Are you getting enough B12?

Vitamin B12 may not be high on your nutritional radar, yet it is essential to some of the body's most important functions, like forming red blood cells and maintaining nerve function. Doctors don't routinely test for vitamin B12 levels, so vitamin B12 deficiency can go unnoticed. But over time, such deficiency may cause anemia, nerve damage, and even problems with memory and reasoning. Other symptoms are fatigue, weakness, constipation, loss of appetite, and weight loss. Two more symptoms are numbness and tingling in the hands and feet, but these two are also common in people with diabetes and spinal stenosis.

How much B12 required per day? It’s about 2.4-2.8 micrograms(mcg) for adults in a day. The required amount is not much. For people have healthy digestive system can get it from foods easily. Foods are such as 1 egg has 0.6mcg or 250ml milk has 1.1mcg of B12. To have 2 cups of milk and 1 egg in a day can have sufficient amount. Also liver can store B12 when you take extra B12 from foods. Then liver can release B12 when you didn’t take sufficient B12 in other days. But if your digestive system has problems then you should take more.

Who needs more B12? If you are age 50 or older. Or you have altered gastrointestinal function. Or you're a strict vegan. Or you take certain medications: medications for ulcers and gastric reflux — proton-pump inhibitors. Or medicines can inhibit the release of stomach acid, such as diabetes drug metformin (Glucophage). Or you have pernicious anemia.

Foods high in Vitamin B12 include shellfish, liver, fish, crab, fortified soy products (tofu, soymilk), fortified cereals, red meat, low fat dairy, cheese, and eggs. Vegetarian foods high in vitamin B12 include fortified cereals, fortified fruit juices, fortified tofu, yogurt, milk, cheese, eggs, and whey powder.

An important reminder to people with B12 deficiency, physician may prescribe B12 supplement. If you are taking B12 supplement, you should also take B Vitamins Complex tablet. Because, B Vitamins family include, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, B12, etc. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B_vitamins#List_of_B_vitamins ). B Vitamins work together to promote metabolism. If you only take B12 tablet, it will deplete other B vitamins and cause deficient of other B Vitamins which means taking B12 at high dosage may cause deficiency of other B vitamins, such as B1, B2, and others.Here is the article from Harvard Medical School about B12. A good video from Dr. Axe, How to Naturally Overcome Vitamin B12 Deficiency