Tag: High b12

According to a 2020 study on elite Polish athletes, the average vitamin B12 concentration was found to be 739 ± 13 pg/mL, a level significantly higher than the normal range for non-athletes. This surprising result prompts many to ask: do athletes have high B12 levels, and if so, what causes it?

Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble vitamin, meaning the body excretes what it doesn't need through urine, making true toxicity from dietary intake nearly impossible. However, elevated levels, especially from supplements, can occur and may indicate underlying health problems that require attention.

While excess vitamin B12 is often harmlessly excreted in the urine due to its water-soluble nature, abnormally high blood levels detected during a lab test can signal an underlying medical issue that requires investigation.

Despite common misconceptions, a standard poor diet does not typically cause high vitamin B12 levels; rather, it often leads to a deficiency. Elevated B12, also known as hypercobalaminemia, is more commonly caused by over-supplementation or, more seriously, underlying medical conditions.

While B12 deficiency is common, blood tests showing high B12 levels are less frequent and often harmless when caused by supplements or fortified foods, but can sometimes point to an underlying medical condition like liver disease or certain cancers.

According to the World Health Organization, depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide, affecting millions of people. This widespread issue often leads people to investigate potential causes and solutions, including nutritional factors. This raises the question: can too much B12 make you feel depressed, or is the relationship more complex?

While Vitamin B12 deficiency is a common concern, a lesser-known issue is having elevated levels, which often occurs from high-dose supplements. The key question people ask is, "how do you reduce B12 levels in your body?" The approach depends on the underlying cause and should always be managed under medical supervision.

Studies have shown that some inflammatory processes can lead to elevated vitamin B12 levels, even without supplementation. The question of can inflammation cause high B12 is complex, as it is often a marker for underlying systemic issues rather than a direct cause-and-effect relationship.

According to several medical sources, a serum vitamin B12 level consistently above 900 picograms per milliliter (pg/mL) is considered abnormally high and often indicates an underlying medical condition.

While excess vitamin B12 is often considered harmless and is simply flushed out by the body, an exceptionally high reading, such as a 2000 B12 level, warrants closer investigation beyond simple over-supplementation. This elevated number often serves as an important indicator that something else is happening within the body that requires medical attention.