How dangerous is it to go one or two days without B12?

Question

No more soymilk left and the supermarket's closed!

Answer 1

It's really not a big deal.  I've gone weeks without supplementing before and I didn't really notice a drastic change.  A bit less energy and a tougher time paying attention to things, but it wasn't like I became pallid and almost died.

Answer 2

i don't think it's any dangerous. I used to hardly consume vitamin B12 and i'm still alive.

Answer 3

Its Not.

Answer 4

B12 is stored in your body for a long, long time.  Many vegetarians who ate meat until adolescence or early adulthood have stores that can last 20 or 30 years.  So, if you have a regular source of B12, you likely have stores that will cover you against any deficiency for quite some time.  A couple of days would be no issue at all.  B12 deficiency is nothing to toy with, though, so do make sure that you have a reliable source; many vegans take high dose sublingual B12 "dots" like once a week or so and do just fine that way.

Edit to miss brittanychantal: vitamin D is the "sunshine vitamin," not vitamin B12.  D is the only vitamin we can make ourselves; we have to have a dietary source for every single one of the rest of them.

Answer 5

I think you're going to be okay.

Answer 6

Not a threat to health at all.

Vitamin B12 is stored in the liver.

Your body will simply take the B12 it needs out of storage. But in an ideal situation you should top up your B12 levels daily.

You'll be fine.

Answer 7

I have been a pescatarian for a year.  As of today I am not going to eat fish anymore so I am completely a vegetarian.  I haven't taken any b12 in about 10 months and I am doing fine.  I probably should though and you should too...Thanks for reminding me!

Answer 8

You never go without B12 , step out into the sun and soak some up !

Answer 9

You can go 1 or 2 years without B12, and you'll be fine.  

B12 is stored and recycled in the human body.  You'd have to be completely without dietary vitamin B12 for a long time before you'd become depleted (barring of course any physiological anomoly putting you at risk otherwise, but that's rare).

I was an un-supplemented vegan a year before having my serum cyanocobalmin (vitamin B12) level checked, and my levels were still fine.

No worries.  You're fine.

Answer 10

Our bodies store B12 so don't worry about missing it for a few days.

Answer 11

Its not dangerous to go a couple of days, it is only detrimental to your health in the long term.

Answer 12

Why B12 is so important

Vitamin B12 is an absolutely vital nutrient.

The human body only needs and uses B12 in tiny quantities (1). This means that it takes quite a long time to become deficient in B12.(2)

However, a deficiency of this vitamin can cause extremely serious health problems and can have lasting consequences.(3)



Where do we get B12, and what does this mean for vegetarians?

Vitamin B12 is found in many animal-derived foods. For example, meat, liver, and to a lesser extent, fish, eggs, dairy produce and brewers' yeast all contain B12.(4)

B12 is produced by a micro-organism. This means that plant foods like cereals, fruit and vegetables, nuts, and legumes don't inherently contain B12.(5)

Herbivorous animals like cattle and sheep produce B12 within their own digestive system, and absorb it into their bodies.(6)

B12 is also found in dirt and insects. It seems likely that in our "original" state, human beings absorbed enough B12 by eating foods grown and harvested in natural environments like forests. However, human beings can't produce their own B12, and in the modern world much of our food is produced in a "hygienic" way involving sprays, washing and so on, which remove the B12 sources from our plant-based foods.(7)

What this means for vegetarians is that a pure vegetarian diet will probably not contain sufficient B12 for your body's needs.



Sources of B12 for pure vegetarians

Vegetarians who don't eat dairy products or eggs need to ensure that they get adequate vitamin B12 for their body's needs.

There are several possible sources of B12 for pure vegetarians. Various information circulates on this topic and it's really important not to believe everything you hear - it's vital to be well informed and to make sure you take care of your B12 requirements. The safest way to ensure this is to take a B12 supplement.



Plant foods

Some plant foods are considered as possible sources of B12. These include spirulina, sea vegetables, fermented products like miso and tempeh, and mushrooms. However, it has been shown that they either do not contain enough B12, or do not contain the right kind of B12 to meet the body's requirements.

Plant foods like these are NOT reliable sources of adequate B12. (8)



B12 Fortified foods

Many foods, especially foods designed for vegetarians or vegans, contain added B12. If relying on fortified foods for your B12 requirements, it's important to check the label to see how much B12 the product contains.(9) (If in doubt, take a supplement and/or ask your doctor for a B12 test.)

It's also important to check HOW the B12 is listed. Vitamin B12 must be listed on the Nutritional Information panel in order for the product to be a reliable source of B12. If the B12 is listed as an ingredient, but the vitamin's quantity is absent from the Nutritional Information panel, the recommended daily intake can't be verified so the product shouldn't be relied on as a source of B12. This may be because the product doesn't contain enough vitamin B12. In addition, the usefulness of the B12 content depends on the type of B12 in the food. B12 occurring naturally in foods is not necessarily effective for the human body.(10)

Answer 13

Not a problem ...just make sure you have an ample supply next time...

Answer 14

No biggie. Just don't make a habit of it.

Answer 15

One can go 10 days without food altogether, you'll probably be okay.

....But last time I took a B supplement, I felt like throwing up.  B vitamins are.... ewwee.

Answer 16

Hardly dangerous at all.  The body "reuses" B12 and very little is needed anyway.