How much vitamin B12 should I take? | Exercise.com Learn: Your Fitness Business Resource

How much vitamin B12 should I take?

Tyler Spraul is the director of UX and the head trainer for Exercise.com. He has his Bachelor of Science degree in pre-medicine and is an NSCA-certified strength and conditioning specialist. He is a former All-American soccer player and still coaches soccer today. In his free time, he enjoys reading, learning, and living the dad life. He has been featured in Shape, Healthline, HuffPost, Women's...

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UPDATED: Aug 25, 2020

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  • Vitamin B12 can be taken orally or via injections.
  • The average person needs about 2 micro milligrams of vitamin B12 per day.
  • You will know if you have overdosed on vitamin B12 if you start to experience side effects like acne outbreaks and nausea.

Although all varieties of vitamin B are important, vitamin B12 is needed to keep a healthy red blood cell count.

Vitamin B12 is also used to treat some serious neurological disorders and immune deficiencies such as Crohn’s disease.

The average person needs about 2 micro milligrams of vitamin B12 per day.

Vitamin B12 can be taken orally or via injections.

Vitamin B12 shots can be self-administered, however, they should not be taken unless you have been cleared by your doctor.

If you are taking vitamin B12 to treat a serious illness, it is likely that your dosages will be higher.

Too much vitamin B12 can lead to medical complications, which is why your B12 levels should be continually monitored via blood testing.

Of course, no supplement routine is complete without an exercise routine to match. Go PRO today for access to certified personal trainers, workout plans, and more.

Should Vitamin B12 Be Taken on an Empty Stomach or With Food?

All vitamins can be taken with either a glass of water or with a meal.

You will be able to absorb vitamin B12 just as efficiently on an empty stomach as you would if you had just eaten a substantial amount of food.

The only cases in which vitamin B12 will not be effective is if you are not getting enough nutrients through your regular diet. It will be much more difficult for your body to make use of vitamin B12 unless all of your other nutritional needs are met.

Some people believe that any vitamin taken on an empty stomach will not provide any help benefits, but this is simply not true. Remember that your body can only absorb so much vitamin B12, so don’t take more supplements than you need.

Are Vitamins B12 and B6 the Same?

Although the names are similar, vitamins B12 and B6 are totally different supplements. While vitamin B12 mainly helps to promote healthy blood cell counts, vitamin B6 is important for mental health. You can take both vitamin B12 and B6 without any issues.

In order to get the proper amount of B12 and B6, you should take a complex vitamin B supplement. These supplements might be more difficult to find, however, they will ensure that you are taking the right amount of vitamin B.

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How Easy Is It to Overdose on Vitamin B12?

Vitamin B12 overdose can happen if you ingest or inject too much of this complex. However, vitamin B12 drug interactions are much more common than overdose. You will know if you have overdosed on vitamin B12 if you start to experience side effects like acne outbreaks and nausea.

Although vitamin B12 overdose does not occur often, it is still important that you take notice of any sudden changes in your body and report your findings to your doctor right away. Identifying the underlying issues can help to prevent you from experiencing any major damage.

Can You Take B12 Vitamins With Other Supplements?

You can take vitamin B12 alone or with other supplements. Herbs, protein supplements, and other vitamins are regularly taken with vitamin B12 tablets.

The best way to get a sufficient amount of vitamin B12 is to take a complex vitamin that contains all 11 varieties of vitamin B. Nursing mothers and pregnant women require more vitamin B12 than other healthy adults.

Can You Become Vitamin B12 Deficient?

Because vitamin B12 is found mostly in red meat, fish, poultry, and dairy products, some vegans and vegetarians are not able to get a good amount of this vitamin naturally. If you are eating a diet that is solely based on vegetables, you will probably need to take vitamin B12 supplements.

It can be difficult for vegetarians to find vitamin B12 supplements that are completely free of animal products. This is because most vitamins are encased in a type of gelatin that is made from animal hooves.

Going long periods of time without getting enough vitamin B12 can cause severe deficiency.  If your vitamin B12 deficiency is caught early enough, you can take high doses of B12 until your body begins to work normally again. In more extreme cases, vitamin B12 shots may be necessary.

Vitamin B12 deficiency can be extremely dangerous in pregnant women. This is why pregnant women have their urine tested for protein levels and nutrient concentrations at nearly every doctor’s visit. Since pregnant women have blood testing conducted on a regular basis, few cases of vitamin B12 deficiency occur in the US.

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