A reader asked about taking B12 in excess of what we mentioned in our My Vegan Plate. Here’s the response from Reed Mangels, PhD, RD:

Our MyVeganPlate page suggests taking 25 micrograms of vitamin B12 daily if you don’t regularly use foods fortified with vitamin B12. It can be difficult to find a low-dose vitamin B12 supplement. It would be fine to take a supplement that has 100 micrograms of vitamin B12 daily. We’re able to provide a bit more detail on our website (http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/b12.php) and in the newest edition of Simply Vegan where we suggest taking a daily vitamin B12 supplement of 25-100 micrograms or a twice weekly vitamin B12 supplement of 1000 micrograms. The more vitamin B12 you take, the lower the percent that your body absorbs. So, if you take a high dose supplement, the vitamin B12 that is not absorbed simply passes through your intestines and is excreted.

The contents of this website and our other publications, including Vegetarian Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company statements. It is impossible to be 100% sure about a statement, info can change, people have different views, and mistakes can be made. Please use your best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.