Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble vitamin and one of eight B vitamins your body needs to process the food you eat into fuel that gives you energy. Vitamin B12 has many forms, but all contain the mineral cobalt, which is why vitamin B12 is sometimes referred to as cobalamin. Most vitamin B12 supplements are made of cyanocobalamin, the form of the vitamin your body can use most easily.
More About B12
Vitamin B12 is unique among the B complex family. Other B vitamins don't remain in your body, with excess amounts leaving your body when you urinate, says the University of Maryland Medical Center, or UMMC. Vitamin B12, on the other hand, has more staying power; your liver can store it for years. Most people get enough vitamin B12 from the foods they eat -- mainly fish, milk, eggs, beef, pork and other animal foods.
B12 Supplements
Oral vitamin B12 supplements are sold in many forms, including tablets, capsules, softgels and lozenges. Vitamin B12 may also be one component of a multivitamin or a B-complex vitamin. According to the Linus Pauling Institute, most vitamin B12 supplements and multivitamins use cyanocobalamin, which is more easily converted to methylcobalamin and 5-deoxyadenosylcobalamin, the active forms of B12. Some B12 supplements may also use methylcobalamin and other forms of the vitamin. Individual vitamin B12 supplements may have "cyanocobalamin" on the product label, says the UMMC, or they may be labeled as "cobalamin."
When You Need B12
Vitamin B12 supplements may be used therapeutically to treat medical conditions such as pernicious anemia. However, absent any health problems that warrant treatment with B12 supplements, other populations may benefit from their use. According to UMMC, vegetarians whose diet lacks animal foods should take vitamin B12 supplements. Older individuals may also need more vitamin B12 because their body's ability to absorb it weakens over time.
Supplement Cautions
Vitamin B12 supplements are generally considered safe and nontoxic, so nonthreatening, in fact, that the Food and Nutrition Board hasn't established a safe upper limit, says the Linus Pauling Institute. However, vitamin B12 can interact with certain medications, including tetracycline, chemotherapy drugs and anti-convulsant medications, to name only a few, says the UMMC. Also, the institute indicates that of the vitamin B12 you take, very little of it can actually be absorbed. This suggests the need to talk to your treating physician or a nutritionist about the dosage that's appropriate for you.
Supplements and the FDA
When considering B12 supplements, it's helpful to think of where they fit in the broad scope of products and treatments under the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's regulatory authority. Vitamin B12 supplements are considered dietary supplements, not drugs. Although helpful to supplement your diet and for specific therapeutic purposes, dietary supplements do not undergo the same rigorous approval process by the FDA as do prescription medications, which require pre-market approval. Dietary supplement makers take responsibility for ensuring the safety of your product. Please talk to your doctor before using vitamin B12 supplements to address your health concerns.
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