Every person should consume a certain amount of vitamin B12 every day, starting from birth. The recommended daily allowances for vitamin B12 are:  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. A lack of vitamin B12 can cause symptoms such as fatigue, a loss of appetite, constipation, and weight loss. However, these symptoms can also be an indication of a different disorder or issue. It’s important that you speak to your doctor and receive an official vitamin B12 deficiency diagnosis before you take vitamin B12 supplements.  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. There are two types of vitamin B12 supplements that you can take, cyanocobalamin and methylcobalamin. Cyanocobalamin is the inactive form of vitamin B12 but it works as well as methylcobalamin, which is the active form of vitamin B12. Most supplements that contain methylcobalamin are more expensive than supplements that contain cyanocobalamin.  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. When buying vitamin B12 supplements from health food stores or in the vitamin aisle of your local pharmacy, you should look for information on the label confirming the supplement is derived from whole foods. Though vitamins derived from whole foods may be more expensive, this will ensure the vitamin is of the highest quality. 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. Many supplements use independent labs to test their products and receive seals of approval for their quality. Look on the label of the supplements from seals of approval from Consumer Labs, the Natural Products Association (NPA), LabDoor, and the United States Pharmacopeia. 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. Folate is vitamin B12 that is naturally found in many foods, but folic acid is the synthetic form of folate and should be avoided. 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.
حدد حاجتك اليومية من فيتامين ب12. اطلب من طبيبك تشخيص ما إذا كنت تعاني من نقص فيتامين ب12. اعرف أنه يوجد نوعان من مكملات فيتامين ب12. ابحث عن مكملات فيتامين ب12 المشتقة من أطعمة كاملة. ابحث عن أختام معامل خاصة على العلبة. ابحث عن مكملات فيتامين ب12 تحتوي على الفوليت وليس حمض الفوليك.