What Is Vitamin B12? Because your body doesn’t make vitamin B12, you have to get it from animal products like milk, eggs, and meat, or from supplements. Because it keeps your nerves and blood cells healthy, B12 is important. Because the vitamin dissolves in water, your body eliminates any excess via urination. Although B12 can be stored in your liver for up to five years, insufficient intake can result in deficiency (lacking). Since vitamin B12 contains the mineral cobalt, it’s sometimes known as cobalamin. A blood test can find out whether your B12 levels are normal. (Photo Credit: iStock/Getty Images) The advantages of B12 Vitamin B12 does a lot of important things for your body. DNA and red blood cells, for instance, are made by it. Your body also needs B12 for the development of your central nervous system (your brain and spinal cord). Additionally, it helps maintain healthy skin, nails, and hair. Health of the bones and red blood cells B12 is necessary for the production of healthy platelets, white blood cells, and red blood cells. About one percent of your oldest red blood cells are replaced each day. New red blood cells need vitamin B12 and folate (vitamin B9) to grow and develop. The immature red blood cells die because making DNA is difficult if you lack these vitamins. Anemia results as a result. Several studies have linked B vitamins, including B12, to a lower risk of osteoporosis (a disease that weakens your bones) and hip fractures. However, there is no evidence to suggest that taking B supplements would stop these bone issues. Vitamin B12 for vision Optic neuropathy is a rare condition caused by a lack of vitamin B12. This indicates that there is damage to the optic nerve, which is the nerve that conveys visual information to the brain from the eye. This can cause a gradual loss of vision and result in blind spots. Those with B12 deficiency only account for less than one percent of cases of optic neuropathy. a happier mood and better memory Although several studies show a link between depression and low B12 levels, there’s no evidence that increasing the levels of B12 can help ease depression symptoms. However, in order to delay or prevent the onset of depression, screening individuals for B12 deficiency in advance and administering B12 supplements may be beneficial. More research is needed to confirm this. Related: Reasons You’re Not Losing Weight Cognitive issues (problems with thinking, judgment, and learning) and memory issues are linked to vitamin B12 deficiency. As a result, it may be associated with stroke and Alzheimer’s disease. According to one study, most people’s cognitive symptoms improved when they received B12 supplements for mild cognitive issues and low B12 levels. However, other studies have not found a connection between low B12 levels and cognitive issues or a reduction in these symptoms following B12 supplementation. There is a need for more research in this area. Better energy levels You may see energy drinks with labels boasting that they’ve lots of vitamin B12 in their products. Certain vitamins, including B12, can affect people who have fatigue and a lack of energy. According to studies, bringing your B12 levels back to normal may give you more energy if you experience constant fatigue and have low levels. However, people with normal levels of B12 appear to be unaffected by supplements. In other words, if you’re tired and already have normal levels of B12 in your body, drinking that energy drink probably won’t make you feel any better. Vitamin B12 for the skin, nails, and hair If you have a very low level of B12, you may be prone to hyperpigmentation (dark spots) on your skin, vitiligo (light patches on your skin), mouth ulcers, eczema, and acne. However, excessive B12 intake can also cause vitiligo, mouth ulcers, eczema, and acne. B12 deficiency is associated with hair loss, but there’s not enough evidence to show that taking B12 supplements will help hair grow back. If you have too little B12 in your body, your nails might turn brown-gray or bluish. This should change when you bring your B12 levels to normal. There are no studies showing that taking B12 if your levels are normal will help your nails grow stronger or longer. How to Get Vitamin B12 Making sure you get the right amount of vitamin B12 depends on things such as your age, eating habits, health conditions, and the medications you take. Related: How to Reduce Your Day’s Calories Dosage of vitamin B12 The microgram-based averages for the recommended daily intake vary by age: 0.4 micrograms for infants under 6 months 0.5 micrograms for infants aged 7 to 12 months 0.9 micrograms for children aged 1-3 years Kids aged 4-8 years: 1.2 micrograms Children aged 9-13 years: 1.8 micrograms Teens aged 14-18 years: 2.4 micrograms Adults (19+ years): 2.4 micrograms 2.6 micrograms when pregnant Breastfeeding: 2.8 micrograms Foods rich in vitamin B12 You can get vitamin B12 from animal products, which have it naturally, or from foods that have been fortified with it. These are some: Meat Fish Poultry Milk Eggs Fortified breakfast cereals Fortified breads Fortified nutritional yeasts Fortified plant milks If you follow a vegan diet (meaning you don’t eat any animal products, including meat, milk, cheese, and eggs) or you’re a vegetarian who doesn’t eat enough eggs or dairy products, you could be lacking in vitamin B12. You can satisfy this requirement by consuming foods with added nutrients or by taking supplements. Vitamin B12 injections Your doctor may offer vitamin B12 injections if you’re very anemic. You’ll usually take them every day for two weeks until your symptoms start improving. After that, you might be able to use B12 supplements. You might need injections every two or three months for the rest of your life if your B12 deficiency is caused by an autoimmune disease or something else that has nothing to do with your diet. The injections are usually given in your upper arm or thigh, or into a muscle. Your doctor or nurse may give you the shots or show you how to take them yourself. Most of the time, side effects aren’t too bad, but if your ankles start swelling, if you get an allergic reaction, or if you have trouble breathing, talk to your doctor. Getting a B12 injection for extra energy or weight loss is not going to help if your B12 levels are already normal. In these areas, no studies have demonstrated that supplementing with B12 is beneficial. Supplements with vitamin B12 If your B12 levels are low but not severe, your doctor will suggest you take vitamin B12 supplements. These are available at the drugstore on their own or as part of a B-complex vitamin or a multivitamin. Supplements can be purchased as nasal sprays, pills, or dissolve under the tongue. Related: Video: 4 Reasons to Start Drinking Lemon Water Although some of the supplement doses are very high (for instance, 500 or 1,000 micrograms when a healthy adult only needs 2.4 micrograms per day), your body only absorbs what it needs and pees the rest out. One advantage of supplements is that, unlike with food, your body does not require hydrochloric acid in your stomach to separate B12 from the protein it is attached to. However, for it to be absorbed into your body, it must combine with intrinsic factor, a protein produced by your stomach. So, if your vitamin B12 deficiency is due to an autoimmune disease in which your stomach doesn’t make intrinsic factor, supplements might not work for you, and you will need injections. Vitamin B12 Deficiency Your body stores 1,000-2,000 times as much vitamin B12 as you’d eat in a day, so it can take many years to see symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency. If you think you might be low on B12, ask your doctor about getting a blood test to check your vitamin B12 level. You’re more likely to have vitamin B12 deficiency if you have a medical condition where your body can’t absorb B12 or you follow a strict vegan diet. Vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms sluggishness, exhaustion, or dizziness Heart palpitations and shortness of breath Pale skin A painful, smooth, inflamed tongue (glossitis) digestive problems Gray-brown or bluish nails A lack of appetite What happens if your vitamin B12 deficiency is left untreated? If you don’t treat your B12 deficiency, it can lead to more severe neurological problems, including: Problems walking or speaking Vision loss tingling or numbness Weakness in the muscle Difficulty remembering things Depression or mood swings Treating vitamin B12 deficiency Treatment depends on the reason for your low levels of B12. Several autoimmune diseases can make it harder for your body to absorb B12, including pernicious anemia. It’s when your body can’t make intrinsic factor, the protein needed to absorb B12. Atrophic gastritis, another type of autoimmune disease, thins the lining of your stomach and prevents your body from producing the hydrochloric acid and intrinsic factor it needs to absorb B12 in sufficient quantities. You will probably need shots of vitamin B12 to treat them at first, and you may need to keep getting shots or taking high doses of a supplement by mouth or through your nose. Vitamin B12 deficiency is also linked to immune system disorders like Graves’ disease and lupus. Related: Surprising Reasons You’re Gaining Weight You can begin increasing your intake of meat, fish, and dairy products if your diet is the cause of your B12 deficiency. If you don’t eat animal products, you can change your diet to include vitamin B12-fortified breads and cereals or B12 supplements. Taking certain medicines can interfere with how your body absorbs vitamin B12. These include esomeprazole (Nexium), famotidine (Pepcid AC), lansoprazole (Prevacid), omeprazole (Prilosec OTC), pantoprazole (Protonix), and rabeprazole (Aciphex), as well as certain medications for diabetes, gout, and chemotherapy. Therefore, if you take any of these, consult your doctor. You might have to take a B12 supplement or try a new medication. For most people, treatment resolves the problem. However, nerve damage caused by a lack of B12 could be permanent. How to prevent vitamin B12 deficiency Dietary vitamin B12 deficiency is uncommon in the United States. Most people can prevent it by eating enough meat, poultry, seafood, dairy products, and eggs. If you don’t eat animal products, or you have a medical condition that limits how well your body absorbs nutrients, you can take vitamin B12 in a supplement or eat plant-based foods fortified with B12. If you take vitamin B12 supplements, let your doctor know so they can tell you how much you need, and make sure they won’t affect any medicines you’re taking. Avoid drinking too much alcohol. Consuming a lot of alcohol can make it more difficult for your body to absorb nutrients like B12. Too much alcohol can also prevent you from getting enough calories. Men shouldn’t drink more than two drinks a day, and women shouldn’t drink more than one drink a day. Vitamin B12 and Pregnancy Are you planning to breastfeed only while you are pregnant, on a vegan or vegetarian diet? Talk to your doctor to ensure that you get enough vitamin B12 to keep your baby healthy. Without enough vitamin B12, your baby could have growth delays and not thrive the way they should. B12 is very important for brain and spinal development. Overdose of vitamin B12 There’s no established upper level for B12 because even if you take large amounts of it, your body won’t store more than it needs to. One study had people on doses as high as 2,000 micrograms with no side effects. However, people have reported experiencing heart palpitations and breakouts of acne and rosacea after taking extremely high doses of vitamin B12, typically via injection. A 2020 study found that people who had the highest levels of B12 in their bodies had a death rate almost twice as high as people who had the lowest levels. The reason was unclear to the researchers. Related: Benefits of Eating Sweet Potatoes Takeaways Vitamin B12 is necessary for both the development of the central nervous system and the production of DNA and red blood cells. Too little B12 in your body can affect your bones, hair, skin, nails, energy level, mood, and memory. You can only get it naturally from animal products like meat and dairy. B12 deficiency may occur in those with certain medical conditions or on a strict vegetarian or vegan diet. However, they can get it from fortified cereals and breads or B12 supplements. Because your body stores B12, it can take some years before you see symptoms that you’re low on it.