Which vitamins accumulate in the body

Experts have estimated that a Western diet contains micrograms of vitamin B12 , and a multivitamin often contains micrograms.

People with vitamin B12 deficiency are likely to experience a wide range of symptoms, though weight gain is unlikely one of them. If you're experiencing unexplained weight gain , consider discussing it with your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian to determine the root cause. Vitamin B12 is naturally found in animal products, including fish, meat, poultry, eggs , milk , and milk products.

Vitamin B12 is generally not present in plant foods, but fortified breakfast cereals are a readily available source of vitamin B12 with high bioavailability for vegetarians [5,]. There are no specific dosage recommendations for B12 supplements for mental performance or mood. Summary Optimal dosing of vitamin B12 varies by age, lifestyle, and dietary needs. The general recommendation for adults is 2.

Older adults, as well as pregnant and breastfeeding women, require higher doses. Does vitamin b12 accumulate in the body? Category: food and drink vegetarian diets. Do bananas have b12? Does b12 raise blood pressure? Which form of vitamin b12 is best? The Best Forms of B Can b12 cause anxiety? What happens when your vitamin b12 is low?

What vitamins should I take for energy? How long should I stop taking vitamins before blood test? Does b12 help you lose weight? When should you take vitamin b12 morning or night? What medications should not be taken with b12? Medications known to interact with Vitamin B12 cyanocobalamin.

Vitamins are organic substances that are generally classified as either fat soluble or water soluble. Fat-soluble vitamins vitamin A , vitamin D , vitamin E , and vitamin K dissolve in fat and tend to accumulate in the body. Water-soluble vitamins vitamin C and the B-complex vitamins , such as vitamin B6 , vitamin B12 , and folate must dissolve in water before they can be absorbed by the body, and therefore cannot be stored.

Any water-soluble vitamins unused by the body is primarily lost through urine. Minerals are inorganic elements present in soil and water, which are absorbed by plants or consumed by animals.

In the U. The DRIs are specific to age, gender, and life stages, and cover more than 40 nutrient substances. The guidelines are based on available reports of deficiency and toxicity of each nutrient.

Learn more about vitamins and minerals and their recommended intakes in the table below. A diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables , whole grains , good protein packages , and healthful fats should provide most of the nutrients needed for good health.

But not everyone manages to eat a healthful diet. Multivitamins can play an important role when nutritional requirements are not met through diet alone. Learn more about vitamin supplementation. Vitamins and their precise requirements have been controversial since their discovery in the late s and early s. It was the combined efforts of epidemiologists, physicians, chemists, and physiologists that led to our modern day understanding of vitamins and minerals. After years of observation, experiments, and trial and error, they were able to distinguish that some diseases were not caused by infections or toxins—a common belief at the time—but by vitamin deficiencies.

Soon after, researchers determined specific amounts of vitamins needed to avoid diseases of deficiency.

The discovery of all vitamins occurred by Vitamins were obtained only from food until the s when commercially made supplements of certain vitamins became available.

Calcium deposits can build up in the heart and other organs if serum calcium levels rise too high, damaging the heart, kidneys or blood vessels. You could develop an irregular heartbeat or mental changes such as confusion. To meet recommended vitamin D intakes, adults and children need international units per day. After age 70, men and women need IU per day. Infants need IU per day, a need met in bottle-fed babies' infant formulas.

Breastfed babies might need vitamin D supplements after age 6 months unless they spend time in the sun. Very high doses of 50, IU per day for several months can lead to hypercalcemia, according to registered dietitian Katherine Zeratsky of the Mayo Clinic. Perkins also has extensive experience working in home health with medically fragile pediatric patients.

By Sharon Perkins Updated December 14,