For your body to use the vitamin B-12 you consume in food, a substance called intrinsic factor needs to convert it to the right form. Vitamin B-12 is essential for forming DNA and red blood cells, brain function and metabolism. Vitamin B-12 deficiency is more common than vitamin B-12 toxicity.
Recommended Intake
The adequate intake level for vitamin B-12 for infants up to 6 months old is .4 micrograms per day; for infants from 7 to 12 months old, it's .5 micrograms per day. Children ages 1 to 3 require .9 micrograms, while children ages of 4 to 8 need 1.2 micrograms, and children ages 9 to 13 need 1.8 micrograms daily. Everyone 14 and older requires 2.4 micrograms of vitamin B-12 per day, except pregnant and lactating women, who need 2.6 micrograms per day and 2.8 micrograms per day, respectively.
Toxicity Risk
Taking large amounts of vitamin B-12 doesn't appear to cause toxicity symptoms, according to Merck Manuals. However, this isn't recommended, even though no tolerable upper intake levels have been set due to the low toxicity risk. Some people who take vitamin B-12 supplements experience side effects including diarrhea, swelling, blood clots in the legs, and allergic reactions such as itching, rash, swelling and difficulty breathing.
Health Benefits
Getting sufficient amounts of vitamin B-12 through your diet or supplements may help lower your risk for dementia, heart disease, cancer, depression and neural tube defects, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. However, research into these areas is preliminary, so the effect of vitamin B-12 on these conditions is still not clear.
Sources
Although vitamin B-12 supplements are available, most people should aim to get their vitamin B-12 through foods, since food sources include other essential nutrients as well as vitamin B-12. These sources include milk, cheese, eggs, poultry, meat, fish and fortified foods. However, vegetarians, older adults, those with pernicious anemia and those with limited amounts of stomach acid may need supplements to absorb enough vitamin B-12 to meet their needs.
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