Why is vitamin B12 so important for our health?
Vitamin B12 is also a necessary co-factor in 3 important biochemical reactions:
- The conversion of methylmalonic acid to succinyl coenzyme A
- Conversion of homocysteine to methionine
- And, conversion of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate to tetrahydrofolate.
Which foods can give you vitamin B12?
Orange and yellow vegetables, such as sweet potato, pumpkin, zucchini and carrots, also are rich in this micronutrient.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of vitamin B12?
Those at risk of vitamin B12 deficiency include ( 1 ):
- Older adults
- People with gastrointestinal disorders, such as Crohn’s disease or celiac disease
- Those who have had gastrointestinal surgeries, such as bariatric surgery or bowel resection surgery
- People on a strict vegan diet
- Those who take metformin for blood sugar control
- Those taking proton pump inhibitors for chronic heartburn
Why vitamin B12 is essential for your blood and brain?
Vitamin B12 is an important vitamin for brain health because of its function in cell metabolism and formation. Vitamin B12 helps your neurons to create and regenerate the nerve fiber sheaths that protect the neuron and speed up brain processes.
What are the benefits of taking vitamin B12 daily?
Here are 9 health benefits of vitamin B12, all based on science.Helps With Red Blood Cell Formation and Anemia Prevention. ... May Prevent Major Birth Defects. ... May Support Bone Health and Prevent Osteoporosis. ... May Reduce Your Risk of Macular Degeneration. ... May Improve Mood and Symptoms of Depression.More items...•
How much B12 should you take a day?
Vitamin B12 is an essential nutrient. Fish, shellfish, meat, eggs, and dairy products are good sources of vitamin B12. The amount that should be consumed on a daily basis is called the recommended dietary allowance (RDA). The RDA is 2.4 mcg daily for people 18 years and older.
What happens when your vitamin B12 is low?
Constipation, diarrhea, loss of appetite, or gas. Nerve problems like numbness or tingling, muscle weakness, and problems walking. Vision loss. Mental problems like depression, memory loss, or behavioral changes.
What are the benefits and side effects of vitamin B12?
Vitamin B12 benefits include forming red blood cells, preventing dementia, and reducing birth defects. Vitamin B12 is found in foods like meat, eggs, dairy, and fish. Side effects of B12 are rare but can include headaches, anxiety, and nausea.
Which fruit is rich in vitamin B12?
Fruits– Though fruits don't contain Vitamin B12; there are some which contain a very small amount of these vitamins like- Banana, apple, and berries....Top 10 Vitamin B12 foods for Vegetarians:FoodsVitamin B12 (% of DV)Fruits5%Fortified cereals100%Yeast (quarter cup)290%5 more rows•Nov 23, 2020
What medications should not be taken with B12?
Certain medications can decrease the absorption of vitamin B12, including: colchicine, metformin, extended-release potassium products, antibiotics (such as gentamicin, neomycin, tobramycin), anti-seizure medications (such as phenobarbital, phenytoin, primidone), medications to treat heartburn (such as H2 blockers ...
What are the warning signs of vitamin B12 deficiency?
Symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiencya pale yellow tinge to your skin.a sore and red tongue (glossitis)mouth ulcers.pins and needles (paraesthesia)changes in the way that you walk and move around.disturbed vision.irritability.depression.More items...
How do I know if I have low B12?
Without enough B12, you might not have enough healthy red blood cells to move oxygen around your body (anemia). That can leave you shivering and cold, especially in your hands and feet.
What is the most common cause of vitamin B12 deficiency?
Pernicious anaemia is the most common cause of vitamin B12 deficiency in the UK. Pernicious anaemia is an autoimmune condition that affects your stomach. An autoimmune condition means your immune system, the body's natural defence system that protects against illness and infection, attacks your body's healthy cells.
Can vitamin B12 cause heart problems?
Macrocytosis associated with vitamin B12 deficiency is also associated with fatal and non-fatal coronary disease, myocardial infarction, stroke, and other circulatory health problems.
How long does it take for B12 vitamins to start working?
It may take a few weeks before your vitamin B12 levels and symptoms (such as extreme tiredness or lack of energy) start to improve. If you have hydroxocobalamin injections to boost your vitamin B12 levels at the start of treatment, the cyanocobalamin tablets may start to work within a few days.
Does vitamin B12 give you energy?
Is vitamin B12 good for energy? Yep! Thanks to its role in energy metabolism, vitamin B12 might reduce your chance of fatigue. It helps your body metabolize carbs, proteins, and fats, which your body converts into energy.
What is Vitamin B12?
Vitamin B12 is found in some foods, fortified food products, or dietary supplements. It helps the body create healthy red blood cells and nerve tissue, and it is also soluble in water. Vitamin B12 also helps your body regulate metabolism and maintain a healthy balance of homocysteine, an amino acid in the blood.
Why do I need Vitamin B12?
Vitamin B12 is essential for healthy cell division, DNA synthesis, and neurological function, and it also helps your kidneys function better. This vitamin cannot be found naturally in most food; it mostly comes from supplements or other sources.
What are some health benefits of Vitamin B12?
Vitamin B12 is needed for the formation of good blood cells. It also helps maintain a strong nervous system, as well as supports better mental health. In order to prevent conditions like anemia, Vitamin B12 is essential.
Best Vitamin B12 Supplements
There are many different vitamin B12 supplements, but how do you know which is best for you?
Conclusion – Vitamin B12 Health Benefits
Vitamin B-12 is required to develop red blood cells, cell metabolism, neuron function, and the generation of DNA.
What is the role of vitamin B12 in the body?
Helps Metabolize Proteins- One of the main features of vitamin B12 is that it plays an active role in protein metabolism, which trickles over into several areas of the body.
Why is B12 in energy drinks?
Along with the other B vitamins, B12 is known for it’s ability to keep you alert and feeling energized. That’s why some energy drinks include this in their ingredients.
Why is vitamin B12 added to hair products?
Makes Hair Healthier- Vitamin B12 is often added to hair products because of its ability to add shine and a healthy look. But what’s even better is to start meeting your needs through the foods you eat. That way your hair will naturally grow out as if you had used a topical treatment containing vitamin B12.
Is B12 good for the brain?
Good for Brain Health- In addition to helping stave off and treat Alzheimer’s, vitamin B12 also provides health benefits for the brain, and helps prevent what is known as “ brain shrinkage ,” which can lead to conditions like dementia when you’re older.
Is vitamin B12 good for depression?
Luckily it’s somewhat rare to run a shortage on this vitamin, so in all likelihood you’re good. Reduces Depression- Many vitamins including vitamin D have been said to help with depression, and vitamin B12 is no different. This is such an important reason to make sure that all of your vitamins are at optimal levels.
Does B12 help with cholesterol?
Helps with Cholesterol- By helping to keep your cholesterol levels down, vitamin B12 may be able to reduce your need for cholesterol lowering drugs. If your doctor has told you that you’re low on this nutrient, they may have also given you a list of foods that contain extra amounts of B12 for you to start eating more of. If they didn’t, we’ve got you covered with our own list of vitamin B12-rich foods.
Does Vitamin B12 help with constipation?
Good for the Digestive System- Vitamin B12 assists the digestive system in its proper functioning, and you’ll notice that if you don’t get enough of it you are more prone to constipation and a sluggish digestive system.
Why is B12 important for your body?
1. Helps Maintain Energy Levels. Vitamin B12 benefits your metabolism because it’s needed to convert carbohydrates into useable glucose in the body. Glucose from carbohydrate foods is used as a form of energy, so this is the reason why people with deficiencies often experience fatigue.
What is the role of B12 in the nervous system?
It helps maintain the health of nerve cells — including those needed for neurotransmitter signaling — and helps form the protective covering of nerves , called the cell’s myelin sheath.
How to tell if you have a vitamin B12 deficiency?
Vitamin B12 deficiency can be hard to detect, especially considering how common the symptoms of a vitamin B12 deficiency can be, such as feeling tired or unfocused. Symptoms may include: Constantly feeling tired or chronic fatigue. Muscle aches and weakness. Joint pain.
Why is vitamin B12 important for hair?
Needed for Healthy Skin and Hair. Vitamin B12 is essential for healthy skin, hair and nails because it plays a major part in cell reproduction. Research suggests that vitamin B12 boosts skin health by reducing redness, dryness, inflammation and acne blemishes — and can be applied to the skin for psoriasis and eczema.
What vitamins help with homocysteine?
Homocysteine is an amino acid, and its levels in the blood are influenced by blood levels of B-complex vitamins, including B12. Vitamin B12 helps protect against heart disease like a heart attack or stroke by lowering high homocysteine levels in the blood.
What percentage of people have low B12 levels?
About 40 percent of people have low levels of vitamin B12, which is an issue that needs to be addressed because this is an essential vitamin for the production of red blood cells and DNA, not to mention all the vitamin B12 benefits it provides.
What are the benefits of vitamin D?
benefiting multiple metabolic functions, including enzyme production, DNA synthesis and hormonal balance. maintaining healthy nervous and cardiovascular systems. Because of its wide-reaching roles within the body, a deficiency in this essential vitamin can lead to a range of symptoms, including: chronic fatigue.
Why is vitamin B12 important?
Once again, vitamin B12 shows its importance for overall health through its role in synthesizing and maintaining myelin ( 43 ). In other words; getting enough vitamin B12 is essential for keeping our myelin healthy, which in turn is critical for neurological health.
What is the role of B12 in the body?
2) Vitamin B12 Gives the Body Energy. Vitamin B12 plays an important role in cellular energy metabolism, and it helps to convert the food we eat into usable energy ( 8 ). Providing that we consume sufficient quantities of the vitamin, we should have adequate energy for daily life.
What are the symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency?
However, for individuals not consuming enough vitamin B12, symptoms such as tiredness and fatigue are among the first signs of deficiency ( 10, 11 ). Increasing the intake of animal foods such as meat, fish, and shellfish (or supplementing with B12) can help to increase plasma levels of the vitamin. Key Point: An insufficient intake of vitamin B12 ...
What is the recommended daily intake of B12?
Last Updated on January 3, 2020 by Michael Joseph. Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble vitamin otherwise known as cobalamin, and it is essential for our health. The current reference daily intake (RDI) for vitamin B12 is 2.4 mcg, and it is found exclusively in animal foods ( 1 ). This important vitamin has a large number of functions, ...
Why is B12 important for anemia?
In other words, ensuring a sufficient intake of dietary vitamin B12 helps to support the healthy production of red blood cells. When the body does not have enough vitamin B12 to produce the required amount of red blood cells, anemia develops .
What is the B12?
9) Vitamin B12 Is Essential For a Healthy Nervous System. A substance called myelin is vitally important for the central nervous system. Myelin consists of proteins and fatty acids, and it acts as a sheath that surrounds and insulates nerves ( 40 ).
Can B12 cause SCD?
Research also suggests that suboptimal B12 levels can lead to subacute combined degeneration of the spinal cord (SCD), which can develop following damage to myelin ( 44 ). Key Point: Getting sufficient vitamin B12 is important for the central nervous system.
What is the B12 nutrient?
Vitamin B12 is an essential nutrient that helps the body create DNA, nourishes the brain and nervous system, and assists with the formation of healthy red blood cells. The nutrient occurs naturally in meat, fish, and dairy products, and can be created in a laboratory.
What does lack of B12 do to your body?
A lack of B12 can put you at higher risk for a specific type of anemia that makes you feel weak and tired.
What happens if you don't take B12 during pregnancy?
Pregnancy Health. If a woman has a vitamin B12 deficiency in the early stages of pregnancy, her child is at an increased risk of neural tube birth defects and low birthweight. Mothers with low B12 levels are also more likely to miscarry or give birth prematurely. Women with low levels of vitamin B12 are three times more likely to have a child ...
Does vitamin B12 help with macular degeneration?
Supplementing with vitamin B12 is believed to lower homocysteine in the bloodstream, which may help prevent age-related macular degeneration, an eye disease that can cause blindness in older adults. In one study of 5,000 women age 40 and up, those who took supplements of vitamins B12, B6, and folic acid had 34% fewer cases of macular degeneration after seven years than a placebo group. Their risk of severe degeneration was 41% lower.
Does vitamin B12 cause depression?
Vitamin B12 plays a role in serotonin production, so a deficien cy may be connected with clinical depression. In one study, disabled older women with a B12 deficiency were found to have double the risk of severe depression as those without a deficiency.
Is B12 good for vegetarians?
Vitamin B12 is also found in animal products, such as eggs, meat, fish, poultry, milk, and some nutritional yeast products. Vitamin B12 does not naturally occur in most plant foods, so fortified breakfast cereals are recommended for vegetarians. Pagination. 1. 2.
Does B12 affect memory?
Another study found that low B12 levels, even within the normal range, contribute to poor memory performance. More studies are needed before researchers can be certain of the impact of B12 supplementation on memory loss and dementia. There is no known risk of harm associated with vitamin B12.
Overview
Vitamin B-12 (cobalamin) plays an essential role in red blood cell formation, cell metabolism, nerve function and the production of DNA, the molecules inside cells that carry genetic information.
Evidence
Research on the use of vitamin B-12 for specific activities and conditions shows:
Our take
Most people get enough vitamin B-12 from a balanced diet. However, older adults, vegetarians, vegans and people who have conditions that affect their ability to absorb vitamin B-12 from foods might benefit from the use of oral supplements.
Safety and side effects
When taken at appropriate doses, vitamin B-12 supplements are generally considered safe. While the recommended daily amount of vitamin B-12 for adults is 2.4 micrograms, higher doses have been found to be safe. Your body absorbs only as much as it needs, and any excess passes through your urine.
Interactions
Aminosalicylic acid (Paser). Taking this drug used to treat digestive problems might reduce your body's ability to absorb vitamin B-12.
What is B12 used for?
Vitamin B12 functions as a cofactor for two enzymes, methionine synthase and L-methylmalonyl-CoA mutase [ 1-3, 5 ] . Methionine synthase catalyzes the conversion of homocysteine to the essential amino acid methionine [ 1, 2 ].
What is the most common form of vitamin B12?
The most common form of vitamin B12 in dietary supplements is cyanocobalamin [ 1, 3, 22, 23 ]. Other forms of vitamin B12 in supplements are adenosylcobalamin, methylcobalamin, and hydroxycobalamin [ 22 ]. No evidence indicates that absorption rates of vitamin B12 in supplements vary by form of the vitamin.
What is the most common cause of vitamin B12 deficiency?
Pernicious anemia is the most common cause of clinically evident vitamin B12 deficiency around the world [ 11, 43 ]. The incidence of pernicious anemia in the United States is an estimated 151 per 100,000, and this condition is more common in women and in people of European ancestry [ 43 ].
What is B12 parenteral?
Parenteral administration is typically used to treat vitamin B12 deficiency caused by pernicious anemia as well as other conditions (e.g., tropical sprue, pancreatic insufficiency) that result in vitamin B12 malabsorption and severe vitamin B12 deficiency [ 5 ].
How long does it take for a vitamin B12 deficiency to appear?
Because the body stores about 1 to 5 mg vitamin B12 (or about 1,000 to 2,000 times as much as the amount typically consumed in a day), the symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency can take several years to appear [ 7, 33 ].
How much B12 is in a multivitamin?
Multivitamin/mineral supplements typically contain vitamin B12 at doses ranging from 5 to 25 mcg [ 22 ]. Vitamin B12 levels are higher, generally 50–500 mcg, in supplements containing vitamin B12 with other B-complex vitamins and even higher, typically 500–1,000 mcg, in supplements containing only vitamin B12.
Why is vitamin B12 not UL?
The FNB did not establish a UL for vitamin B12 because of its low potential for toxicity [ 1 ]. Even at large doses, vitamin B12 is generally considered to be safe because the body does not store excess amounts.
What vitamins affect homocysteine?
May reduce the risk of heart disease#N#Vitamin B12 affects levels of the amino acid homocysteine#N#High levels of homocysteine can increase the risk of heart disease 1 Vitamin B12 affects levels of the amino acid homocysteine 2 High levels of homocysteine can increase the risk of heart disease
Does vitamin B12 help with heart disease?
Red blood cell formation. Neurological function. DNA synthesis. May reduce the risk of heart disease. Vitamin B12 affects levels of the amino acid homocysteine. High levels of homocysteine can increase the risk of heart disease. May slow or prevent cognitive decline.
Does vitamin B12 help with cognitive decline?
May slow or prevent cognitive decline. Low levels of vitamin B12 deficiency are associated with cognitive decline. May help maintain energy and endurance. Vitamin B12 by itself does not boost energy but low levels of B12 can cause fatigue and weakness, especially in patients who have anemia.
Does vitamin B12 help with macular degeneration?
Reducing the risk of macular degeneration. May reduce symptoms of depression. Vitamin B12 can help reduce depression in people who are deficient in the vitamin. Can help maintain healthy skin, nails, and hair.
What is B12 used for?
It is often taken in combination with other B vitamins. Vitamin B12 is most commonly used for vitamin B12 deficiency, a condition in which vitamin B12 levels in the blood are too low, as well as cyanide poisoning and high levels of homocysteine in the blood (hyperhomocysteinemia).
Does B12 help with Lou Gehrig's disease?
Lou Gehrig's disease ( amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS). It is unclear if high dose vitamin B12 injections slow the decline of health in people with ALS. Eczema (atopic dermatitis). Early research shows that applying a vitamin B12 cream (Regividerm) to the affected area twice daily helps treat eczema.
Does B12 help with sleep?
Taking vitamin B12 by mouth does not seem to help people with sleep disorders. Memory and thinking skills (cognitive function). Taking vitamin B12, alone or with folic acid and vitamin B6, doesn't seem to improve memory, language, or the ability to organize and plan in elderly people. Fall prevention.
Does B12 lower homocysteine levels?
High levels of homocysteine in the blood (hyperhomocysteinemia). Taking vitamin B12 by mouth, along with folic acid and sometimes pyridoxine ( vitamin B6 ), can lower blood levels of homocysteine. Nerve pain caused by shingles ( postherpetic neuralgia ).
Does B12 cause lung cancer?
Some research suggests that higher levels of vitamin B12 in the blood might be linked with an increased risk for lung cancer. But not all research agrees. Pancreatic cancer. Vitamin B12, from supplements or foods, doesn't seem to lower the risk of pancreatic cancer. Psoriasis.
Does vitamin B12 help with nerve pain?
Diabetes. Early research suggests that vitamin B12 might improve blood sugar control in people with diabetes. Nerve pain in people with diabetes (diabetic neuropathy). Early research suggests vitamin B12 might help reduce pain in people with this condition.
Can B12 cause nerve pain?
Nerve damage in the hands and feet caused by cancer drug treatment. Early research shows that taking B vitamins that include vitamin B12 along with cancer drugs doesn't prevent nerve pain caused by cancer drugs. A lung disease that makes it harder to breathe ( chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD).
