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.
Even though the RDA for vitamin B12 is 2.4 mcg for adults, you may take higher amounts since your body will only absorb what it needs and then excrete the rest [1]. Like vitamin D, daily intake of vitamin B12 is important to ensure you are supplying your body with the nutrients it needs to function.
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.
There's no solid proof that vitamin B-12 shots, also called injections, help you lose weight. Vitamin B-12 is a water-soluble B complex vitamin. It's found naturally in many foods, such as meat, fish and dairy products. Vitamin B-12 is added to some foods and is available as a dietary supplement.
Vitamin B12
As a general rule of thumb, take your B vitamins in the morning or with a meal. Vitamin B12, for example, should definitely be taken in the morning. This is because it is important for energy metabolism, which may interrupt your sleep if taken at night.
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.
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) supplements.
Taking vitamin B-12 with vitamin C might reduce the available amount of vitamin B-12 in your body. To avoid this interaction, take vitamin C two or more hours after taking a vitamin B-12 supplement.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
A lack of vitamin B12 can cause neurological problems, which affect your nervous system, such as: vision problems. memory loss. pins and needles (paraesthesia)
There are certain foods that also need a cut-down in case of vitamin B12 deficiency. “Some foods and drinks can interfere with vitamin B complex intake like alcohol, caffeine and processed foods, etc should be avoided completely,” Shah added.
Vitamin B-12 has a big role in stabilizing your energy levels. 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.
Comparing the sublingual method to vitamin B12 injections, research found that taking B12 under the tongue had a higher absorption rate, making it a better option (Bensky, 2019). Taking vitamin B12 sublingually may also be a good option for people with a condition called pernicious anemia.
Fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins
Some combinations should be avoided, even if they aren't inherently problematic. For example, although it's safe to take vitamin D with vitamin B12, it's not advisable, says Virgilio Sanchez, MD, a board certified family medicine physician at Conviva Care Center in Miami, Florida.
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.
Mild vitamin B12 deficiency in otherwise healthy individuals can result from dietary patterns that result in insufficient dietary intake of animal source foods including strict vegetarian and vegan diets, or can be caused by changes in stomach function resulting from aging and/or pharmaceutical use [12].