What are the benefits of taking vitamin B12?

9 Health Benefits of Vitamin B12, Based on Science
  • Helps With Red Blood Cell Formation and Anemia Prevention. ...
  • May Prevent Major Birth Defects. ...
  • May Support Bone Health and Prevent Osteoporosis. ...
  • May Reduce Your Risk of Macular Degeneration. ...
  • May Improve Mood and Symptoms of Depression.
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What are B12 vitamins good for?

Vitamin B12 is a nutrient that helps keep your body's blood and nerve cells healthy and helps make DNA, the genetic material in all of your cells. Vitamin B12 also helps prevent megaloblastic anemia, a blood condition that makes people tired and weak.
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How much of B12 should you take a day?

The recommended daily amount of vitamin B-12 for adults is 2.4 micrograms.
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What are the advantages and disadvantages of vitamin B12?

Vitamin B12 benefits include forming red blood cells, preventing dementia, and reducing birth defects. Vitamin B12 is found in foods like meat, eggs, dairy, and fish. Side effects of B12 are rare but can include headaches, anxiety, and nausea.
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What happens when your vitamin B12 is low?

Constipation, diarrhea, loss of appetite, or gas. Nerve problems like numbness or tingling, muscle weakness, and problems walking. Vision loss. Mental problems like depression, memory loss, or behavioral changes.
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10 Benefits of Vitamin B12 You Can’t Ignore



What are the warning signs of vitamin B12 deficiency?

Symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency
  • a pale yellow tinge to your skin.
  • a sore and red tongue (glossitis)
  • mouth ulcers.
  • pins and needles (paraesthesia)
  • changes in the way that you walk and move around.
  • disturbed vision.
  • irritability.
  • depression.
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Does vitamin B12 cause weight gain?

Despite the numerous processes in which vitamin B12 is involved, there's little evidence to suggest that it has any influence on weight gain or loss.
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Does B12 make your hair grow?

Studies suggest deficiencies in vitamins B12 and D, biotin, riboflavin, iron, and other nutrients are associated with hair loss ( 1 ). Eating a balanced diet that is rich in these vitamins and minerals may help promote hair growth, especially if you're experiencing hair loss due to poor nutrition.
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What medications should not be taken with B12?

Certain medications can decrease the absorption of vitamin B12, including: colchicine, metformin, extended-release potassium products, antibiotics (such as gentamicin, neomycin, tobramycin), anti-seizure medications (such as phenobarbital, phenytoin, primidone), medications to treat heartburn (such as H2 blockers ...
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Is it OK to take 1000 mcg of B12 a day?

What is the dosage for cyanocobalamin tablets? The recommended dose for treating vitamin B12 deficiency is 1000 mcg daily. The recommended dose for preventing vitamin B12 deficiency is 1500 mg or 2500 mcg (sublingual tablets) daily.
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Is vitamin B12 good for weight loss?

The body relies on a variety of vitamins to maintain optimal health, and B12 is among the most important for weight management. If you want to lose excess weight, vitamin B12 is not only energy-enhancing, it has also been linked to weight loss.
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How long does it take for vitamin B12 to work?

It may take a few weeks before your vitamin B12 levels and symptoms (such as extreme tiredness or lack of energy) start to improve. If you have hydroxocobalamin injections to boost your vitamin B12 levels at the start of treatment, the cyanocobalamin tablets may start to work within a few days.
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Does B12 help with anxiety?

However, when it comes to vitamin B for anxiety, vitamin B12 is especially powerful for managing your mood. For instance, there's a strong correlation[4] between low levels of B12 and increased rates of anxiety and depression.
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Who will get the most benefit from a B12 supplement?

In people who are pregnant or breastfeeding or chestfeeding — especially those who follow vegetarian or vegan diets — supplementing with a B-complex vitamin is crucial. B12 or folate deficiency during pregnancy or while nursing can lead to severe neurological damage or birth defects in the fetus or infant ( 10 ).
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Does B12 stop GREY hair?

Premature graying may be reversed with vitamin B12 supplementation only if vitamin B12 deficiency is the cause. If you are graying due to other factors, such as genetics, zinc deficiency, medications, your gray hair cannot be reversed.
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Does B12 stop gray hair?

Vitamin B12

Elevated homocysteine levels in the body generate hydrogen peroxide that bleaches the hair, turning it gray. Taking vitamin B12 supplements reduces homocysteine levels and prevents premature hair graying. Intake of foods rich in vitamin B12 like meat, eggs, milk, and fish can help in gray hair reversal.
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Does vitamin B12 improve skin?

What it does: B12 is necessary for cell reproduction and can be applied topically for skin benefits because it reduces inflammation, dryness, and acne. It is sometimes used to treat conditions like psoriasis and eczema.
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Does B12 help you sleep?

It has been found that the vitamin works directly on the brain to help induce sleep. Vitamin B12 benefits have been demonstrated to help patients with sleep disorders, such as insomnia, who have difficulty falling asleep. It has also been shown to improve sleep in healthy individuals depending on the dose that is used.
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How much B12 does a woman need?

Who needs more B12? Most women get the recommended daily amount — 2.4 micrograms (mcg) for most adults, 2.6 mcg for pregnant women, and 2.8 mcg for women who are breastfeeding — in their diets.
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Does B12 make you sleepy?

Low levels of vitamin B-12 are more likely in people over age 50. Vitamin B-12 is also more common in those with certain conditions, like digestive problems and some types of anemia. Low vitamin B-12 can cause fatigue, weakness, memory loss, and other problems with the nervous system.
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Is banana rich in B12?

"It contains high amounts of vitamin B6 and B12, as well as magnesium and potassium. It also contains some fiber and protein." According to a 2011 article in the journal of Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology, banana peels also have "various bioactive compounds like polyphenols, carotenoids and others."
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Which vitamin B12 is best?

For prevention and treatment of vitamin B12 deficiency, cyanocobalamin in chewable, sublingual, or liquid forms (rather than in a multivitamin) is best under most circumstances.
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What food has the most B12?

What foods are high in vitamin B12?
  • Vitamin B12 is found in: Milk. ...
  • Fortified cereals. If you identify as a vegan or vegetarian, some cereals are a great source of vitamin B12. ...
  • Eggs. “Egg yolks contain more vitamin B12 than egg whites,” says Taylor. ...
  • Yogurt. ...
  • Salmon. ...
  • Tuna. ...
  • Beef. ...
  • Liver and kidneys.
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Can vitamin B12 affect your eyes?

Disturbed or blurred vision can also occur as a result of a Vitamin B12 deficiency. This happens when the deficiency causes damage to the optic nerve that leads to your eyes. The nervous signal that travels from the eye to the brain is disturbed due to this damage, leading to impaired vision.
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