Vitamin B-12-fortified toothpaste improves vitamin status in vegans: a 12-wk randomized placebo-controlled study.

The oral application of vitamin B-12 may prevent its deficiency if the vitamin is absorbed via the mucosal barrier. We studied the effect of the use of a vitamin B-12-fortified toothpaste on vitamin-status markers in vegans and assessed the efficiency of markers in the identification of vitamin-augmentation status. In this 12-wk, double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled study, 76 vegans received either a placebo ( = 34) or vitamin B-12 ( = 42) toothpaste.