Benefits of Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12, helps the body produce energy by converting carbohydrates into glucose. B vitamins are water soluble, which water-soluble body doesn’t store. As a result, they need to be replenished regularly by absorbing them from food.

Vitamin B12 also helps the nervous system function effectively. Working together with vitamin B9 (folate), it helps iron function better and helps the body to make healthy red blood cells. Together, folate and vitamin B12 work to produce S-adenosyl methionine, a compound that assists with mood and immune function.

Hydrochloric acid in the stomach separates vitamin B12 from the protein in food. Vitamin B12 is then absorbed by the body and combined with a protein made by the stomach called intrinsic factor.

If a person can’t naturally make intrinsic factors, they have pernicious anemia. This means that they have difficulty absorbing vitamin B12 from dietary supplements and all foods.

Health Benefits

Vitamin B12 has many health benefits. It is known to help memory, mood, the nervous system, iron levels, heart health, hair, nails, skin, and much more.

Blood Health

Vitamin B12 is an important factor in helping the body produce healthy red blood cells. When the body is deficient in or has low levels of vitamin B12, this can cause red blood cells to improperly develop.

As a result, the red blood cells become larger and irregular in shape. This prevents them from moving from the bone marrow to the bloodstream. (This is how megaloblastic anemia is caused.)

Anemia can cause weakness, fatigue, and other ailments over time because your body doesn’t have enough red blood cells to give oxygen to your organs.

Brain Health

Studies show that vitamin B12 can help with brain and nervous system function, memory, mood, and depression. Research has concluded that patients and people in the general population with depression have both low folate and low vitamin B12.3 Other studies have shown that vitamin B12 deficiency leads to poor memory.

Skin Health

Vitamin B12 is known to help the skin, hair, and nails. Deficiency in the vitamin leads to discolored patches, skin hyperpigmentation, vitiligo, reduced hair growth, and more.

Heart Health

Studies show that vitamin B12 reduces homocysteine levels in the blood. This amino acid is connected with an increase in heart disease. Researchers have found that people who have modestly elevated homocysteine levels have higher rates of heart attack and stroke.

Sources

You can get vitamin B12 through supplements and foods. Some food that naturally have has vitamin B 12 include:

• Lamb

• Beef

• Chicken breast

• Clam

• Salmon

• Sardines

• Trout

• Tuna

• Milk

• Eggs

• Ham

• Plain Greek yogurt

• Fortified nutritional yeast

Suggested Doses

The recommended dietary allowance of vitamin B12 is 2.4 micrograms a day. A normal range varies between 200 to 900 picograms per milliliter (pg/ml).

If a vitamin B12 value is less than 200 pg/ml, this is considered a vitamin B12 deficiency. A medical professional can administer a blood test to measure vitamin B12 levels.