Vitamin B12, also known as cobalamin, is an essential nutrient that plays a crucial role in various bodily functions. It is vital for the proper functioning of the nervous system, DNA synthesis, and the formation of red blood cells. Since the body cannot produce vitamin B12 on its own, it must be obtained through diet, fortified foods, or supplements. Nature Made® Maximum Strength Vitamin B12 provides 5,000 mcg of Vitamin B12, an essential nutrient for optimal health. This article explores the benefits, uses, and considerations of vitamin B12, particularly at a dosage of 5000 mcg.
What is Vitamin B12 and Why Do We Need It?
Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble vitamin that helps the body convert food into energy. It is naturally found in animal products, including meat, fish, and dairy, and can also be created in a laboratory. Vitamin B12 is essential for several key processes:
- DNA Synthesis: B12 helps in making DNA, the genetic material in all of your cells.
- Nervous System Health: It nourishes the brain and nervous system, ensuring they function correctly.
- Red Blood Cell Formation: B12 helps maintain healthy red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout the body.
- Energy Production: It assists the body in converting food into energy that can be used all day long.
How Vitamin B12 is Absorbed
When you consume foods containing vitamin B12, hydrochloric acid in the stomach separates the vitamin from the protein it is bound to. Next, it combines with a protein called intrinsic factor, produced in the stomach, which helps the body absorb the vitamin B12 in the small intestine.
Who is at Risk of Vitamin B12 Deficiency?
Several factors can increase the risk of vitamin B12 deficiency. These include:
- Dietary Restrictions: Vegans and vegetarians who do not consume animal products are at higher risk since B12 is primarily found in animal-based foods.
- Age: People over 50 may have difficulty absorbing vitamin B12 from food. As we age, it's harder for our bodies to absorb vitamin B12 from food.
- Medical Conditions: Certain conditions, such as digestive problems (e.g., Crohn’s disease, celiac disease) or pernicious anemia, can impair B12 absorption.
- Medications: Some medications, like metformin and proton pump inhibitors, can interfere with B12 absorption.
- Gastrointestinal Surgeries: Individuals who have undergone gastrointestinal surgeries, such as bariatric surgery or bowel resection surgery, might not absorb the vitamin as well.
Signs and Symptoms of Vitamin B12 Deficiency
Low levels of vitamin B12 can manifest in various symptoms, including:
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- Fatigue and weakness
- Memory loss and cognitive impairment
- Numbness or tingling in hands and feet
- Pale skin
- Heart palpitations
- Loss of appetite and weight loss
- Infertility
- Problems with the nervous system
Potential Health Benefits of Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 has been considered a treatment for many diseases and conditions. Vitamin B12 can help improve your health in some ways and protect against some health problems. While research results have been mixed, vitamin B12 may offer several health benefits:
Energy Boost
If you have a vitamin B12 deficiency, you may feel tired and weak. Taking vitamin B12 can improve your energy if your body isn’t getting enough of the nutrient. Vitamin B12 is sometimes referred to as an energy and athletic performance booster. However, if you do not have a deficiency, vitamin B12 doesn’t appear to increase energy or performance, studies have shown.
Treatment for Depression
Vitamin B12 plays a role in serotonin production, so a deficiency may be linked to depression. Some studies have found no clear evidence that vitamin B12 treats depression, but lower levels of vitamin B12 are linked to a higher risk of depression. For people with major depressive disorder, one study found that vitamin B12 supplements, along with antidepressants, greatly improved symptoms.
Protection from Macular Degeneration
Vitamin B12 supplements are believed to lower homocysteine, an amino acid in your bloodstream, which may help prevent macular degeneration. One study found that a higher intake of B vitamins, including vitamin B12, was linked to a lower rate of age-related macular degeneration.
Support During Pregnancy and Lactation
Vitamin B12 may be needed if you’re pregnant or lactating, especially if you’re also eating a plant-based diet. For people with a vitamin B12 deficiency in the early stages of pregnancy, the child is at an increased risk of neural tube birth defects (birth defects that affect your baby’s brain, spine, or spinal cord) and low birth weight. Mothers with low B12 levels are also more likely to miscarry or give birth prematurely (early).
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Improvement of Brain Health
Vitamin B12 deficiency is tied to cognitive impairment (memory and thinking problems). One study found that low B12 levels, even within the lower normal range, can in part lead to poor memory performance. Vitamin B12 is an important nutrient for the neurons in your brain. Brain atrophy, which refers to the loss of neurons in your brain, is connected to memory loss and dementia. In one study, older adults with early-stage dementia who took vitamin B12 supplements to lower their blood homocysteine levels showed a slower rate of cognitive and clinical decline.
Improvement of Bone Health
Some studies have found that vitamin B12 may help improve bone health. One study found higher B12 levels led to a slight decrease in bone fracture risk.
Increase in Red Blood Cell Production
Your body needs vitamin B12 to make red blood cells (RBCs), which carry oxygen throughout your body. A lack of B12 can cause a condition called vitamin B12 deficiency anemia.
Vitamin B12 Foods
Here are some good sources of vitamin B12 from food and drinks:
- Fish and shellfish
- Lean red meat and chicken
- Cheese and milk
- Eggs
- Yogurt
- Fortified cereals
- Fortified nutritional yeast
- Fortified vegan milk substitutes
Some specific examples of foods rich in vitamin B12 are beef liver, clams, and oysters (cooked). Certain plant foods contain vitamin B12 as well, including nori (a type of dried seaweed) and dried shiitake mushrooms. But you would need to eat a lot of those to get significant amounts of vitamin B12.
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Vitamin B12 Supplements
Vitamin B12 supplements come in several different types. Some supplements are vitamin B12 only, some are called B-complex supplements that contain B12, and some are multivitamin/mineral supplements that also contain B12. Another type is called sublingual vitamin B12, which means it’s dissolved under your tongue. A prescription form of vitamin B12 also comes in a nasal gel that you spray into your nose.
Types of B12 Supplements
Vitamin B12 supplements are available in various forms, each with its own characteristics:
- Cyanocobalamin: A synthetic form of B12 that is commonly used in supplements due to its cost-effectiveness. The body must convert it into active forms (methylcobalamin and adenosylcobalamin) for utilization.
- Methylcobalamin: The bioactive form of B12, readily absorbed and used by the body's cells. It is the most common form found in animal-derived sources and requires minimal conversion.
- Hydroxocobalamin: A biologically active form of B12, often recommended when B12 cannot be properly absorbed in the gut. It is a precursor to methylcobalamin and essential for DNA replication and nerve function.
- Adenosylcobalamin: The form of B12 stored in the mitochondria, supporting the Krebs cycle and cellular energy production. It aids in muscle recovery and myelin sheath integrity.
Vitamin B12 Shots
Another type of vitamin B12 supplement includes shots. They’re usually a prescription form of vitamin B12 that’s used to treat vitamin B12 deficiency. Your doctor may use injections if you have a severe B12 deficiency because you don’t have enough of a protein called intrinsic factor.
Vitamin B12 5000 mcg Dosage
The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for vitamin B12 includes the B12 you get from food and any supplements you take.
| Category | Vitamin B12: Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) in micrograms (mcg) |
|---|---|
| For children under age 1 | only an adequate intake (AI) is available |
| 0-6 months | 0.4 micrograms/day Adequate Intake (AI) |
| 7-12 months | 0.5 mcg/day Adequate Intake (AI) |
| 1-3 years | 0.9 mcg/day |
| 4-8 years | 1.2 mcg/day |
| 9-13 years | 1.8 mcg/day |
| 14-18 years | 2.4 mcg/day |
| Adults | 2.4 mcg/day |
| Pregnant people | 2.6 mcg/day |
| Breastfeeding people | 2.8 mcg/day |
Some supplements contain much more vitamin B12 than the RDA. But even at high doses, vitamin B12 is usually safe. This is because your body will absorb only as much as it needs, and the rest will pass through your pee. No tolerable upper intake level (UL) has been set for vitamin B12, meaning there’s no known limit for how much vitamin B12 you can safely take. However, some research suggests that a very high intake of vitamin B12 may increase the risk of death. Experts also think that a high intake of B12 and B6 may raise the risk of hip fracture.
Safety and Side Effects
Vitamin B12 is typically safe. However, very high doses might cause side effects, such as:
- Headache
- Fatigue or weakness
- Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
- Tingling in your hands and feet
If you’re choosing a B12 supplement, the package may display the amount of vitamin B12 (in micrograms) as well as the percent daily value. If you take one that contains levels of vitamin B12 that are well above the RDA, you may have side effects such as gastrointestinal discomfort. B12 supplements can interact with certain medicines, including:
- Chloramphenicol (Chloromycetin Sodium Succinate)
- Proton pump inhibitors
- Metformin (Glucophage, Glumetza, Riomet)
- Gastric acid inhibitors
If you’re taking any of these medications, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before starting a B12 supplement.
Interactions with Medications
B12 supplements can interact with certain medicines, including:
- Chloramphenicol (Chloromycetin Sodium Succinate)
- Proton pump inhibitors
- Metformin (Glucophage, Glumetza, Riomet)
- Gastric acid inhibitors
If you’re taking any of these medications, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before starting a B12 supplement.
Enhancing Brain Performance
Vitamin B12 increases increases your energy and alertness level which translates into better brain performance. When we feel lethargic, it is an indication that our brain is not working the way it should. Also, the proper functioning of the brain depends on the alertness of the mind which is not possible without sound health. Vitamin B12 5000 mcg is an important supplement to one’s diet which ensures better brain power by improving the body’s overall health. Attention span and concentration is very much dependent on proper brain functioning. Vitamin B12 supplements improve your concentration level allowing you to focus for a longer period. Such B12 supplements can also improve your sleep quality and reduce stress.
Heart Health
Vitamin B12 supplements can lower the level of homocysteine, an amino acid; the increased levels of which are linked to heart diseases and heart failure. When someone suffers from heart disease, the brain is also affected. Thus, vitamin B12 5000 mcg can help you maintain brain health and at the same time reduce your risk of contracting heart disease.
Cognitive Problems and Brain Shrinkage
Prolonged B12 deficiency can lead to cognitive problems and brain shrinkage. To prevent this from happening, take B12 supplements according to the suggestion of your physician. Also, if you take B12 supplements, you may avoid having to take some medicines which are known to cause serious side-effects. Vitamin B12 works well for increasing the retention power of the brain. So, people who are suffering from memory-related problems should consider taking B12 supplements regularly.