Vitamin B12 Dosage

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12 Dec 2020

What are Dr Greger's Vitamin B12 guidelines?

How Much B12?

Dosage by life stage: A chart from How much vitamin B12 should I take? (2020)

An excerpt from Dr Greger's Optimum Nutrition Recommendations (written 2011; updated 2019)

At least 2,000 mcg (µg) cyanocobalamin once each week, ideally as a chewable, sublingual, or liquid supplement taken on an empty stomach
- or at least 50 mcg daily of supplemental cyanocobalamin (you needn’t worry about taking too much)
- or servings of B12-fortified foods three times a day (at each meal), each containing at least 190% of the Daily Value listed on the nutrition facts label (based on the new labeling mandated to start January 1, 2020—the target is 4.5 mcg three times a day).
Those over 65 years of age should take at least 1,000 mcg (µg) cyanocobalamin every day.
Tip: If experiencing deficiency symptoms, the best test is a urine MMA (not serum B12 level)

Another article: (2011) Vitamin B12: how much, how often? by Dr Greger.

(2020) The Optimal Vitamin B12 Dosage for Adults

(6 mins) Transcript.

(2020) The Optimal Vitamin B12 Dosage for Kids, Pregnancy, and Seniors

(6 mins) Transcript.

(2012) Vitamin B12 Recommendation Change

(2 mins) Transcript. Dr Greger's summary: "Based on two biomarkers of functional vitamin B12 (cobalamin) status, B12 recommendations formulated more than a half century ago may need to be updated."

Methylcobalamin Or Cyanocobalamin?

Dr Greger recommends cyanocobalamin. Why? See the article Which type of vitamin B12 is best, which points to this video: The Best Type of Vitamin B12: Cyanocobalamin or Methylcobalamin? (7 mins, 2020).

Empty Stomach?

An excerpt from Dr Greger's Optimum Nutrition Recommendations (written 2011; updated 2019) in which he recommends consuming B12 on an empty stomach.

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