0-6 months: 0. 4 mcg 7-12 months: 0. 5 mcg 1-3 years: 0. 9 mcg 4-8 years: 1. 2 mcg 9-13 years: 1. 8 mcg Over 14 years: 2. 4 mcg Teen girls and women who could become pregnant or who are breastfeeding should consume at least 2. 8 mcg of vitamin B12 a day.
Your doctor may also be able to give you guidance of certain brands or types of vitamin B12 supplements that may be right for you. Vitamin B12 supplements can have adverse effects or fail to be effective when taken with certain medications, such as medications to treat acid reflux, GERD, and peptic ulcers. Medication to treat diabetes, like Metformin, can also reduce your body’s ability to absorb vitamin B12. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking vitamin B12 supplements if you are taking any of these medications.
As long as you are not taking any medications that could interact negatively with vitamin B12 supplements, either form of vitamin B12 should be effective. Vitamin B12 supplements come in tablets, capsules, and liquid form. There is also a sublingual form that dissolves under your tongue.
Keep in mind vitamin supplements are not strictly regulated by the Federal Drug Association (FDA) and are only loosely regulated under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA). It is the responsibility of the manufacturers to test the safety of their products and to label their products properly.
You can also go directly to the websites of any of these independent labels to see if the manufacturer of the supplement is listed with seals of approval. However, if the supplement does not have any seals of approval, this does not necessarily mean the product is faulty. Getting checked and approved by an independent lab is completely voluntary for supplement manufacturers.
Taking supplements with folic acid can actually hide a vitamin B12 deficiency, if you have one. Consuming too much folic acid can also increase your risk of certain cancers.
Whole wheat cereal is also known to have high levels of vitamin B12. Add whole wheat cereal to your diet by having one bowl a day for breakfast with fruit.
You may also experience tingling or numbness in your hands and feet, balance issues, soreness of the mouth or tongue, and depression. Taking vitamin B12 supplements and having more vitamin B12 high foods can help to prevent the development of anemia.
Taking vitamin B12, as well as folate and vitamin B6, can lower the level of homocysteine in your system, which is a substance that acts as a biomarker for heart disease. Though taking vitamin B12 cannot prevent heart disease, it can significantly reduce your chances of developing it.
