Vitamin B advice?

[Lhastingsmua]

A year ago my Serum B12 blood test result was 320.00 (187.00-883.00ng/L). I know that’s a normal result, but I decided to take supplements anyway.

I took Boots’ Vitamin B complex and a multivitamin tablet also containing B vitamins daily for over the last year.

Just had it retested and my level has only raised to 325.00ng/L (same range). Is this normal? Can you suggest a better B supplement to take?

Also my serum folate level was outside of the lab’s range - it was higher than the highest figure in the range, should I be concerned?

[LeGrandBleu]

Folic acid should only be taken in the first 27 days of conception. After 27 days, the neural tube is formed and any more supplementation has no beneficial effect, but no harm really is done. This is why you should take folic acid BEFORE a pregnancy as most women will only find out they are pregnant after 27 days.

Outside pregnancy, folic acid is not recommend and should probably be avoided. There are lots of contradictory medical papers on the benefits/dangers . This one puts them one against the other www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0104-42302016000100090&lng=en&nrm=iso&tlng=en

Just eat green vegetables for your folate www.drfuhrman.com/get-started/eat-to-live-blog/16/why-you-need-folate-and-not-folic-acid

When it comes to B12, it is better to alternate between an oral-soluble form such as methylcobalamin which comes in the form of spray or small melts that dissolve in your mouth, so both kind are absorbed by the mucosa of the mouth and not the digestive system.

As a rule, supplementing without a deficiency is wrong . Ideally you want to get your vitamins and minerals from food.

Don't fall victim of the advertisement. What made you supplement when you weren't deficient?

[Lhastingsmua]

Ah okay - the high folic acid has come from the B complex and multivitamin supplements, I haven’t been purposely supplementing folic acid.

Well even though my B12 (and all other blood results such as ferritin and vitamin D etc) were in a normal range, I still felt sluggish and lethargic- constantly tired and achy to the point that I fall asleep at work. So I didn’t think it would do any harm to boost my B12 levels

[JoanieCash]

Taking an excess of water soluble vitamins will just get pee’d out, so a waste of money. Taking excess fat soluble vitamins esp vitamin A can be dangerous (excess stored in liver). If your levels are fine, they’re not likely to be the cause of your symptoms.

[LeGrandBleu]

How is your diet? A diet high in sugar, including white bread, white pasta, white everything, high in processed and ultra processed food , with ingredients label having several lines and ingredients that can only be manufactured in a factory and not a normal kitchen is likely make you crap, no matter how many supplements you take.

How much do your exercise? Insulin resistance causes fatigue and exhaustion

[Lhastingsmua]

Actually having looked at my results agin - my B12 level hasn’t actually changed at all, so you’re right there.

I’m vegetarian (used to be vegan with a very restrictive diet), my diet is quite healthy, I’m fit and active and slim. No other health concerns. I guess I could be more active/eat better though.

Not sure if relevant but I have noticed that some of my other results are normal but different from the previous year. EG HbA1c went from 36 last year to 39 this year (20-41mmol/mol). And Serum TSH went from 1.5 to 0.79 (0.35-4.94mU/L).

[SirTobyBelch]

Why are you having all these blood tests? Are you actually ill?

Treating illnesses you don't have will do you far more harm than good.

[Lellochip]

Do you have the numbers from your other blood tests? Ferritin and D ranges are pretty wide and you can be technically in range but still not ideal.

sluggish and lethargic- constantly tired and achy to the point that I fall asleep at work
That's not normal, I'm the same and we're just meant to put up with it. I personally don't see the harm in trying to improve on vitamin etc levels yourself, if the alternative is just to put up with feeling permanently shit.

[Lhastingsmua]

@SirTobyBelch my GP requested them.

@Lellochip this is exactly it! My Ferritin is 70 and Vitamin D 150. My ferritin was 13 earlier this year and my GP wasn’t concerned as it was still within the lab ranges, even though that low of a result can be symptomatic - I just bought the supplements myself.

[Lellochip]

Lhastingsmua Well they're both decent numbers so would be surprised if they're causing issues... Were you still taking your B12 supplement before your recent test, it can affect results for months I believe.