What are the benefits of taking B12?

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.

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Is taking B12 everyday good for you?

When taken at appropriate doses, vitamin B-12 supplements are generally considered safe. 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.

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What happens when your body needs B12?

People with vitamin B12 deficiency can have neurological symptoms and/or damage without anemia (lack of red blood cells). General physical symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency can include: Feeling very tired or weak. Experiencing nausea, vomiting or diarrhea.

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Is it worth taking vitamin B12?

There are very few reasons to take supplements, but getting enough of this vitamin may be one of the most important. 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.

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How long does it take for B12 to start working?

It may take a few weeks before your vitamin B12 levels and symptoms (such as extreme tiredness or lack of energy) start to improve. If you have hydroxocobalamin injections to boost your vitamin B12 levels at the start of treatment, the cyanocobalamin tablets may start to work within a few days.

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

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What are the symptoms of low B12?

Symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency
  • a pale yellow tinge to your skin.
  • a sore and red tongue (glossitis)
  • mouth ulcers.
  • pins and needles (paraesthesia)
  • changes in the way that you walk and move around.
  • disturbed vision.
  • irritability.
  • depression.

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How do I know if my B12 tablets are working?

Monitoring your condition

A blood test is often carried out around 10 to 14 days after starting treatment to assess whether treatment is working. This is to check your haemoglobin level and the number of the immature red blood cells (reticulocytes) in your blood.

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Who should not take B12 supplements?

Who should not take VITAMIN B-12?
  • low amount of potassium in the blood.
  • Leber's hereditary optic atrophy.
  • inflammation of the stomach called atrophic gastritis.
  • past history of complete removal of stomach.

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Does B12 give you energy?

So does vitamin B12 give you energy? While B12 doesn't directly provide energy, it does give the body the tools it needs to convert food molecules into energy. Getting the recommended daily amount of B12 can therefore help ensure that the body is able to make the energy it needs to do everything you need it to do.

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Who should take B12?

The RDA for vitamin B12 ranges from 2.4 mcg for adults to 2.8 mcg for people who are breastfeeding. Most people meet these needs through diet alone, but older adults, people on strict plant-based diets, and those with digestive disorders may benefit from supplements, though dosages vary based on individual needs.

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What is the most common cause of B12 deficiency?

Diet. Some people can develop a vitamin B12 deficiency as a result of not getting enough vitamin B12 from their diet. A diet that includes meat, fish and dairy products usually provides enough vitamin B12, but people who do not regularly eat these foods can become deficient.

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Which fruit is rich in vitamin B12?

Bananas also contain fibre and potassium. It helps manage blood pressure, reduce stress, and relieve constipation and ulcer problems. The fruit also helps regulate body temperature. Another fruit that is rich in vitamin B12 is blueberries.

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What food is highest in B12?

Good sources of vitamin B12
  • meat.
  • fish.
  • milk.
  • cheese.
  • eggs.
  • some fortified breakfast cereals.

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Does B12 help hair growth?

One of those vital nutrients is B12, also known as cobalamin. B12 promotes healthy hair growth by assisting in the production of oxygen-rich red blood cells, which feed hair follicles.

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When should I take B12 tablets?

“Take water-soluble vitamins on an empty stomach with a glass of water,” recommends Dr. Perez-Gallardo. And since it can be energizing, Dr. Perez-Gallardo says that the best time to take vitamin B12 is in the morning, so it won't affect your sleep.

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Which B12 is best?

Methylcobalamin. Methylcobalamin is the most bio-available type of Vitamin B12 which means the body absorbs it more easily. Naturally occurring, it is found in animal-based foods such as meat, fish, milk and eggs so Methylcobalamin B12 is readily available in many people's daily diets.

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Does B12 help you sleep?

Vitamin B12 works on the pineal gland, which is responsible for the production of melatonin. The vitamin helps increase the production of melatonin during the nighttime hours, as well as release it earlier, making it easier to fall and stay asleep.

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Does B12 help with memory?

Scientists have long been researching the relationship between low levels of B12 (cobalamin) and memory loss. However, if you get an adequate amount of B12, there is no evidence that higher intake has positive effects.

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Why do I get tired when I take B12?

It actually helps give you more energy, rather than making you tired. If you do notice feeling a little fatigued, even though you're regularly taking a B-12 supplement, it's likely a sign of something else that is out of the norm in your body. Go see your doctor to get the proper diagnosis and treatment.

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Can a B12 supplement hurt you?

Vitamin B12 has a low risk of causing harm, even at high doses. Because of this, there's currently no maximum dose that's widely recommended. However, some forms of vitamin B12 (mainly injectable and nasal B12) can cause headache or fatigue at normal doses.

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Does B12 supplement raise blood pressure?

The lowering effects of vitamin B12 together with folic acid on blood pressure have been reported in intervention study in adults. However, no study has reported the association of vitamin B12 by itself with systolic or diastolic blood pressure in children or in adults.

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Who is most at risk for vitamin B12?

Who is at risk for vitamin B12 deficiency anemia?
  • A family history of the disease.
  • Having part or all of your stomach or intestine removed.
  • Autoimmune diseases, including type 1 diabetes.
  • Crohn's disease.
  • HIV.
  • Some medicines.
  • Strict vegetarian diets.
  • Being an older adult.

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How can I check my B12 levels at home?

How do home B12 blood tests work?
  1. You order a test online or pick up a test kit from a store / clinic.
  2. It will likely contain a finger prick and corresponding vial to collect blood from your finger so that it can be tested for vitamin B12.

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Can B12 deficiency cause joint pain?

Not getting enough vitamin B12 to the point of a deficiency can cause a variety of serious symptoms including depression, joint pain, and fatigue.

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Is B12 the same as iron?

And given B12 is required for the production of red blood cells, a deficiency in Vitamin B12 can lead to a deficiency in Iron. This is why the onset of anemia is often the result of a B12 deficiency rather than an Iron deficiency on its own.

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