The Complete Guide To Vitamin B12

What foods provide vitamin B12?

The majority of people get their vitamin B12 from animal products. However, with the rise in vegan and plant-based diets, other foods and supplements have become more popular. Fortified cereals, algae, seaweed, nutritional yeast, oat and almond milk, and certain meat substitutes like Impossible contain vitamin B12. Supplement stores and online health stores have also risen in popularity and accessibility.

For Brits and connoisseurs out there, Marmite is a good source of vitamin B12 that’s also vegetarian.

Some types of regular and vegan protein powder have added B12.

When is the best time to take vitamin B12?

If you solely rely on food for your B12, you’re best to eat those food sources over the course of the day. Vitamin B12 has low bioavailability, meaning it’s difficult for our body to absorb it all at once, even if we eat a meal that’s rich in B12. So, the best way to get the most out of your food is to eat it in smaller quantities over the course of a day rather than all at once.

When we do take in enough B12, the liver can store it and release it adequately for up to a few years, so you don’t have to eat salmon each and every day to keep it topped up. In contrast, vitamin C does need to be topped up daily due to how quickly our body uses it up. As we grow older, we produce less stomach acid to break down foods. So, we may have to get our B12 from fortified sources such as cereal and plant-based milk because they do not need to be broken down by the stomach acid for us to absorb the B12 within them. It's important for expectant mothers to get enough B12 before conception and during pregnancy—with a higher RDA than anyone else—so prenatal vitamins almost always include it.

How much vitamin B12 should I take?

• Birth to 6 months: 0.4 mcg
• Infants 7–12 months: 0.5 mcg
• Children 1–3 years: 0.9 mcg
• Children 4–8 years: 1.2 mcg
• Children 9–13 years: 1.8 mcg
• Teens 14–18 years: 2.4 mcg
• Adults: 2.4 mcg
• Pregnant teens and women: 2.6 mcg
• Breastfeeding teens and women: 2.8 mcg

Vitamin B12 supplements

You can choose the source of your B12 based on your lifestyle. If you have a B12 deficiency, can’t get enough from your diet, or simply prefer the peace of mind a guaranteed dose will provide, we recommend a supplement. Kosi has developed a 1000 mcg (1 mg) daily B12 vitamin supplement in tablet form. Why such a high dose? This is a common dosage in Canadian supplement stores. Your body will only absorb around 20 mcg from each tablet. Excess B12 can then be stored in the liver for later use by your body for 3 to 5 years (which is why people who switch to a plant-based diet don’t immediately become deficient).

Why not just go to the vitamin store near your home? Well, no artificial fillers, gluten, lactose, or yeast are added to our B12 vitamin supplements.

What happens if you don’t get enough vitamin B12? 

People with B12 deficiency initially notice feeling lightheaded, shortness of breath, and heart palpitations. Doctors may advise patients who stop eating meat to add B12-rich foods or supplements to their diet and have occasional tests. If you have a persistent vitamin B12 deficiency it can cause a range of symptoms including fatigue, weakness, depression, irritability, insomnia, forgetfulness, headaches, and even a swollen red tongue. If left untreated the deficiency could result in issues with walking, neurological damage, anemia, and even paralysis.

Vitamin B12 supplements from KOSI Wellness

If you’re looking online for vitamin B12 supplements in Canada, check out KOSI’s Vitamin B12 Tablets. Check back soon for more insights into holistic health. Our goal is to empower wellness from within with our health supplements.