Vitamin B12, also known as cobalamin, is one of the eight B vitamins that help your body convert food into glucose which, in turn, is used by your body to produce the energy you need. The eight B vitamins, also called B complex vitamins, also help your body make use of fats and proteins. Vitamin B12 plays an especially important role in maintaining healthy nerve cells and, like all the B complex vitamins, is water soluble. However, unlike other water soluble vitamins, which are eliminated when not used by your body, B complex vitamins can be stored in your body. Your liver can store several years' worth of vitamin B12, MayoClinic.com reports.
Recommended Dose
If you are 14 years old or older, you need about 2.4 micrograms of vitamin B12 a day, MayoClinic.com reports. If you are pregnant, you need about 2.6 micrograms a and 2.8 micrograms a day if you are breastfeeding. About 10 to 30 percent of adults who are 50 years old or older are not able to absorb vitamin B12 from food efficiently and may need to take vitamin B12 supplements or foods fortified with the vitamin. Infants younger than 6 months old need 0.4 micrograms a day, while those who are from seven to 12 months need 0.5 micrograms a day. Children who are from 1 to 3 years old need 0.9 micrograms, while those who are from 4 to 8 years need 1.2 micrograms. Children who are from 9 to 13 years old need 1.8 micrograms a day.
Safety Concerns
While vitamin B12 is considered to be likely safe, people who are allergic to cobalamin should avoid taking vitamin B12, MedlinePlus reports. There are cases where the use of vitamin B12 may have caused diarrhea, blood clots, itching, serious allergic reactions, and other unspecified side effects. Taking vitamin B12 through oral means is likely safe if you are pregnant or breastfeeding but avoid taking larger amount as the safety of such dosages is unknown. Avoid taking this vitamin if you have the hereditary eye disease called Leber's disease; doing so may seriously harm the optic nerve and lead to blindness.
Vitamin B12 Deficiency
Being deficient in vitamin B12 is actually a more serious concern than taking too much as a deficiency can lead to anemia, MedlinePlus reports. Those with mild cases of anemia do not show any symptoms or show only mild symptoms, but those with typical vitamin B12 deficiency anemia may experience symptoms like diarrhea or constipation, fatigue, a lack of energy or light-headedness when standing up or with exertion, a loss of appetite, pale skin, problems concentrating, shortness of breath--mostly during exercise--a swollen, red tongue or bleeding gums. Long-term vitamin B12 deficiency may lead to nerve damage which causes you to experience symptoms such as depression, loss of balance, numbness and tingling of hand and feet and confusion or, in severe cases, dementia.
Sources of Vitamin B12
You can get the vitamin B12 you need only from animal foods, and good sources for this vitamin are foods such as fish, shell fish, dairy products, organ meats like liver and kidney, eggs, beef and pork, the University of Maryland Medical Center reports. You should be able to get your daily requirement of vitamin B12 if your diet regularly includes meat, milk and other dairy products. If you do not eat any sort of animal protein, you will need to take a vitamin B12 supplement with water, preferably after each meal. If you are elderly, you may need greater amounts of vitamin B12 because your ability to absorb the vitamin from your diet diminishes with age. In any case, you should always check with your health care provider when considering taking supplements of any sort.
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