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Sufficient amounts of vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 are needed to stay well and feel your best, but it’s possible to get too much of these vitamins if you take supplements. Taking too much vitamin B6 can be harmful because excess amounts of B6 can cause nerve damage. Taking too much vitamin B12 is rare, but excess amounts of B12 may cause complications for people with certain underlying conditions. Consult your doctor before taking vitamin B6 or vitamin B12 to avoid health problems.
Functions
All the B vitamins are important for producing energy and fighting infection and disease, but vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 also play a role in cognitive function. Vitamin B6 helps make neurotransmitters needed for brain development, and vitamin B12 keeps your nerve and blood cells healthy and aids in making DNA, among other functions. Low levels of vitamin B12, as well as vitamin B6 and other B vitamins, may be linked to depression, according to MayoClinic.com, and vitamin B12 is sometimes taken to boost mood and help with memory loss. A deficiency of either B6 or B12 can cause anemia, so these vitamins may be taken to treat this condition, which leads to low energy.
Tolerable Upper Limits
Adults ages 19 to 50 need 1.3 milligrams of vitamin B6 daily, while older women need 1.5 milligrams and senior men need 1.7 milligrams. Don’t take more than 100 milligrams a day, which is the upper tolerable limit set by the federal government. Adults of all ages need 2.4 micrograms a day of vitamin B12; there is no upper tolerable limit for B12 because high doses are considered safe for most people. The National Institutes of Health’s Office of Dietary Supplements notes that nutrients should come primarily from foods rather than supplements. Vitamin B6 is found in a variety of foods; vitamin B12 is found only in animal products, with beef liver and clams the richest sources.
B6 Health Risks
High intakes of vitamin B6 from food is safe, but taking high doses of B6 supplements for a year or longer can cause severe and worsening neuropathy characterized by loss of control of bodily movements. According to the Office of Dietary Supplements, symptoms of neuropathy usually stop when the supplements are discontinued. Harvard School of Public Health states that high-dose vitamin B supplements should be avoided because they could lead to nerve damage. Taking too much vitamin B6 can also cause sensitivity to the sun, painful and disfiguring skin lesions and gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nausea and heartburn. Taking vitamin B6 can also interfere with several types of medications.
B12 Health Risks
Taking vitamin B12 is considered safe, although high-dose supplements or prescription-only injections of B12 might cause diarrhea, itching, blood clots and allergic reactions in some people. If you have a hereditary eye disease known as Leber’s disease, vitamin B12 could seriously harm the optic nerve, which might lead to blindness. People who are allergic to the element cobalt should also avoid taking vitamin B12 because it could cause an allergic reaction. Vitamin B12 is sometimes used to treat a type of anemia, but Medline Plus cautions that this therapy should be supervised by a health care provider because the treatment can have side effects. Aside from these conditions and possible interactions with other supplements, taking vitamin B12 is safe. Even so, the Office of Dietary Supplements advises telling your doctor or other healthcare provider about any supplements you take.
Functions
All the B vitamins are important for producing energy and fighting infection and disease, but vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 also play a role in cognitive function. Vitamin B6 helps make neurotransmitters needed for brain development, and vitamin B12 keeps your nerve and blood cells healthy and aids in making DNA, among other functions. Low levels of vitamin B12, as well as vitamin B6 and other B vitamins, may be linked to depression, according to MayoClinic.com, and vitamin B12 is sometimes taken to boost mood and help with memory loss. A deficiency of either B6 or B12 can cause anemia, so these vitamins may be taken to treat this condition, which leads to low energy.
Tolerable Upper Limits
Adults ages 19 to 50 need 1.3 milligrams of vitamin B6 daily, while older women need 1.5 milligrams and senior men need 1.7 milligrams. Don’t take more than 100 milligrams a day, which is the upper tolerable limit set by the federal government. Adults of all ages need 2.4 micrograms a day of vitamin B12; there is no upper tolerable limit for B12 because high doses are considered safe for most people. The National Institutes of Health’s Office of Dietary Supplements notes that nutrients should come primarily from foods rather than supplements. Vitamin B6 is found in a variety of foods; vitamin B12 is found only in animal products, with beef liver and clams the richest sources.
B6 Health Risks
High intakes of vitamin B6 from food is safe, but taking high doses of B6 supplements for a year or longer can cause severe and worsening neuropathy characterized by loss of control of bodily movements. According to the Office of Dietary Supplements, symptoms of neuropathy usually stop when the supplements are discontinued. Harvard School of Public Health states that high-dose vitamin B supplements should be avoided because they could lead to nerve damage. Taking too much vitamin B6 can also cause sensitivity to the sun, painful and disfiguring skin lesions and gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nausea and heartburn. Taking vitamin B6 can also interfere with several types of medications.
B12 Health Risks
Taking vitamin B12 is considered safe, although high-dose supplements or prescription-only injections of B12 might cause diarrhea, itching, blood clots and allergic reactions in some people. If you have a hereditary eye disease known as Leber’s disease, vitamin B12 could seriously harm the optic nerve, which might lead to blindness. People who are allergic to the element cobalt should also avoid taking vitamin B12 because it could cause an allergic reaction. Vitamin B12 is sometimes used to treat a type of anemia, but Medline Plus cautions that this therapy should be supervised by a health care provider because the treatment can have side effects. Aside from these conditions and possible interactions with other supplements, taking vitamin B12 is safe. Even so, the Office of Dietary Supplements advises telling your doctor or other healthcare provider about any supplements you take.
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