarian
- Pregnant people who are vegan or vegetarian
- Older adults
- People with pernicious anemia
- People with GI disorders and/or a history of GI surgery
Otherwise, you should be able to get enough vitamin B12 through diet alone.
Before purchasing vitamin B12 supplements, discuss with your healthcare provider whether you actually need supplementation. They can help you determine whether supplements are the right choice for you, what form of supplements would be best, and recommend a proper dose.
Additionally, many supplements may interact with medications. Before starting your supplements, talk to your provider about what medications you are taking. This includes over-the-counter and prescription medications, as well as other supplements.
In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate dietary supplements the way it regulates prescription medications. As a result, some supplement products may not contain the ingredients listed on the label.
When choosing a supplement, look for products independently tested or certified by organizations such as NSF, U.S. Pharmacopeia, or ConsumerLab.com. For personalized guidance, consult your healthcare provider, registered dietitian nutritionist (RD or RDN), or pharmacist.
Summary
Vitamin B12 is an essential vitamin that we get from our diet. Most people can easily get enough vitamin B12 from the food they eat. However, there are a few groups of people who either don’t get enough in their diet or have trouble properly absorbing vitamin B12. In these cases, they may benefit from supplementation.
Vitamin B12 supplementation is marketed for several other reasons, including heart health, eye health, cognitive decline, mood enhancement, and more. However, insufficient evidence exists to routinely supplement vitamin B12 for these conditions.
As always, discuss nutritional supplementation with your primary care provider to ensure that it is appropriate for you.
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Sources 2/ https://www.verywellhealth.com/benefits-of-vitamin-b12-11733663 The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article |
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