Toxicity of Vitamin B12

Vitamin B are of eight different types, and Vitamin B12 is one of them. Vitamin B12 has a very complex structure and one of the rarest element cobalt is present in this vitamin. This form of vitamin B has a significant role as it controls various important functions of your body. It is responsible for cell metabolism and formation of blood in the body. It ensure normal functioning of the brain and nervous system. In general, toxicity of vitamin B12 is quite low because it is soluble in water. It happens mainly due to overdose of Vitamin B12 supplement.

Who Need Vitamin B12 Supplement?
The main sources of vitamin B12 are meats and various dairy products. For this reason, vegans are susceptible to deficiency of vitamin B12. The stomach has the capacity to produce a proteinaceous substance known as Intrinsic Factor which is essential for the absorption of vitamin B12. With the increase in age, production of this protein in the stomach decreases, which leads to deficiency of vitamin B12 in elderly people. Pregnant women tend to have low level of vitamin B12 in their body. These people require vitamin B12 supplement to restore normal levels of the vitamin in their body.

Side Effects of Vitamin B12
Some people are allergic to cobalt. Therefore, these people should strictly avoid this vitamin supplement. Some minor side effects of vitamin B12 are diarrhea, itching, swelling and skin rashes. Usually, these symptoms disappear within a day. However, if the skin eruptions turn severe, then proper medical treatment is required. Some other side effects that are observed after ingestion of the dietary supplement are chest pain, breathing problems, heart palpitation, insomnia, anxiety, panic attacks, etc. These symptoms can persist for quite a few months even after stopping the supplement.

Toxicity of Vitamin B12
A heavy dosage of supplemental form of vitamin B12 is mostly considered harmless as the part of unabsorbed vitamin readily dissolves in water and can be thrown out of the body through the colon. If its high doses are used for a prolonged time, then a large amount of the vitamin get accumulated in the body. When there is a substantial rise in the level of vitamin B12 in the body, it increases the possibility of different types of cancer and other ailments.

There is a link between cancer and vitamin B12 overdose. This is because, intake of Vitamin B12 as a supplement activates cell division. However, it fails to identify healthy and unhealthy cells. As a result, it adversely facilitates the growth of cancerous cells too. Patients using vitamin B12 to treat pernicious anemia may develop leukemia. Presence of excess vitamin B12 in the body can increase the risk of prostate cancer. If it is taken along with high cholesterol diet and animal proteins, then it may lead to stomach and esophagus cancer in future.

Toxicity of vitamin B12 can cause diseases that affect the blood and blood vessels. It can be responsible for polycythemia vera. This is a blood disorder which is characterized by overproduction of red blood cells and an abnormal rise in overall volume of blood. Too much of vitamin B12 can trigger clotting of blood inside the blood vessels. When high doses of vitamin B12 injections are administered for the treatment of megaloblastic anemia, it has been found that some patients developed serious health problems like hypokalemia and gout.

The problem of vitamin B12 toxicity arises mostly because there is no definite upper limit of vitamin B12 consumption. So, when a person is suffering from vitamin B12 deficiency, he or she should take supplemental form of the vitamin only in moderate amounts in order to prevent its overdose. Moreover, it is equally important that it should be taken only after consultation with the doctor.