When you have anemia, your body doesn’t have enough red blood cells to transport oxygen to your vital organs. This is particularly a concern for older people because it becomes more difficult to absorb vitamin B12 as you get older.

For these reasons, the RDA for this vitamin for people who are breastfeeding is higher than that for those who are pregnant — namely 2. Due to this increased risk of poor absorption, the National Academy of Medicine recommends that adults over the age of 50 meet most of their vitamin B12 needs through supplements and fortified foods ( 12). If you have a folate deficiency and/or vitamin B12 deficiency, your immune system may start to falter, and your body will struggle to ward off pathogens.Supplements are one of the easiest and most convenient methods to get enough vitamin B12 into your body without having to worry about making significant changes to your diet. Experts suggest that if a patient’s serum vitamin B12 level is less than 150 pg/ml (111 pmol/L), the patient’s serum MMA levels should be checked to confirm a diagnosis of vitamin B12 deficiency [ 7, 9].

Vitamin B12 supplements may be beneficial for those with certain health conditions or dietary restrictions. A blood test from your doctor can measure B12 levels, and a serious deficiency can be corrected with B12 shots or high-dose supplements.

All B vitamins play an important role in your body’s energy production, though they don’t necessarily provide energy themselves ( 30). Vitamin B-12 deficiency is associated with dementia and low cognitive function, but it's not clear whether vitamin B-12 supplements might help prevent or treat dementia. Vitamin B12 is not present in plant foods, so people on a plant-based diet need to obtain it through fortified foods and supplements.

However, it’s unclear whether taking a supplement has any impact on skin, nail strength, or hair health if you’re well-nourished and not deficient in this vitamin.There is very little information about taking herbal remedies and supplements while taking cyanocobalamin. However, older adults, vegetarians, vegans and people who have conditions that affect their ability to absorb vitamin B-12 from foods might benefit from the use of oral supplements. Ensuring that you have enough vitamin B12 is important for brain function and mental, bone and eye health. Sign up to get tips for living a healthy lifestyle, with ways to fight inflammation and improve cognitive health, plus the latest advances in preventative medicine, diet and exercise, pain relief, blood pressure and cholesterol management, andmore. Foods providing 20% or more of the DV are considered to be high sources of a nutrient, but foods providing lower percentages of the DV also contribute to a healthful diet.

Causes of vitamin B12 deficiency include difficulty absorbing vitamin B12 from food, lack of intrinsic factor (e. Many people find it is easiest to take it first thing in the morning as part of their morning routine, but as the sprays are easy to use, portable and don't need to be taken with food or drink, they can be used any time of day. Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble vitamin that is naturally present in some foods, added to others, and available as a dietary supplement and a prescription medication.Those consuming a varied diet including meat and animal products should be able to obtain all Vitamin B12 from their diet. ounce (100-gram) serving of lamb liver provides an incredible 3,571% of the Daily Value (DV) for vitamin B12 ( 1). Also sometimes referred to as cobalamin, vitamin B12 is a water-soluble vitamin that’s essential for several aspects of health. That said, being low in vitamin B12 doesn’t always lead to megaloblastic anemia, and many people may only experience mild symptoms like fatigue ( 11).