How to Best Absorb Vitamin B-12 Supplements

We only need very small amounts of vitamin B-12, but it is one of our most potent vitamins, essential to the health of the nervous system. It also plays a role in the production of DNA and protein from amino acids.

Things You'll Need

• Folic Acids
• Vitamin B-12

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Instructions

• 1

  Take vitamin B-12 with folic acid. Folic acid helps enhance vitamin B-12's action in lowering homocysteine, an amino acid that can increase the risk of heart disease, some birth defects and Alzheimer's disease when present in high levels.

• 2

  Separate your doses of vitamin C and vitamin B-12 by at least an hour. Large doses of vitamin C may destroy vitamin B-12.

• 3

  Stop smoking or increase supplemental vitamin B-12. Tobacco decreases absorption.

• 4

  Cut back on alcohol if you are a heavy drinker. In addition to its other detrimental health effects, excessive alcohol intake can lead to a vitamin B-12 deficiency.

• 5

  Check your medications. Certain drugs, such as cholestyramine, colchicine and neomycin (oral form only) reduce vitamin B-12 absorption. You may need to take extra supplementation.

• 6

  Avoid taking large doses of folic acid without increasing your dose of vitamin B-12. Megadoses of folic acid can decrease vitamin B-12 levels in the blood.

• 7

  Check your potassium supplement or prescription. It can reduce absorption of vitamin B-12 when taken in the extended release form. You may need extra B-12.

• 8

  Assess the health of your digestive tract. A special digestive hormone called the intrinsic factor is needed for absorption of vitamin B-12. Certain illnesses and digestive disorders can hinder this process.