Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet For Vitamin B-12

The chemical structure of vitamin B-12 is large and complex. It's distinct from other vitamins, because present in the vitamin is the mineral cobalt. For that reason, you might hear your healthcare provider refer to "cobalamin" when talking about compounds containing B-12. Vitamin B-12 is a water-soluble vitamin that exists in certain foods and comes in supplement forms. It has a multitude of health functions from building your DNA to metabolizing nutrients. When you have a deficiency in vitamin B-12, you may experience serious health complications, including anemia and heart-related conditions.

Benefits of Vitamin B-12

Vitamin B-12 plays many roles in your body. It is required to synthesize DNA, form red blood cells and assist in metabolism. It also has an important role in maintaining the central nervous system, which includes brain and spinal cord activity. When you have consistently enough vitamin B-12 in your body, you should be able to maintain your energy level, have mental clarity, sleep well, have a healthy immune system, have normal cell growth and repair, have normal heart function and be able to properly metabolize fats, proteins and carbohydrates.

Vitamin B-12 Deficiency

Although your body can store vitamin B-12 in your liver for years -- giving it another distinction from other water-soluble vitamins -- people may experience B-12 deficiency. The deficiency occurs if you don't consume enough of the vitamin or if your body has a problem using it properly. When you have such a deficiency, MedlinePlus warns that you're at greater risk of anemia and neurological problems. Symptoms of a serious B-12 deficiency include fatigue, constipation, poor appetite and weight loss. These are often signals of anemia. When B-12 causes neurological symptoms, you might experience numbness and tingling in your hands and feet, loss of balance, depression, poor memory, confusion and even dementia. Vitamin B-12 supplements are used to treat these problems. In addition, B-12 is part of the therapy for a host of other related health conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease, Lou Gehrig's disease, heart disease, age-related eye diseases, male infertility, sleep disorders, cancer prevention, skin infections, osteoporosis and AIDS. People who have had gastrointestinal surgeries also need to supplement to avoid a deficiency.

Food Sources

Vitamin B-12 comes naturally in some foods, and foods may be fortified with it. A slice of beef liver or a serving of clams will provide more than a day's worth of vitamin B-12. Many whole-grain breakfast cereals also have vitamin B-12 added. Other sources that provide hearty servings of the vitamin include fish such as salmon, trout, haddock and tuna. In addition, dairy products such as cheese, milk and eggs provide high amounts of B-12.

Supplements

Vitamin B-12 is available as an over-the-counter dietary supplement and as a medication that your healthcare provider can prescribe for you. The form of B-12 used in prescription medication is usually cyanocobalamin and sometimes hydroxocobalamin. It can be taken as an injection or in the form of a nasal gel. Over-the-counter supplements are often in pill form and can be part of a multivitamin or a B-complex vitamin.

How Much Do You Need?

According to the Institute of Medicine's dietary reference intakes, children between the ages of 1 and 8 need between 0.9 and 1.2 mcg of vitamin B-12 daily. Boys and girls between the ages of 9 and 13 need 1.8 mcg, and thereafter, most adults need 2.4 mcg daily. Pregnant and nursing mothers need more, and those with anemia or other B-12 deficiency-related health problems need to consult their healthcare providers to determine their requirements.