Health & Wellness

Does Vitamin B12 Increase Iron Levels?

Looking for does vitamin B12 increase iron levels? Vitamin B12 is essential for multiple reasons. For one, it helps to boost energy levels and supports a healthy nervous system. It’s also necessary to develop red blood cells, which help deliver oxygen to your body.

If you’re wondering if taking vitamin B12 supplements will increase your iron levels, the answer is yes. Many health experts recommend that people who are low in iron take a vitamin B12 supplement to help raise their levels.

You may be deficient in vitamin B12. This essential vitamin can be found in many foods, such as meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy products, and legumes.

While vitamin B12 is easy to get from a healthy diet, some people may not get enough from their food due to a lack of absorption or a deficiency.

In This Article

Does vitamin b12 increase iron levels?

Does vitamin b12 increase iron levels

Yes, taking vitamin B12 can improve iron levels in your blood. Vitamin B-12 stimulates methionine synthase, an enzyme with several essential activities, including assisting your body in using folate, which is required to create new DNA during cell division.

Typically, roughly 1% of the red blood cells in your circulation are replaced by new cells each day, ensuring that the quantity of red blood cells in your circulation is always sufficient to give oxygen to your cells, tissues, and organs.

When you don’t get enough vitamin B-12, your useable folate levels drop, limiting the development of new red blood cells in your bone marrow. As old red cells wear out and die but aren’t adequately replaced, this condition might eventually lead to low iron levels in your blood.

What Causes b12 Deficiency

Several factors can cause B12 deficiency

  • Not consuming enough meat or poultry
  • Damage to the stomach or intestines can also affect the absorption of b12 from food.
  • Taking certain medications that interfere with the absorption of B12
  • A vegan or vegetarian diet that is devoid of B12
  • You can also get b12 deficiency from a lack of sunlight exposure.
  • A lack of intrinsic factors in the gut can be due to conditions like Crohn’s disease, celiac disease, or lactose intolerance.

Vitamin b12 Food Sources

There are a few food sources that are high in vitamin B12.

  • In general, you can get vitamin B12 from animal products like meat, poultry, fish, and dairy products.
  • Some plant-based foods like fortified breakfast cereals, soy milk, and some nuts and seeds also have trace amounts of B12.
  • If you are vegan or don’t eat meat or poultry, you must take a vitamin B12 supplement.

In closing

Vitamin B12 is essential for maintaining healthy blood cells. Vitamin b12 increase iron absorption. So, if you want to improve your iron levels, you should consult a doctor first. In the meantime, you can continue taking your regular vitamin B12 supplements without worrying about the iron uptake.

Be sure to read: Vitamin E Under Eye Benefits

References

  1. Vitamin B12 and folate levels increase during treatment of iron deficiency anaemia 
  2. The effect of serum vitamin B12, folate, ferritin levels and transferrin saturation on stem cell
  3. Iron, vitamin B 12 and folate

Dr Maria

MD. Board Certified physician. Fellowship In Family Medicine UK. 8 years of medical experience in Lifestyle-related health disorders. Graduated from AIIMS – All India Institute Of Medical Science, INDIA

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