Vitamin B12 is one of the eight B complex vitamins that work to turn carbohydrates into energy for your body and that break down fats and protein. They are important for your nervous system, hair, skin, eyes and liver. Vitamin B12 specifically is important for DNA and RNA production and nerve cell maintenance, and it works with other nutrients for additional body functions.
Amount
A normal range of vitamin B12 to have in your body is 200 to 900 pg/mL, or picograms per milliliter. It is not usual to have excessive levels of vitamin B12, because it is a water-soluble vitamin and your body removes the excess of it through urine. A vitamin B12 deficiency is more common, although not very, because your body stores vitamin B12. Nonetheless, some populations are at risk, including those with malabsorption of the nutrient, pregnant women, vegetarians and vegans or those with low instrinsic factor, a substance the body uses to absorb the vitamin.
Conditions
A couple of health conditions are the exception to the rule on excessive vitamin B12. Liver disease, which could include hepatitis or cirrhosis, or myeloproliferative disorders, such as myelocytic leukemia or polycythemia vera, a bone marrow disease, can increase your B12 levels and cause an excess.
Safety
Despite it being possible to have excess amounts of vitamin B12 from certain conditions, no toxicity has been found by taking too much of this vitamin through food sources or supplements in healthy people, says the Office of Dietary Supplements. This vitamin does not have a tolerable upper intake level by the Institute of Medicine because of the lack of side effects from taking high doses.
Considerations
If you take vitamin B12 supplements for an extended period of time, you might develop an imbalance of the other B complex vitamins, which work together in your body. Because of this, the University of Maryland Medical Center explains that it is usually advisable to take a B complex vitamin along with vitamin B12, although you should talk to your doctor before doing so.
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