Hi there!
I was going to buy some vitamin B12 and I was comparing the dosages between brands and it made no sense to me what so ever. How can 100mcg equal a %DV of 1667% in first brand when 1000mcg equals 41% in the second brand and then 0,5mg = 20000 % (daily intake) in french brand ?
I looked up what it all meant and I understand how much one should take, how much is absorbed etc but between the brands, the calculations just don’t add up.
I’m sure I’m missing some crucial and obvious information but I’ve done my research and still can’t figure it out.
Can someone explain to me why the ratio amount(mcg)-daily value is so different from one brand to another ?
I’m very confused. Thanks!
The Daily Value (DV) differs between the health ministries of different countries, so France might recommend a higher or lower intake than Germany, etc. With B12 specifically, since it’s a water soluble vitamin, average requirements can fluctuate by a lot, and intake leading to toxicity is near impossible, so buying a brand containing 800% of recommended daily intake, does not hurt you.
Some people have a very low absorbance rate of B12, since it’s based off of Intrinsic Factor (IF), which is a stomach secrete, so adding more to a product just to be safe is what most companies do.
Ok !! I think I’ve got it.. As a European, I interpreted the comma on 41,667% as a decimal and not as a separator (as used in the US and UK). This means it’s 41 667% as I calculated. This seems to be the most obvious explanation to me (even though the comma isn’t present on other American brands). Bit confusing but I think it’s solved.
Another important aspect of B12 (and folate) is to get the methylated form that is better absorbed by the body. A lot of people struggle to absorb synthetic B12 supplements.
https://www.livestrong.com/article/454179-what-is-methyl-b12/
https://www.webmd.com/diet/vitamin-b12-deficiency-symptoms-causes#1
This site is pretty credible, and it gives you the whole picture.