Is vitamin B12 stored in the body?

Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble vitamin. Water-soluble vitamins dissolve in water. After the body uses these vitamins, leftover amounts leave the body through the urine. The body can store vitamin B12 for years in the liver.

Why is vitamin B12 important?

Vitamin B12 is needed to form red blood cells and DNA. It is also a key player in the function and development of brain and nerve cells. Vitamin B12 binds to the protein in the foods we eat. In the stomach, hydrochloric acid and enzymes unbind vitamin B12 into its free form.

What is vitamin B12 short answer?

Case in point: Vitamin B12. According to long-standing research, B12 is vital for healthy nerves, production of blood cells and even optimal brain function. In fact, studies suggest that even a mild deficiency in vitamin B12 may put older adults at risk for dementia.

How long does vitamin B12 stay in blood?

Generally speaking, around 50 to 98% of the vitamin B12 taken is excreted from the body 48 hours after injection. Other studies have shown that vitamin B12 has a half-life of around six days in the blood, which means that it would take six days before half of the administered amount is excreted from the body.

What causes B12 not to be absorbed?

Your body also might not absorb enough vitamin B12 if: You have a disease that affects how nutrients are absorbed in your intestines, such as Crohn’s disease, HIV, or some infections. You have certain bad bacteria in your intestines. You take some medicines, such as antibiotics and anti-seizure drugs.

What is the range of vitamin B12?

Normal Results Normal values are 160 to 950 picograms per milliliter (pg/mL), or 118 to 701 picomoles per liter (pmol/L). Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Some labs use different measurements or may test different samples.

What causes vitamin B12 deficiency?

Some people can develop a vitamin B12 deficiency as a result of not getting enough vitamin B12 from their diet. A diet that includes meat, fish and dairy products usually provides enough vitamin B12, but people who do not regularly eat these foods can become deficient.

Which vitamin B12 is best?

The vitamin itself is available in several forms, most commonly methylcobalamin and cyanocobalamin. However, the best option is clear. “Go for the methylcobalamin form of vitamin B12 because it is absorbed much better by the body than other forms of vitamin B12,” says Dr.

How is B12 produced in the body?

It is synthesized by some bacteria in the gut microbiota in humans and other animals, but it has long been thought that humans cannot absorb this as it is made in the colon, downstream from the small intestine, where the absorption of most nutrients occurs.

What causes B12 levels to drop?

Even though the vitamin is found in many foods, B12 insufficiency and deficiency are relatively common. This is often due to limited dietary intake, malabsorption, certain medical conditions, or the use of B12-depleting medications ( 2 , 3 , 4 ).