How much b12 should a vegan child take
Isabella Harris
Updated on March 24, 2026
To get the full benefit of a vegan diet, vegans should do one of the following: Eat fortified foods two or three times a day to get at least three micrograms (mcg or µg) of B12 a day. OR Take one B12 supplement daily providing at least 10 micrograms. OR Take a weekly B12 supplement providing at least 2000 micrograms.
How much B12 should a child take?
Toddlers aged 1 to 3 years need 0.9 mcg of B12 per day. Kids aged 4 to 8 years need 1.2 mcg of B12 per day. Kids aged 9 to 13 need 1.8 mcg of B12 per day. Teenagers aged 14 to 18 need 2.4 mcg of B12 per day.
Is 1000 mcg of B12 enough for vegans?
Vegetarians and vegans There are currently no government recommendations for B12 supplement dosages for vegetarians. However, one study suggests that doses up to 6 mcg of vitamin B12 per day may be appropriate for vegans ( 16 ).
Is too much vitamin B12 bad for kids?
Since B12 is a water-soluble vitamin, it’s generally considered safe, even at high doses. No Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) has been established for B12, due to its low level of toxicity.How much vitamin B12 should a 12 year old take?
CategoryVitamin B-12: Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) in micrograms (mcg) For children under age 1, only an adequate intake (AI) is available1-3 years0.9 mcg/day4-8 years1.2 mcg/day9-13 years1.8 mcg/day14 years and up2.4 mcg/day
How much vitamin B12 should I take a day?
While the recommended daily amount of vitamin B-12 for adults is 2.4 micrograms, higher doses have been found to be safe. Your body absorbs only as much as it needs, and any excess passes through your urine. High doses of vitamin B-12, such as those used to treat a deficiency, might cause: Headache.
What does vitamin B12 do for children?
Vitamin B12 is important for central nervous system function, forming red blood cells and turning the food that you eat into energy. We also need vitamin B12 to form DNA(1) and RNA so that we can make new cells and grow, and for the normal function of the immune system(2).
Is 2.4 mcg the same as 1000 mcg?
2.4mcg is only approximately 1/250th of 1000mcg.Is B12 level of 1500 too high?
There is no consensus on the definition of high or elevated B12. Previous studies have chosen a variety of levels to represent high or very high B12 (pmol/l) levels. Some examples include: 664.219; 5131; 700 (high) and 1500 (very high)11; and 601 (high) and 1000 (very high)10.
Can you overdose on B12?No, you cannot overdose on B12 Medical term: A tolerable upper intake level is the highest level of nutrient intake that does not pose any adverse health effects for the majority of people. Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble vitamin, meaning it dissolves in water and is quickly absorbed by the body.
Article first time published onWhat type of B12 is best for vegans?
Methylcobalamin – A synthetic form, made in a lab by modifying cyanocobalamin. It’s the most easily usable form of B12. It’s what most vegan supplements are made from.
At what age can you take B12?
The Institute of Medicine’s Food and Nutrition Board recommends that children between 4 and 8 years old should consume 1.2 micrograms of vitamin B-12 each day. Children between 9 and 13 years old require 1.8 micrograms daily.
How much B12 do teenage girls need?
Teens should get 2.4 micrograms of vitamin B12 daily.
What does high B12 mean in a child?
An increased vitamin B12 level is uncommon. Usually, excess vitamin B12 is removed in the urine. Conditions that can increase B12 level include: Liver disease (such as cirrhosis or hepatitis ) Myeloproliferative disorders (for example, polycythemia vera and chronic myelogenous leukemia )
What are the symptoms of B12 deficiency?
- a pale yellow tinge to your skin.
- a sore and red tongue (glossitis)
- mouth ulcers.
- pins and needles (paraesthesia)
- changes in the way that you walk and move around.
- disturbed vision.
- irritability.
- depression.
How much B12 should a vegetarian take daily?
All vegans should take 250 mcg per day of a B12 supplement. All lacto-ovo vegetarians should consider taking 250 mcg per day of a B12 supplement a few times per week.
Can you overdose on vitamin B?
You’re also unlikely to get too much vitamin B if you’re taking any supplementation as directed. That said, overdose is possible — especially if you’re taking a supplement without receiving a deficiency diagnosis from your doctor. Symptoms of a vitamin B complex overdose include: excessive thirst.
Can B12 hurt your liver?
The common forms of vitamin B include vitamin B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B6 (pyridoxine) and B12 (cyanocobalamin). Except for niacin (when given in high doses), there is no evidence that the other B vitamins, in physiologic or even super-physiologic high doses cause liver injury or jaundice.
Does high B12 mean leukemia?
An abnormally high vitamin B-12 status can be an early sign of liver disease, diabetes, or certain types of leukemia. A doctor may use the results of a vitamin B-12 test to help form their diagnosis.
Is B12 level of 1400 too high?
The normal range for vitamin B12 (total) is between 200 – 1100 ng/L (nanograms per liter), 200 – 1100 pg/mL (picograms per milliliter), or 148 – 811 pmol/L (picomoles per liter). The normal range for active vitamin B12 (holoTC) is around 20 – 134 pmol/L (picomoles per liter).
What is normal range for B12?
But a normal level of vitamin B12 in your bloodstream is generally between 190 and 950 picograms per milliliter (pg/mL). Between 200 to 300 pg/mL is considered borderline and your doctor may do more testing. Below 200 pg/mL is low and more testing is needed.
What does B12 1000 mcg do?
Vitamin B12 is a nutrient that helps keep your body’s blood and nerve cells healthy and helps make DNA, the genetic material in all of your cells. Vitamin B12 also helps prevent megaloblastic anemia, a blood condition that makes people tired and weak.
Is B12 2000 mcg?
Though doses of up to 2,000 mcg of vitamin B12 are considered safe, it’s best to speak to a doctor to find out whether taking a supplement is necessary. Most people can fill their B12 needs through a healthy diet. Some, such as older adults or those with certain dietary restrictions, should supplement.
What is the generic name for vitamin B12?
Drug nameRatingCSAGeneric name: cyanocobalamin systemic Brand names: Vitamin B12, Nascobal Drug class: vitamins For consumers: dosage, interactions, side effects For professionals: Prescribing InformationView information about Nascobal NascobalRateN
Can B12 cause anxiety?
B12 Causes Psychiatric Symptoms: B12 deficiency can cause almost any psychiatric symptom, from anxiety, and panic to depression and hallucinations. This is because B12 deficiencies trigger symptoms in the nervous system and red blood cells.
Which form of vitamin B12 is best?
For prevention and treatment of vitamin B12 deficiency, cyanocobalamin in chewable, sublingual, or liquid forms (rather than in a multivitamin) is best under most circumstances.
Is B12 in a multivitamin enough for a vegan?
Vitamin B12 is only found naturally in foods from animal sources, so sources for vegans are limited and a vitamin B12 supplement may be needed. If you eat dairy products and eggs, you probably get enough.
Why is B12 sold in such high doses?
Doctors tend to prescribe these higher dosages to treat conditions related to very low vitamin B-12 levels, such as pernicious anemia. Although vitamin B-12 appears, for the most part, to be safe — even at higher dosages — more is not necessarily better.
What percentage of vegans are B12 deficient?
In this new study Professor Tom Sanders – emeritus professor of nutrition & dietetics at King’s College London explained that one in five vegans are at a grave risk of being deficient in Vitamin B12. They looked at 172 vegan men and found that around 20 percent of the study population was deficient in vitamin B12.
Can a child take vitamin B complex?
The recommended daily levels of the B-complex vitamins depend on your child’s age. There is one set of recommended levels from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) if your child is under the age of four, and there is a second set of recommended levels if they are four and up.
What vitamins does a 13 year old girl need?
- Calcium. “Calcium is the essential building block of bones and teeth,” says Andrea Giancoli, MPH, RD, a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. …
- Fiber. …
- B12 and Other B Vitamins. …
- Vitamin D. …
- Vitamin E. …
- Iron.