Los Angeles is filled with B12 devotees who swear by injections (or lozenges, sprays or vitamins) of the vitamin. We asked experts whether B12 supplements live up to the hype: "B12 is essential for everyone," says Dr. Zhaoping Li, director of the Center for Human Nutrition at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.The National Institutes of Health says B12 helps keep nerve and blood cells healthy and prevents a particular type of anemia. Deficiencies can cause tiredness, weakness, constipation and loss of appetite, and are linked to numbness including tingling in the hands and feet, depression, poor memory and more. "The best thing to do to find out if vitamin B12 supplements would be beneficial to you is to have your doctor test your B12" levels, says Paulette Lambert, director of nutrition at the California Health & Longevity Institute.B12 is found primarily in animal products, "including fish, meat, poultry, eggs and milk products. B12 is generally not present in plant foods unless added," says Paul R. Thomas, a scientific consultant with the NIH.
"If you get enough [B12] from the food you eat, you don't require it as a supplement. If you're B12 deficient, it can be treated by eating B12-containing foods and/or by taking a supplement." Vegetarians, patients who have had bariatric surgery, chronic alcoholics (who tend to need supplements), and some older people with the condition atrophic gastritis, which prevents them from absorbing much of the B12 naturally present in food.Liver, clams, salmon, beef, turkey, sardines, milk, cheese and yogurt are among the foods highest in B12. Fortified cereals and grains abound, and many brands are also jumping on the B12 bandwagon. (Powerade ION4, Red Bull 5-Hour Energy and Starbucks' Blueberry Acai Refreshers all tout their B12-boosting properties.) The recommended daily allowance of B12 for adults is 2.4 micrograms a day. What's the best way to take B12?"The evidence suggests no difference in effectiveness between oral, sublingual (under the tongue) and spray forms. One should pay more attention to the amount of B12 in the product rather than the form," says Thomas.
"If you are or think you're B12-deficient, you should be speaking to your healthcare providers about restoring normal B12 levels and what amount to take."Does B12 really boost energy?"B12 helps your body convert the food you eat into energy, but unless you're deficient in B12 there isn't evidence B12 supplements give you more energy," Lambert says. "Injections give you larger amounts and we don't know the safety of that." She warns against mega-dosing supplements in general without the input of your doctor. "There are a number of people [who may not be B12 deficient] who claim that when they get these shots they feel better, more energetic and so on," says Thomas. "It may be that for some people there is some kind of benefit we haven't yet found out from studies … a lot of people could be getting a placebo effect by being assured by a clinic that this is going to promote a sense of vitality."Vitamin B12 Deficiency Symptoms – Much More Than Fatigue Vitamin B12 plays crucial roles in maintaining the health of your blood cells, digestive system, brain, and nervous system.
By UHN Staff • Jan 26, 2017 Vitamin B12 is best known and most promoted as a cure for fatigue, but this very important vitamin is important for much more than keeping energy levels up. Vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms include everything from depression and memory loss to canker sores and dizziness. Many people with vitamin B12 deficiency don’t have fatigue Vitamin B12 plays crucial roles in maintaining the health of your blood cells, digestive system, brain, and nervous system. And while fatigue (due to anemia) is sometimes a symptom, recent research shows that many people have vitamin B12 deficiency without anemia or significant fatigue. Instead, they have vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms that are more related to impairments in the nervous system. Start Feeling Better Now!Download this expert FREE guide, Chronic Fatigue and Low Energy: Diet, exercise, sleep, and stress reduction advice to boost your vitality. Learn how to boost your energy with improved diet, sleep, and exercise.
Deficiency symptoms most often caused by impaired nervous system In the nervous system, vitamin B12 is necessary for the formation of myelin, a whitish insulating sheath around nerve fibers that increases the speed at which impulses are conducted. It is also needed for the production of some neurotransmitters. Vitamin B12 deficiency, therefore, results in defective myelin synthesis and neurotransmitter imbalances, leading to a host of mental, emotional, and physical symptoms related to the nervous system. The most common vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms Abnormal sensation, typically numbness, tingling or pricking (“pins and needles”) of the lower legs and feet (both sides) Weakness in the legs Increased risk of falling Psychosis (suspiciousness, persecutory or religious delusions, auditory and visual hallucinations and disorganized thought processes) Sore, swollen, beefy red tongue Sores at the corners of the mouth Burning sensation of the mouth
Shortness of breath on exertion Decreased bone health and increased risk of fracture Mild diarrhea or constipation Possible increased risk of cardiovascular disease Possible increased risk of cancer Lightheadedness or fainting, possibly accompanied by a rapid increase in heartbeat, after standing up from a lying down position Causes of B12 deficiency Causes of vitamin B12 deficiency include not eating animal products, not making enough stomach acid (hypochlorhydria, common with aging), an autoimmune disorder called pernicious anemia, and certain medications, especially acid-blocking medications (proton pump inhibitors and H2 blockers) for GERD and acid reflux, and metformin for diabetes. Treating vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms Treatment for vitamin B12 deficiency usually starts with injections of the vitamin. Some patients need regular injections for life, depending on the cause of the deficiency. After vitamin B12 injections have returned the body’s levels to normal, it’s possible to switch to oral vitamin B12 supplements.
Vitamin B12 supplements may contain a few different forms of the vitamin, including cyanocobalamin, methylcobalamin, hydroxocobalamin, and adenosylcobalamin. While all these forms are capable of treating vitamin B2 deficiency, methylcobalamin is superior for oral use. The typical recommended dose for treating vitamin B12 deficiency is 2,000 micrograms per day. For information on food sources of vitamin B12, see “The Top B12 Foods for Every Diet,” where you’ll find information on the best dietary sources of vitamin B12 for meat-eaters, vegetarians, and vegans. Do you have a vitamin B12 deficiency? Or have you treated it in the past? What strategies work best for you? This post originally appeared in 2014 and has been updated. Enter Your Log In Credentials You are trying to access subscribers-only content. If you are a subscriber, use the form below to log in. Subscribers will have unlimited access to the magazine that helps people live more sustainable, self-reliant lives, with feature stories on tending the garden, managing the homestead, raising healthy livestock and more!