The best time of the day to take B12 for maximum absorption

Vitamin B12 does a lot of important things for your body, like helping you metabolize energy, helping in the production of red blood cells and DNA, and promoting a healthy brain and nervous system. While most of us have enough of this nutrient, a supplement is sometimes necessary (more about it!).

However, making the most of your vitamin B12 supplement does not just concern the pill. Factors such as food, age, health problems and drugs you take can all have an impact on how your body absorbs B12. But done When Do you take your B12 supplement?

To find out, we asked a registered dietitian. Read the rest to learn the best time to take vitamin B12, factors that influence your absorption, as well as expert advice to get the most out of your supplement.

Factors affecting the absorption of vitamin B12

Most healthy adults need 2.4 micrograms of vitamin B12 per day. However, this number goes to 2.6 mcg if you are pregnant and 2.8 mcg if you are breastfeeding.

This nutrient is easily absorbed, but some factors affect its absorption, like these:

Gastric acid

Vitamin B12 in food is closely attached to a protein that prevents its digestion, explains Trista Best, RD. During the digestive process, the acid which is naturally present in your stomach separates this link, releasing B12 from this protein for a Easy absorption.

As critical as gastric acid is for the absorption of B12 of food, the B12 in supplements is not linked to a protein. Thus, the amount of gastric acid that you do – or not – production does not matter.

Intrinsic factor

What matters is the availability of a protein produced in the stomach, called an intrinsic factor, which facilitates the absorption of B12. Whether you get your B12 of food or supplements, you will not be able to absorb it without sufficient intrinsic factor.

Drugs

Some drugs can prevent your ability from effectively absorbing vitamin B12. The most important is perhaps metformin, used to treat prediabetes and diabetes. Although health experts do not know why metformin alters the absorption of B12, this medication has long been linked to B12 deficiency. If you take metformin, be sure to speak with your doctor to find out if you need to be tested for a B12 deficiency, which may have symptoms such as anemia, neuropathy, cognitive problems and depression.

Stomach burns and gastroesophageal reflux can also alter the absorption of vitamin B12 by reducing gastric acid. However, as the additional B12 does not require gastric acid for absorption, it is only a problem for B12 of food.

Health problems

People living with certain health conditions are more likely to have trouble absorbing B12, in particular:

Age

The capacity of your stomach to produce acid naturally decreases as you age, which increases the risk of deficiency in B12. Consequently, the National Institutes of Health recommend that people over 50 are taking a B12 supplement or adding foods enriched with B12 to their diet.

Diet

You can only get significant quantities of B12 from animal food. The best sources include beef liver, clams, oysters, salmon and chopped beef, although it is also in nutritional yeast. If you eat animal food and have no underlying problem that predisposes you to the deficiency, you probably get enough B12. However, if you are a strict or vegan vegetarian, a B12 supplement is essential.

The shape of your supplement

For those who find it difficult to absorb the B12 due to a low intrinsic factor or intestinal problems, taking B12 SUBLING (under the language) or the reception of B12 injections is an excellent alternative, said the best.

Optimal moment for vitamin B12 intake

B12 is a vitamin soluble in water, which means that it dissolves in water (in comparison, fat -soluble vitamins, such as vitamins A, D, E and K, need fat for the absorption). Although B12 is not stored in large quantities in the body, you can store part of it. According to the NIH, our bodies generally store 1,000 to 2,000 times the amount of vitamin B12 that we eat in one day.

Because vitamins soluble in water, like B12, do not need other nutrients to help their absorption, the best time to take your B12 supplement is when this is most practical for you. If it is with breakfast, great, but take it with dinner or even on an empty stomach between meals will work as well.

However, if you take metformin, you will want to make sure to take your supplement and your medication several hours apart.

Potential secondary effects and considerations

Because B12 is soluble in water, excessive quantities are generally excreted in the urine. Toxicity is therefore rare. However, cyanocobalamine, the most commonly used form of additional vitamin B12, can be problematic for people with renal failure because this form of B12 contains aluminum.

That said, before taking a new supplement, it is wise to speak with your health care provider, which can confirm if you have a deficiency thanks to a blood test, says the best.

The bottom line

Vitamin B12 is a vital nutrient for global health because it helps support red blood cells and DNA production, energy metabolism, nervous function and brain health. The good news is that most of us have enough of this nutrient. However, if you are over 50 years old, take the metformin of diabetes drugs, live with a digestive disorder or are a vegan or strict vegetarian, you may need an additional.

If you ask yourself the best time to take your B12 supplement, each time of the day works until you combine it with drugs that interfere with its absorption, such as metformin. That said, before taking a new supplement, it is always a good idea to consult your health care provider to make sure that this is suitable for your unique nutritional needs.