Vitamin B12 is an essential nutrient. Fish, shellfish, meat, eggs, and dairy products are good sources of vitamin B12. The amount that should be consumed on a daily basis is called the recommended dietary allowance (RDA). The RDA is 2.4 mcg daily for people 18 years and older.
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.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommends a daily B12 allowance of 2.4 mcg (micrograms) for the average adult. [3] However, vitamin B12 intake can be particularly important for children, and intake requirements can be linearly related to age.
Eat fortified foods two or three times a day to get at least three micrograms (mcg or µg) of B12 a day. OR Take one B12 supplement daily providing at least 10 micrograms. OR Take a weekly B12 supplement providing at least 2000 micrograms.
Once you begin treating your vitamin B12 deficiency, it can take up to six to 12 months to fully recover. It is also common to not experience any improvement during the first few months of treatment.
How Often Do You Need a Vitamin B12 Injection? The usual frequency for intramuscular doses of B12 shots is every 10 days, followed by maintenance doses at varying intervals. After this period, injections can be administered once per month, which this frequency is enough to reverse the signs of vitamin B12 deficiency.
Vitamin B12 is an essential nutrient that must be ingested daily because our bodies don't naturally produce it. B12 is important for many enzymatic processes, such as helping turn the food you eat into usable energy. The recommended daily amount for B12 is 2.4 mcg for adults.
You should be able to get all the vitamin B12 you need by eating a varied and balanced diet. If you take vitamin B12 supplements, do not take too much as this could be harmful. Taking 2mg or less a day of vitamin B12 in supplements is unlikely to cause any harm.
Vitamin B12 supplements will only improve symptoms such as tiredness and lack of energy if they are caused by low vitamin B12 levels. It may take a few weeks before your vitamin B12 levels and symptoms (such as extreme tiredness or lack of energy) start to improve.
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.
If you have any of the following health problems, consult your doctor or pharmacist before using this medication: a certain eye disease (Leber's optic neuropathy), a certain blood disorder (polycythemia vera), gout, iron or folic acid deficiency anemia, low potassium blood levels (hypokalemia).
Vitamin B12 deficiency can have distressing neuropsychiatric symptoms. It can have an etiological role in clinical presentations like depression, anxiety, psychosis, dementia, and delirium, requiring screening of at-risk populations.
One Possibility: Supplement Allergies
Thus if you're otherwise healthy but still continue to feel tired after taking a B-12 supplement, it could be a sign of a mild allergic reaction. If a rash, difficulty breathing or swelling coincides with taking your dose of B-12, get to the doctor right away.
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.
Bananas are a cheap, healthy, and nutrient-dense fruit that can easily become a part of every individual's diet. It is one of the best fruits rich in vitamin B12. Bananas also contain fibre and potassium. It helps manage blood pressure, reduce stress, and relieve constipation and ulcer problems.
In deficient people, the benefits of B12 injections include improved mood and increased energy levels. If a doctor prescribes B12 injections, symptoms like fatigue, weakness, depression, and more may resolve within generally resolve in six to 12 weeks.
“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.
Vitamin B12
According to health experts at Click Pharmacy, 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.
B12 injections work quickly; they are the most effective way for your body to absorb Vitamin B12. Within 48 to 72 hours, your body will begin to make new red blood cells. For mild deficiencies, you may need two to three injections over several weeks to notice peak impact.
Long-term vitamin B12 deficiency can cause nerve damage. This may be permanent if you do not start treatment within 6 months of when your symptoms begin. Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia most often responds well to treatment. It will likely get better when the underlying cause of the deficiency is treated.
“Some foods and drinks can interfere with vitamin B complex intake like alcohol, caffeine and processed foods, etc should be avoided completely,” Shah added.
As summarized in the table provided, vitamin B12 (cobalamin) absorption and utilization by the body can be compromised with the chronic use of certain medications which include: colchicine, chloramphenicol, ethanol, histamine 2 receptor antagonists (H2RA), metformin, and proton pump inhibitors (PPI).