drugs-supplements-vitamin-b12 (4)
Vitamin B-12 Overview Vitamin B-12 is a vitamin the body uses to make and support healthy nerve cells. It's also used to make healthy red blood cells and the genetic material inside cells called DNA. Vitamin B-12 also is called cobalamin. Food sources of vitamin B-12 include poultry, meat, fish and dairy products. Food companies also may add vitamin B-12 to breakfast cereals. Some people may take it as a vitamin by mouth. Healthcare professionals might prescribe vitamin B-12 injectio ns or nasal spray to treat people with very low vitamin B-12 levels. Having seriously low vitamin B-12 levels, called vitamin B-12 deficiency, isn’t common in the U.S. People who follow a vegetarian or vegan diet can sometimes have low levels. This is because plant foods don't have vitamin B-12. Older adults and people who have had stomach surgery also are at risk because they may not absorb the vitamin as well. People with digestive conditions such as celiac...