IBD Day – What is IBD?
On the 19th of May, it is National IBD Day. IBD stands for Inflammatory Bowel Disease. It is the umbrella
If you’ve been told you have a vitamin B12 deficiency or you want to give your general health a boost, a supplement is an affordable and convenient way to get vitamin B12 into your system.
The most common type of B12 supplement available at the pharmacy are tablets or liquids. You can buy tablets in bottles of 30, 60 or 120 and you take one a day.
Liquid B12 supplements come with a dropper, and you either take 1ml once a day or 0.5ml twice a day, depending on the supplement brand. Place the liquid under your tongue, or add it to a drink or food if you prefer.
Supplements you take by mouth are absorbed through your gut with the help of a protein called intrinsic factor. Some people can’t absorb vitamin B12 because of a problem with the intrinsic factor protein. Most commonly this effects people who have pernicious anaemia or Crohn’s disease.
Therefore, people who can’t absorb vitamin B12 are usually treated with injections because an injection goes straight into the blood stream and doesn’t involve the stomach or gut.
Those who have a B12 deficiency because they don’t eat enough meat, fish or dairy, but can adsorb vitamin B12, can take supplements.
Vitamin B12 plays an essential ‘part in making healthy red blood cells. Red blood cells are used to carry oxygen around the body so that your nervous system functions normally. A vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to pernicious anaemia and neurological problems such as speech and balance difficulties.
B12 is not naturally present in plant-based foods. If you are vegan or vegetarian, then it is recommended you eat foods fortified with vitamin B12 and take a daily supplement.
If you eat meat, fish and diary then you should be getting some vitamin B12 from your diet.
Good sources of vitamin B12 are found in:
According to the NHS adults should have around 1.5mcg per day which they say you should be able to obtain from your diet if you eat meat, fish or dairy. If you don’t and you need a supplement, you can take up to 2mg a day.
Anyone taking supplements because of low energy levels should feel the benefit within a few weeks. If you have had a blood test which shows a B12 deficiency, it’s advisable to take supplements until your B12 level is back to normal.
If you are being treated for anaemia or problems with neurological symptoms then it might take a few months and you’ll usually be treated with injections rather than tablets.
Yes. You can, but if you take vitamin C as well, it is generally advised to separate each dose by a few hours rather than taking them together. This is because vitamin C in large doses can reduce the absorption of vitamin B12.
We stock vitamin B12 supplements in tablet and liquid form. You can buy them over the counter, without a prescription. We’re happy to give advice about brands and dosage, to make sure you choose the supplement that’s right for you. Just ask to speak to a member of staff, we’re always happy to help.
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On the 19th of May, it is National IBD Day. IBD stands for Inflammatory Bowel Disease. It is the umbrella
Anaemia can leave you tired and fatigued. Read our short guide to find out more about the symptoms of anaemia and how they can be treated.
