What does B12 dietary supplement do?
Vitamin B12 is a nutrient that helps keep your body’s blood and nerve cells healthy and helps make DNA, the genetic material in all of your cells. Vitamin B12 also helps prevent megaloblastic anemia, a blood condition that makes people tired and weak.
What is the recommended supplement for B12?
While the recommended daily amount of vitamin B-12 for adults is 2.4 micrograms, higher doses have been found to be safe. Your body absorbs only as much as it needs, and any excess passes through your urine. High doses of vitamin B-12, such as those used to treat a deficiency, might cause: Headache.
Is it safe to take B12 supplements daily?
Though there is evidence that supplementing with B12 may cause negative health outcomes, studies have demonstrated that daily oral supplements of up to 2 mg (2,000 mcg) are safe and effective in treating B12 deficiency ( 10 ).
Does B12 make you gain weight?
Despite the numerous processes in which vitamin B12 is involved, there’s little evidence to suggest that it has any influence on weight gain or loss.
Which food has the most B12?
Top 12 Foods That Are High in Vitamin B12
- Animal liver and kidneys. Organ meats are some of the most nutritious foods out there.
- Clams. Clams are small, chewy shellfish that are packed with nutrients.
- Sardines. Sardines are small, soft-boned saltwater fish.
- Beef.
- Fortified cereal.
- Tuna.
- Fortified nutritional yeast.
- Trout.
What happens when you start taking B12?
Helps With Red Blood Cell Formation and Anemia Prevention Vitamin B12 plays a vital role in helping your body produce red blood cells. Low vitamin B12 levels cause a reduction in red blood cell formation and prevent them from developing properly ( 2 ).
When to take vitamin B12?
Take B12 in the morning, unless your doctor has advised otherwise; many people take their vitamins with their breakfast, but any time in the morning will work. Take B12 with or without food.
What is the average daily dose of vitamin B12?
The normal intramuscular dose of vitamin B12 is 30 to 100 micrograms daily for up to 10 days followed by maintenance doses. This is often enough to prevent and reverse a deficiency. In some cases, higher doses are needed.
What is the optimal dosage of B12?
The government guidelines recommend a daily intake of 2.4 micrograms (mcg) of B12 to prevent deficiency, but for optimal health and disease prevention, we recommend a daily dose of 25 mcg. To get this much — particularly if you’re a strict vegetarian — you’ll probably need to rely on supplements or fortified foods.
What vitamins are in vitamin B12?
Vitamin B12 is crucial to the human body, which needs it to produce new DNA, red blood cells, proteins, hormones and lipids (fats). Vitamin B12 is also key to the health of nerves. Vitamin B12 is part of the vitamin B complex , which includes thiamin, niacin, vitamin B6, folate and vitamin B12.