Vitamin B 12 (Systemic)
Category- Antianemic - Cyanocobalamin; Hydroxocobalamin
- Diagnostic
aid, vitamin B 12
deficiency - Cyanocobalamin; Hydroxocobalamin
- Nutritional supplement, vitamin - Cyanocobalamin; Hydroxocobalamin
DescriptionVitamins (VYE-ta-mins)
are compounds that you must
have for growth and
health. They are needed in small amounts only and are usually available in
the foods that you eat. Vitamin B 12
is necessary
for healthy blood. Cyanocobalamin and hydroxocobalamin are man-made forms
of vitamin B 12
.
Some people have a medical problem called pernicious anemia in which vitamin
B 12
is not absorbed from the intestine. Others
may have a badly diseased intestine or have had a large part of their stomach
or intestine removed, so that vitamin B 12
cannot
be absorbed. These people need to receive vitamin B 12
by injection.
Some conditions may increase your need for vitamin B 12
. These include:
-
Alcoholism
-
Anemia, hemolytic
-
Fever (continuing)
-
Genetic disorders such as homocystinuria and/or methylmalonic aciduria
-
Intestine diseases
-
Infections (continuing or chronic)
-
Kidney disease
-
Liver disease
-
Pancreas disease
-
Stomach disease
-
Stress (continuing)
-
Thyroid disease
-
Worm infections
In addition, persons that are strict vegetarians or have macrobiotic diets
may need vitamin B 12
supplements.
Increased need for vitamin B 12
should be
determined by your health care professional.
Lack of vitamin B 12
may lead to anemia (weak
blood), stomach problems, and nerve damage. Your health care professional
may treat this by prescribing vitamin B 12
for
you.
Claims that vitamin B 12
is effective for
treatment of various conditions such as aging, allergies, eye problems, slow
growth, poor appetite or malnutrition, skin problems, tiredness, mental problems,
sterility, thyroid disease, and nerve diseases have not been proven. Many
of these treatments involve large and expensive amounts of vitamins.
Injectable vitamin B 12
is given by or under
the supervision of a health care professional. Some strengths of oral vitamin
B 12
are available only with your health care
professional's prescription. Others are available without a prescription.
Vitamin B 12
is available in the following
dosage forms: Oral
-
Cyanocobalamin
-
Extended-release tablets (U.S.)
-
Tablets (U.S. and Canada)
Parenteral
-
Cyanocobalamin
-
Injection (U.S. and Canada)
-
Hydroxocobalamin
Importance of DietVitamin B 12
is found in various foods, including
fish, egg yolk, milk, and fermented cheeses. It is not
found in any vegetables. Ordinary cooking probably does not destroy
the vitamin B 12
in food.
Vitamins alone will not take the place of a good diet and will not provide
energy. Your body also needs other substances found in food, such as protein,
minerals, carbohydrates, and fat. Vitamins themselves often cannot work without
the presence of other foods.
The daily amount of vitamin B 12
needed is
defined in several different ways.
For U.S. -
-
Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) are the amount of vitamins
and minerals needed to provide for adequate nutrition in most healthy persons.
RDAs for a given nutrient may vary depending on a person's age, sex, and physical
condition (e.g., pregnancy).
-
Daily Values (DVs) are used on food and dietary supplement labels
to indicate the percent of the recommended daily amount of each nutrient that
a serving provides. DV replaces the previous designation of United States
Recommended Daily Allowances (USRDAs).
For Canada -
-
Recommended Nutrient Intakes (RNIs) are used to determine the amounts
of vitamins, minerals, and protein needed to provide adequate nutrition and
lessen the risk of chronic disease.
Normal daily recommended intakes in micrograms (mcg) for vitamin B 12
are generally defined as follows:
Persons |
U.S.
(mcg) |
Canada
(mcg) |
Infants and children
Birth to 3 years of age |
0.3-0.7 |
0.3-0.4 |
4 to 6 years of age |
1 |
0.5 |
7 to 10 years of age |
1.4 |
0.8-1 |
Adolescent and adult males |
2 |
1-2 |
Adolescent and adult females |
2 |
1-2 |
Pregnant females |
2.2 |
2-3 |
Breast-feeding females |
2.6 |
1.5-2.5 |
Brand NamesSome commonly used brand names are:
In the U.S. -
- Alphamin 2
- Cobex 1
- Cobolin-M 1
- Crystamine 1
- Crysti-12 1
- Cyanoject 1
- Cyomin 1
- Hydrobexan 2
- Hydro-Cobex 2
- Hydro-Crysti-12 2
- Hydroxy-Cobal 2
- LA-12 2
- Neuroforte-R 1
- Nascobal 1
- Primabalt 1
- Rubramin PC 1
- Shovite 1
- Vibal 1
- Vibal LA 2
- Vitabee 12 1
In Canada -
Note:
|
For quick reference, the following supplements are numbered
to match the corresponding brand names.
|
This information applies to the following: |
1. |
Cyanocobalamin (sye-an-oh-koe-BAL-a-min)‡§ |
2. |
Hydroxocobalamin (hye-drox-oh-koe-BAL-a-min)†‡ |
† Not commercially available in Canada |
‡ Generic name product may be available
in the U.S. |
§ Generic name product may be available
in Canada |
|