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Do you struggle with fatigue, low energy levels, mood swings and difficulty concentrating? Then this could be a sign that you have a vitamin B12 deficiency. If so, you are not alone.
About 40 percent of all people have low levels of vitamin B12 (cobalamin), which is a problem that needs to be addressed because this is an important vitamin for the production of red blood cells and for your DNA, not to mention all the vitamin B12 benefits that it gives.
Vitamin B12 deficiency is considered one of the leading nutritional deficiencies in the world! Which is a big deal because B12 plays an important role in so many bodily functions, which is exactly why it's so important that we get enough vitamin B12 in our diet.
Vitamin B12 also benefits your memory, heart, hair, skin and digestion, but is also important for:
*Pernicious anemia is a form of blood deficiency that occurs due to vitamin B12 deficiency, usually as a result of atrophy of the gastric mucosa so that the body does not produce the glycoprotein intrinsic factor (IF). The disease often has an autoimmune cause.
*Megaloblastic anemia is a condition with abnormal maturation of red blood cells in the bone marrow. The reason is that the synthesis of DNA is disturbed, due to the lack of one or more cofactors – such as folic acid or vitamin B12.
Vitamin B12 actually exists in many forms and contains the mineral cobalt, which is why compounds with vitamin B12 are collectively called cobalamins. Two forms of B12 that are active in human metabolism are methylcobalamin and 5-deoxyadenosylcobalamin.
Vitamin B12 benefits the central nervous system in many different ways. It helps maintain the health of nerve cells - including neurotransmitters, neurotransmitters, or "neurotransmitters" which are molecules that chemically transmit a nerve signal from one nerve cell to another in the nervous system - and helps form the protective sheath around nerves, called the cell's myelin sheath.
This means that when B12 levels are low, almost all cognitive functions can be affected.
It also helps with digestion and heart health, so a deficiency can lead to both digestive disorders and an increased risk of heart disease.
Due to its wide-ranging roles in the body, a deficiency of this important vitamin can lead to a variety of symptoms, including:
RISK GROUPS
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A vitamin B12 deficiency can cause various neurological and psychiatric disorders. Because of its role in nerve health and neurotransmitter signaling, studies show that vitamin B12 benefits cognitive function and is used to lower the risk of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease and dementia.
A systematic review published in International Psychogeriatrics examined 43 studies that investigated the relationship between vitamin B12 and cognitive decline or dementia and 17 studies that reported the effect of vitamin B12 therapy for these cognitive conditions.
Researchers found that low vitamin B12 levels are associated with Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia and Parkinson's disease. In addition, B12 supplementation was effective in correcting a biochemical deficiency and improved cognition in patients with existing vitamin B12 deficiency.
One of the most researched benefits of vitamin B12 is its ability to aid in healthy regulation of the nervous system, including reducing mood disorders such as depression and anxiety.
Studies highlight that vitamin B12, along with folate (folic acid), is needed as an important determinant of one-carbon metabolism, which produces the compound called SAMe (S-adenosylmethionine). SAMe is critical for neurological function, stress management and mood regulation.
Vitamin B12 is also needed for concentration and cognitive processes, such as learning, so a deficiency can result in difficulty focusing and an increased risk of attention disorders.
Vitamin B12 benefits your metabolism because it is needed to convert carbohydrates into usable glucose in the body. Glucose from carbohydrate foods is used as a form of energy, so this is why people with deficiencies often experience fatigue.
Research shows that vitamin B12 is also needed for the signaling of neurotransmitters that help your muscles contract and give you energy to move throughout the day, without feeling tired and listless.
People often wonder if vitamin B12 promotes weight loss. Because a deficiency can lead to sluggishness, chronic fatigue, and mood and appetite changes, it can be difficult to lose or maintain weight with these symptoms. It's not like you'll lose weight just by increasing your vitamin B12 levels, but correcting a deficiency can increase your energy levels and regulate your appetite.
Vitamin B12 benefits cardiovascular health in several ways.
Vitamin B12 helps reduce elevated homocysteine levels, which is considered a major risk factor for heart disease. Homocysteine is an amino acid, and its levels in the blood are affected by blood levels of various B vitamins, including vitamin B12.
Vitamin B12 helps protect against heart diseases such as heart attack or stroke by lowering high homocysteine levels in the blood. There is also some evidence that B12 may help control high cholesterol and high blood pressure levels.
B vitamins can also control atherosclerotic diseases*, which is a dangerous build-up of plaque in the arteries.
* In atherosclerosis, also called atherosclerosis or atherosclerosis, fat and calcium have accumulated in the walls of the blood vessels. The vessels become stiffer and narrower and the blood has difficulty passing through. Atherosclerosis is the most important cause of cardiovascular disease.
Vitamin B12 is important for healthy skin, healthy hair and healthy nails because it plays an important role in cell reproduction. Research suggests that vitamin B12 increases skin health by reducing redness, dryness, inflammation and acne - and can be applied directly to the skin for psoriasis and eczema.
It can also reduce hair breakage and help nails grow stronger.
Because of its role in aiding in digestive enzyme production, B12 is needed to support healthy metabolism and breakdown of food in the stomach.
One of the ways vitamin B12 benefits digestion is that it has been shown to help promote healthy bacteria in the gut flora.
Elimination of harmful bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract - and at the same time the presence of beneficial bacteria - is what prevents digestive diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease or candida (fungus).
Vitamin B12 is needed to create nucleic acids (RNA and DNA) - the basic genetic material used to create the entire body. Therefore, the nutrient is not only an important nutrient for growth and development, but an important component for a healthy pregnancy.
Vitamin B12 also interacts with folate in the body, so it can help reduce the risk of birth defects, such as neural tube defects. When a pregnant woman's B12 supply is low, the folate needed for DNA synthesis remains "trapped" and cell replication is impaired.
Studies report a two- to fourfold increased risk of neural tube defects with low vitamin B12 status.
Vitamin B12 is needed to produce a healthy level of red blood cells. It helps prevent a type of anemia called megaloblastic anemia, which results in symptoms such as chronic fatigue and weakness. Research published by the Mayo Clinic suggests that a number of individuals with B12 deficiency may exhibit classic megaloblastic anemia, a blood disorder that occurs when the bone marrow produces large, abnormal red blood cells, or megaloblasts. An autoimmune disease called pernicious anemia is a type of megaloblastic anemia that occurs when the body cannot absorb vitamin B12 properly. Reports describe treatment of pernicious anemia with therapeutic doses of B12, either by intramuscular injections or orally with dietary supplements.
VITAMIN B12 IN FOOD
Animal foods are the best food sources of vitamin B12, including: dairy products, eggs, meat, fish, poultry and offal. Vegetable foods do not naturally contain vitamin B12, but can be synthetically fortified. Vitamin B12 is found to some extent in fortified plant foods such as yeast, fortified cereal products and algae. However, the vitamin B12 in most of these is not considered as absorbable as in natural animal sources.
Here are the best (those with the highest percentage of vitamin B12) food sources of vitamin B12:
Compared to other vitamins, we don't need a huge amount of vitamin B12, but we do need to replenish our bodies every day. B vitamins are water soluble and are flushed out of the body if not used (so they are not stored in the body), so to maintain levels of the recommended amount in the bloodstream and prevent a vitamin B12 deficiency, we need to get the vitamin every day.
