Vitamin B-12 is an important vitamin found in animal foods. It can prevent and treat some forms of anemia and is also sometimes used to treat memory loss, heart disease, macular degeneration and other conditions; however, many of these uses are unproven, according to MedlinePlus. The correct dosage of vitamin B-12 depends on why you are taking it. Talk to your doctor about the appropriate dose before you begin supplementation with vitamin B-12.
Recommended Dietary Allowance
If you are over age 14, the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of vitamin B-12 is 2.4 mcg per day. If you are pregnant, you need 2.6 mcg and if you are breastfeeding you need 2.8 mcg, according to the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS). Children and teens under age 18 need smaller amounts, depending on their ages. Babies up to 6 months old need .4 mcg and those between 7 and 12 months need .5 mcg. Children from 1 to 3 years old need .9 mcg; children 4 to 8 years old need 1.2 mcg and children ages 9 to 13 need 1.8 mcg. You can get your RDA of vitamin B-12 from animal foods like meat, fish, poultry, dairy products and some fortified foods like breakfast cereals.
People Over Age 50
Up to 30 percent of people over age 50 do not absorb vitamin B-12 from food efficiently and this can lead to vitamin B-12 deficiency and anemia, according to MedlinePlus. Your doctor can test your blood levels of vitamin B-12 to determine if you have a deficiency. If you are over 50, you might want to add foods fortified with vitamin B-12 to your diet or take a supplement because older adults are better able to absorb vitamin B-12 from these sources, according to the ODS. A dose of 25 to 100 mcg each day may help maintain healthy vitamin B-12 levels in older people, according to MedlinePlus.
Other Special Concerns
If you eat few or no animal foods, you may not get enough vitamin B-12 from your diet as it is mostly found in animal foods. Also, if you have had gastrointestinal surgery or have a digestive disease like celiac or Crohn's disease, you may not be able to absorb enough vitamin B-12 from the foods you eat to maintain good health. You may want to consider taking a supplement.
Deficiency and Anemia
If you are diagnosed with vitamin B-12 deficiency or anemia stemming from a lack of vitamin B-12, your doctor should suggest the best dose of vitamin B-12 for you. Anemia is typically treated with prescription strength vitamin B-12 shots but high doses of oral vitamin B-12 can also work, according to ODS. If you are taking oral supplements for anemia or vitamin B-12 deficiency, the most effective dose is between 647 and 1032 mcg a day, according to MedlinePlus.
Other Uses
If you are trying to prevent age-related macular degeneration, a daily dose of 1 mg of vitamin B-12, in combination with 2.5 mg of folic acid and 50 mg of pyridoxine has been studied and used, according to MedlinePlus. You can also use topical creams that contain vitamin B-12 to treat eczema and psoriasis. Consult your doctor if you intend to use vitamin to treat any conditions.
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