Should seniors take B12 or B complex?
What you absolutely want: B-12: The B vitamin older people are most likely to need is vitamin B-12 because absorption of B-12 from foods can decrease with age, while B-12 from supplements is easier to absorb. The recommended intake of B-12 is quite small — just 2.4 mcg per day.
Research shows vitamin B12 and B complex are safe to take together. However, it's important to note that many B complex vitamins already contain B12. If you do want to take both vitamins, make sure to maximize the benefit by finding a B complex blend that contains other essential vitamins.
Dosages for Older People
Around this age, you should be getting around 2.4 micrograms of B12 a day. Not only does this mean consciously eating foods that contain vitamin B12 but it also means that you should ingest this vitamin as a supplement. By taking supplements, you will ensure that your body absorbs vitamin B12.
Safety and side effects
When taken at appropriate doses, vitamin B-12 supplements are generally considered safe. While the recommended daily amount of vitamin B-12 for adults is 2.4 micrograms, higher doses have been found to be safe. Your body absorbs only as much as it needs, and any excess passes through your urine.
Adults over 50 years of age should meet the Recommended Dietary Allowance by consuming vitamin B12 in the crystalline form, which does not require gastric acid or enzymes for initial digestion.
Older adults
People who are 65 or older may benefit from a B-complex supplement. Research shows that older adults are more susceptible to vitamin B12 deficiency. Some evidence suggests that having higher levels of B12 may help slow the aging of the brain.
Interactions between your drugs
No interactions were found between Super B Complex and Vitamin B12.
All B vitamins are water-soluble and cannot be stored by the body. The good news is you can't 'overdose' on the B vitamins as your body will simply excrete what you don't need or use. Therefore, it is acceptable to have other multivitamins with Vitamin B12 and B Complex vitamins.
Vitamin B complex appears to be safe for most people to take as the body does not store any excess but eliminates it in urine. When taking supplements, however, it is essential to follow the instructions as taking too much of some B vitamins may have adverse effects.
Potential Side Effects. Here's the good news about vitamin B12: Few – if any – side effects are ever reported. That's because it's a water-soluble vitamin, which means the body can get rid of any excess B12 through urine.
Is 5000 mcg of B12 too much for seniors?
Supplementing with vitamin B12 may be important for vegetarians, vegans, and older adults who may not absorb nutrients as easily. There is no upper limit for vitamin B12, and most supplements provide between 500 mcg to 5,000 mcg of B12 daily to meet various nutritional needs [2].
With that in mind, let's go back to our initial question: how much vitamin B12 should a person over 65 take? Recent reports suggest that, along with a B12-rich diet, consuming 500 micrograms of B12 in the form of a supplement may help individuals over 65 maintain healthy vitamin B12 levels [2].
Other medications can also interfere with your uptake of vitamin B12, possibly raising your risk for deficiency. These medications include antacids and peptic ulcer medications, cholesterol-lowering drugs, antiseizure medications, chemotherapy medications, the diabetes treatment glucophage (Metformin) and others.
A blood test showing a serum vitamin B12 level between 300 and 350 pg/mL is ideal for seniors, while anything between 200 and 900 pg/mL is considered normal. An elderly person should be getting 2.5 micrograms of B12 per day.
Vitamin B-12 is one of the few vitamins Mayo Clinic experts routinely recommend for older adults. Vitamin B-12 plays a role in red blood cell formation, cell metabolism, nerve function and bone health.
If you have severe anemia, this medication may rarely cause low potassium levels in the blood (hypokalemia) as your body makes new red blood cells. Tell your doctor right away if any of these serious side effects occur: muscle cramps, weakness, irregular heartbeat.
- Feeling very tired or weak.
- Experiencing nausea, vomiting or diarrhea.
- Not feeling as hungry as usual.
- Weight loss.
- Having a sore mouth or tongue.
- Having yellowish skin.
Many older adults don't have enough hydrochloric acid in their stomach to absorb the vitamin B12 that's naturally present in food. People over 50 should get most of their vitamin B12 from fortified foods or dietary supplements because, in most cases, their bodies can absorb vitamin B12 from these sources.
If you have any of the following health problems, consult your doctor or pharmacist before using this product: diabetes, liver problems, vitamin B12 deficiency (pernicious anemia). Chewable tablets or liquid products may contain aspartame.
If you're a senior looking for an effective and high-quality vitamin B12 supplement, we highly recommend the Life Extension B12 Elite. The B12 Elite contains two neurologically active forms of B12: adenosylcobalamin and methylcobalamin, which are better for your brain than other forms of B12.
Should I take B complex 50 or 100?
She pointed out that the B-100 Complex has 100 mg of B-6 which is the recommended daily LIMIT for B-6. Since B-6 is added to many foods, especially grains, and also occurs naturally in many other foods, you could get too much. Not dangerous to take B-100, just more sensible to take the B-50, as you get all you need.
| Women | Men | |
|---|---|---|
| B6 (pyridoxine) | 1.3 mg | 1.3 mg |
| B7 (biotin) | 30 mcg (AI) | 30 mcg (AI) |
| B9 (folate) | 400 mcg | 400 mcg |
| B12 (cobalamin) | 2.4 mcg | 2.4 mcg |
Because they're water-soluble, you can take them with or without food and at any time of the day. That said, it's often recommended to take B vitamins in the morning due to their important role in nutrient metabolism and energy production.
Other side effects of vitamin B12 injections are more serious. Early on in treatment, these injections can cause pulmonary embolism (a blood clot that travels to one of your lungs from somewhere else in your body and blocks blood flow in the affected lung) and congestive heart failure.
A serum vitamin B12 level between 200 pg/mL and 900 pg/mL is considered normal, but a threshold of 300 to 350 pg/mL is recognized as a marker for a desirable status in the elderly. The laboratory diagnosis is usually based on low serum vitamin B12 levels or elevated serum methylmalonic acid and hom*ocysteine levels.
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