Published on November 4, 2021. Last Updated on November 16, 2021.
What is Vitamin B12: Vitamin B12, also known as cobalamin, is a water-soluble vitamin that has many important functions throughout the body, including keeping nerves healthy, supporting the production of DNA and red blood cells, and maintaining normal brain function. Vitamin B12 benefits for hair, as well as vitamin B12 capsules benefits for hair, have been studied and can possibly help hair growth or combat hair loss.
Vitamin B12 in The Body
Vitamin B12 is stored in the body’s liver, and if you take more than the recommended daily dosage of vitamin B12 (RDI), the body will save it for future use. In fact, the human liver can store vitamin B12 for up to several years, which is why it takes a long time for some people to realize that they have a deficiency of B12 in their diet.
Additionally, vitamin B12 is primarily found in animal products, such as meat and dairy products. Although there are fortified foods for vegan diets, in the case of vegans, it is recommended to take a natural vitamin B12 oral supplement to help maintain sufficient vitamin B12 levels in the body, especially regarding hair growth and hair health.
What is the Intrinsic Factor (Protein) & Why is it Important for Vitamin B12 Absorption?
More so, the body needs an essential protein, called the “intrinsic factor,” to help facilitate vitamin B12’s absorption and usage into the blood and cells.
Although only a small amount of vitamin B12 is absorbed without the protein “intrinsic factor,” there is still some vitamin B12 that the bloodstream can absorb without the intrinsic factor protein.
For example, without any intrinsic factor protein, the body will absorb only 10 mcg out of 500 mcg orally-administered vitamin B12.
On the other hand, some studies show that taking a high dosage of vitamin B12, such as 1000 mcg, can be an alternative to vitamin B12 injections for those who are lacking the intrinsic factor protein in their diet, or for those with other conditions that do not allow them to absorb their vitamin B12 intake fully.
More so, unlike other vitamins, you cannot overdose on vitamin B12 because any excess vitamin B12 will leave the body through urination.
Yet, as with any ingredient that we put into the body, it is best not to go above extreme thresholds of vitamin B12 intake. Somewhere around 1000 mcg of oral vitamin B12 supplement should be enough to treat vitamin B12 deficiency, even in the case of those who do not consume animal foods or lack the intrinsic protein factor or the ability to produce protein intrinsic factor.
Health Benefits of Vitamin B12
Due to vitamin B12 being a critical vitamin in the growth and development of cells, DNA, and the production of energy, vitamin B12, while offering benefits to the hair, offers many general benefits for the body. Some of these powerful health benefits include:
- Aids development and functioning of the central nervous system
- Helps red blood cell formation
- Protection against heart disease
- Protect and repair DNA to reduce cancer risk and slow aging
- Protect against dementia and cognitive decline
- Protect the brain from loss of neurons and Alzheimer’s
- Boosts energy and endurance
- Support bone health, prevent osteoporosis
- Helps protect your vision
- Improves mood and symptoms of depression
Another critical point to note is that vitamin B12 is also required for DNA, RNA, proteins, and lipid formation, outlining its function as a possible ingredient for hair health, hair growth, or possible hair restoration.
Can Vitamins Help Hair Grow?
Certain vitamins, such as vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, and vitamin B12, can help hair growth.
Vitamin B’s Relationship with Hair Loss
More so, as stated in this 2019 study, “vitamin B12 deficiencies have been associated with hair loss.” Due to this finding, it seems plausible that not having enough vitamin B12 in your daily intake can be one of the reasons why hair may fall, thin, or stop growing.
On a deeper level, it seems that vitamin B12’s relationship with hair loss or hair growth seems to stem from its necessary function for “DNA synthesis, neurological function, and red blood cell formation,” which are all important factors in helping hair cells generate, as well as keeping hair follicles, the base of the hair on the scalp, oxygenated and fed with enough nutrients from digestion as explained further below.
What is The Best Vitamin for Hair Loss?
What is the best vitamin for hair growth? To combat hair loss? To do so, it is helpful to combine a variety of vitamins, all individually affecting hair growth, for maximum hair growth, health, or possible hair restoration. All of the vitamins mentioned previously, vitamin A, C, D, E, and B12, directly affect hair growth in one shape or form and help hair growth and hair health. For example, vitamin B12 benefits for hair can ensure a moisturized scalp and robust and healthy hair as seen below.
Vitamin B12 Benefits for Hair
Vitamin B12 has been known to promote healthy hair growth through its primary function in producing healthy red blood cells. Vitamin B12 benefits for hair can be pinned down to its role in cellular development, creating new cells, and forming red blood cells.
At the base of every hair follicle, where hair grows from, are tiny capillaries of red blood cells.
Red blood cells carry vital oxygen and nutrients to the living portion of the hair located in the hair follicles.
If you do not have enough oxygen and vital nutrients transferred to your hair follicles, it can lead to weakened hair follicles, and eventually, dormant follicles.
In fact, optimal blood flow to the scalp and hair follicles is critical for hair growth that scalp massages have been shown to increase the overall thickness of hair due to improved blood flow to the scalp.
Therefore, having sufficient vitamin B12 in your diet is necessary for the healthy growth and production of hair due to vitamin B12’s role in better hair growth and stronger hair strands and follicles.
More so, vitamin B12 plays a significant role in cell division, cellular metabolism, and DNA replication. Whenever a hair cell reproduces, it makes a copy of its DNA – thus, hair growth is dependent on the synthesis of DNA and absorption of vitamin B12.
Vitamin B12 Deficiency & Hair Loss
On the other hand, if the body does not have enough vitamin B12, also known as a vitamin B12 deficiency, it can lead to thinner hair all over the head and scaling and/or dandruff.
Does Vitamin B12 Cause Hair Loss?
Taking sufficient amounts of vitamin B12 within the daily recommended levels does not cause hair loss. Rather, having enough B12 in your body promotes stable and healthy hair growth.
Can Too Much Vitamin B Make Your Hair Fall Out?
Unlike vitamin A, which can help hair growth if taken in sufficient amounts but can also lead to hair loss if taken in excessive amounts, vitamin B12 does not make your hair fall out, even if taken past the recommended levels.
However, it should be noted that dietary recommendations of vitamin B12 are set for a purpose. For general health, it is best to take only the recommended dosages of vitamin B12 to optimize vitamin B12 benefits for hair.
Can I Put Vitamin B12 on My Scalp?
There are vitamin B12 based topical creams that can be applied to the scalp to help scalp health.
Can B12 Make Your Scalp Itch?
Can B12 cause itchy scalp? For some people who have an allergy to cobalt, taking excessive amounts of vitamin B12 can lead to an itchy scalp due to cobalt being found in the center of vitamin B12.
On the other hand, not having enough vitamin B12 can also lead to dry scalp and dandruff, which often involves symptoms of itching as well.
If you do not have a cobalt allergy, taking sufficient doses of vitamin B12 will help your hair grow and possibly help with dandruff or dry scalp.
Can Vitamin B12 Reverse Gray Hair?
Currently, no studies support whether or not vitamin B12 reverses gray hair due to aging. Still, it is important to note that in the case of premature greying of hair, vitamin B12 can possibly help with reversing premature greying.
In a 2019 study published in NCBI, titled “The Role of Vitamins and Minerals in Hair Loss: A Review,” researchers stated that “vitamin B12 [is one] of the vitamins and minerals that may be involved in hair graying/whitening during childhood or early adulthood. Supplementing these deficient micronutrients can improve premature graying.”
This is because premature greying of hair is often caused by stress or insufficient nutrients and vitamins. Therefore, if the premature greying of hair is caused due to a lack of vitamins, such as vitamin B12, for instance, adding sufficient vitamin B12 to the body can perhaps counteract this and reverse greying.
Is Vitamin B12 Good for Hair and Skin?
Can B12 improve skin? Does B12 affect skin health? As mentioned, vitamin B12 is good for hair health and hair growth, but it is also great for the skin. Due to vitamin B12 being involved in producing new skin cells, having enough vitamin B12 can help the skin stay smooth and elastic, nourishing skin cells and promoting the production of new skin cells. Some skin benefits to having enough vitamin B12 include:
- Increase skin glow and radiance
- Makes skin less fatigued
- Reduces dark spots and discoloration
- Calms dry, inflamed skin, eczema
Vitamin B12 Recommended Dosage for Hair Growth & Hair Health
According to Healthline, the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) of vitamin B12 is “about 2.4 mcg for adult men and women but slightly higher for pregnant or breastfeeding women, which require approximately 2.6 mcg.”
More so, lactating women require about 2.8 mcg of vitamin B12.
People at Risk of Vitamin B12 Deficiency
Due to vitamin B12 requiring the protein “intrinsic factor” to be effectively used for the body, certain people are at higher risk of vitamin B12 deficiency than the general population. These people include:
- Elderly Adults with Atrophic Gastritis
- People with Pernicious Anemia
- Vegans & Vegetarians
- Pregnant & Lactating Women
- Particularly those who are vegan as well
- People Taking Certain Medications
- Prilosec
- Prevacid
- Metformin
- Tagamet
- Pepcid
- Zantac
- Chloromycetin
- Anticonvulsants
More so, vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to vitamin B12 deficiency anemia, which has a range of negative symptoms:
- Pale or yellow skin
- Feelings of dizziness
- No appetite
- Rapid weight loss
- Numb or tingling feet
- Chest pain
- Rapid heartbeat
- Weak muscles
- Mood changes
- Confusion
- Forgetfulness
More so, a long-term deficiency in vitamin B12 can lead to heart, brain, nerves, bone, and other organ damage.
Vitamin B12 Safety Profile
According to the EWG, vitamin B12 scores a 1 on its safety score sheet, which states that it poses no risk for cancer, developmental and reproductive toxicity, nor any allergies or immunotoxicity.
More so, as stated in this 2019 study, “there is no established upper limit for vitamin B12 intake, as it has a low potential for toxicity.” Although taking extremely high dosages of vitamin B12 is deemed safe, it is still not recommended to go above and beyond recommended vitamin B12 intake levels as mentioned above.
Foods High in Vitamin B12
Due to vitamin B12 being an essential nutrient that your body cannot make on its own, it is necessary to get enough vitamin B12 from diet or supplementation. As mentioned by this 2015 review, vitamin B12 can mostly be found in animal products, such as meat and dairy. Below you can find foods high in vitamin B12 based on the concentration of vitamin B12 from highest to lowest:
- Animal Liver & Kidneys
- Clams
- Sardines
- Beef
- Fortified Cereal
- Tuna
- Fortified Nutritional Yeast
- Trout
- Salmon
- Fortified Non-Dairy Milk
- Fortified Tofu
- Milk & Dairy Products
- Eggs
It is important to note that “compared with raw meat, cooked meat offers similar or even higher vitamin B12 concentrations per 100g edible portion due to moisture and lipid losses that occur during cooking.”
More so, it is also important to note that milk offers lower vitamin B12 or cobalamin levels than meat, but it is still a decent source of vitamin B12 nutritionally.
If you are following a vegan diet, it may be helpful to eat fortified foods such as fortified non-dairy milk, fortified cereal, or fortified nutritional yeast. Yet, it can also help to take a vitamin B12 based oral supplement if you are looking to maximize vitamin B12’s effects on hair health and hair growth.
Types of Vitamin B12 Oral Supplements
There are many forms of vitamin B12 supplements, with many different ways of taking them ranging from:
- Swallowing
- Chewing
- Drinking
More so, it is essential to note that these vitamin B12 supplements, much like foods fortified with vitamin B12, are vegan friendly, as they are synthetically made.
Do Vitamin B12 Supplements Work?
Additionally, there have been studies that show how vitamin B12 supplementation is effective in normalizing the body’s vitamin B12 levels, even in those who have a deficiency in them.
However, not all vitamin B12 deficiency is caused by a lack of vitamin B12 intake.
As previously mentioned, the body needs a critical protein called the intrinsic factor to fully utilize vitamin B12 into the bloodstream and body.
If this is the case, treatment can be done with lifelong vitamin B12 injections, but it should be noted that small amounts of vitamin B12 can be absorbed without intrinsic factor protein. In this case, one published review states that “taking 1,000 mcg of vitamin B12 daily can be an effective alternative to vitamin B12 injections.”
Vitamin B12 Shots for Hair Loss
Vitamin B12 shots are also available for those who have trouble absorbing vitamin B12 through the digestive tract.
Some side effects of vitamin B12 shots include dizziness, nausea, and fatigue.
Regarding hair loss, vitamin B12 shots will only help hair growth if the hair loss is caused due to a lack of vitamin B12 deficiency in the patient.
Yet, it is important to note that there have been studies that show taking a higher dose of vitamin B12 supplementation can still provide enough of the daily recommended values of vitamin B12 to those who may have problems absorbing vitamin B12 due to lack of intrinsic factor protein intake or creation, digestive issues, or age.
What Can I Take to Stop My Hair From Falling Out?
What is the best treatment for female hair loss? What is the best treatment for male hair loss? If you are experiencing hair loss, there are several factors at play. It could be due to a nutritional deficiency in vitamins, trace minerals, collagen, or any of the many ingredients associated with healthy and regular hair growth. It can also be due to another factor at play, such as age, immune system reactions, or more.
If you have hair falling out and are looking to stop hair loss and aid hair growth, Dr.UGro Gashee has a natural solution for hair loss for you.
Harness The Power of Vitamin B12 in Dr.UGro All-Natural GASHEE Oral Hair Supplements
Vitamin B12 and a range of other natural ingredients essential to hair growth are among the many powerful plant-based ingredients found in Dr.UGro Gashee Oral Hair Supplements. Gashee Oral Supplements have been carefully formulated with the most effective dosage of vitamin B12 and other vitamins, minerals, and ingredients to help maximize vitamin B12’s effects on your hair growth and hair health. To help increase the feel and appearance of hair density, thickness, and volume, or to help regrow hair loss or aid hair growth, take 4 capsules a day.
VIDEO: Dr. UGro Gashee: Before & After Results
Bernadette came in for a consultation because, for years, she noticed that her hair was falling out. She noticed bald patches on the back of her head, as well as chunks of hair that fell out in the shower or whenever she combed her hair. As with many others who have undergone similar frustrations with their hair and hair health, Bernadette had tried many different products, doctors, and medicine to help treat her hair health, all with little to no success.
Fortunately, this story has a happy ending.
After trying several hair-health improvement products that did not work, Bernadette tried Dr.UGro Gashee’s natural hair care products – with excellent results.
After several months of Gashee Natural Hair Health Oral Supplements and Topical Hair Lotion, Bernadette was able to grow back her hair and now reports that she is “so thrilled” to “have seen results” for her hair, shown below. More so, Bernadette says that she has “tried other [hair growth products],” but Dr.UGro Gashee’s products were the only ones that “worked” for her.
“I tried other hair growth products, but Dr. U’s Gashee Products were the only ones that worked.
Completely elated that I can once again enjoy my natural, God-given hair!”
All in all, Bernadette was wholly “elated” that she was able to enjoy her “natural, God-given hair again,” filling in her hair with the natural thickness she had before!
For more information regarding Bernadette’s hair-transformation journey with Dr.UGro Gashee Natural Hair Products, her experiences, and thoughts on her transformation, watch the video below detailing Bernadette’s amazing before and after results:
UGro Gashee: Before & After Pictures – Hair Health Improvement Results
Below you can see a before and after picture result of Bernadette, before she had begun using Dr.UGro’s Gashee products, to several months after. Dr. UGro Gashee all-natural hair growth results: before and after several months of consistent usage.
Note how her hair transformed radically, with a new sheen and improved fullness that shines. Through several months of consistent use of Dr.UGro Gashee Topical Lotion and Oral Hair Supplements, Bernadette was able to dramatically improve the look, feel, and health of her hair.
Related Articles on Hair Loss & Hair Health
For additional information regarding hair loss and hair-health-related ingredients that you may find useful, visit the articles below.
References
- Insider. 2021. Can you take too much vitamin B12? How to find your proper dosage, according to dietitians. [online] Available at: <https://www.insider.com/vitamin-b12-overdose#:~:text=For%20more%20information%2C%20visit%20our%20medical%20review%20board.&text=You%20cannot%20overdose%20on%20vitamin%20B12%20because%20any%20excess%20you,may%20indicate%20cancer%20or%20diabetes.> [Accessed 4 November 2021].
- Ods.od.nih.gov. 2021. Office of Dietary Supplements – Vitamin B12. [online] Available at: <https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB12-HealthProfessional/> [Accessed 4 November 2021].
- Almohanna, H., Ahmed, A., Tsatalis, J. and Tosti, A., 2021. The Role of Vitamins and Minerals in Hair Loss: A Review.
- Healthline. 2021. Top 12 Foods That Are High in Vitamin B12. [online] Available at: <https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-b12-foods#What-is-vitamin-B12?> [Accessed 4 November 2021].
- EWG. 2021. EWG Skin Deep® | What is CYANOCOBALAMIN (VITAMIN B12). [online] Available at: <https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredients/701729-CYANOCOBALAMIN_(VITAMIN_B12)-CYANOCOBALAMIN_VITAMIN_B12-CYANOCOBALAMIN_VITAMIN_B12-CYANOCOBALAMIN_VITAMIN_B12-CYANOCOBALAMIN_VITAMIN_B12-CYANOCOBALAMIN_VITAMIN_B12-CYANOCOBALAMIN_VITAMIN_B12/> [Accessed 4 November 2021].
- Gille, D. and Schmid, A., 2021. Vitamin B12 in meat and dairy products.
- Castelli, M., Friedman, K., Sherry, J., Brazzillo, K., Genoble, L., Bhargava, P. and Riley, M., 2021. Comparing the Efficacy and Tolerability of a New Daily Oral Vitamin B12 Formulation and Intermittent Intramuscular Vitamin B12 in Normalizing Low Cobalamin Levels: A Randomized, Open-Label, Parallel-Group Study.
- Chan, C., Low, L. and Lee, K., 2021. Oral Vitamin B12 Replacement for the Treatment of Pernicious Anemia.