Everything You Should Know About Vitamin B12

If you try to live a healthy lifestyle, eat a lot of vegetables and fruits, exercise moderately, y  but still feel restless and tired this may be a sign of vitamin B12 deficiency. It is often observed in people who prefer a vegan diet, and can easily cause the development of nervous system disorders and anemia. In this article, we describe the basic facts about B12 for those who want to improve the functioning of the brain and body with the help of vitamins.

What Is Vitamin B12?

B12, or cobalamin, is a water-soluble vitamin. It plays an important role in the production of red blood cells, the construction of DNA, and also ensures the proper functioning of the nervous system. It is found in products of animal origin like beef, pork, ham, poultry, lamb, tuna and dairy products like milk, cheese, yogurt. But it can also be found in products fortified artificially, such as in bread or vegetable milk.

Who Is at Risk for Vitamin B12 Deficiency?

Deficiency is especially common in older people, as well as in those who cannot absorb enough nutrients from food. This category includes people who have had bowel surgery, those taking diabetes or heartburn medications and those who follow a strict vegan diet. Typically, low B12 levels cause a decrease in folic acid levels. But if you have a B12 deficiency and you are treating it with folic supplements, you can simply be masking the problem, but not solving it.

What Are the Vitamin B12 Deficiency Symptoms?

Pale skin with a yellowish tint

The lack of B12 causes problems with the production of red blood cells in the body, which makes it impossible for the organism to produce new blood cells. This causes a type of anemia called megaloblastic anemia in which the red blood cells produced in the bone marrow to become large and fragile. Such red blood cells are too large to move from the bone marrow into the bloodstream. Consequently, the number of blood cells circulating throughout the body decreases, and this leads to a general pallor of the skin.

Weakness and increased fatigue

Red blood cells transport oxygen throughout the body, and if the organism does not produce enough, all the organs of your body cannot work at full capacity.

Tingling sensation

One of the most serious side effects of long-term B12 deficiency is nerve damage. This occurs over time when the absence of B12 begins to impede the production of myelin, which is a protective membrane for nerves. One of the common signs of this situation is paresthesia or tingling sensation in the arms and legs.

Vision problems

Another symptom of vitamin B12 deficiency is blurred eyes or blurred vision. Lack of B12 causes damage to the optic nerve nervous system known as optic neuropathy. Usually, this condition is reversible. If you experience eye problems then consult your eye doctor for a detailed examination.

How Much B12 Vitamins Should I Consume?

The daily requirement of vitamin B12 depends on age. For adults, it is 2.4 mcg per day. For pregnant women and lactating women, the need for this vitamin is a little higher. Vitamin B12 has traditionally been prescribed by injection, but at present, it has been proved that oral doses of 1000 mcg of vitamin B12 are effective, even in people with poor adsorption and low acidity.

If you have a problem with digestion, then vitamin B12 will be poorly absorbed from food. But taking a  large dose will nevertheless overcome this limitation. This vitamin can be stored in the body and is not toxic, so you can take it periodically.

Vitamins of the B group interact, and therefore it is important to drink not vitamin complexes, but exactly what is missing, and choose the right form. Such an interaction exists, for example, with vitamin B9. Its excess can mask the lack of vitamin B12 because B9 and B12 are involved in the same metabolic pathway. But this does not mean that you can do without B12.

Another reason to consume the vitamin B12 separately arises from the fact that the cobalt ion contained in the vitamin destroys other vitamins. B12 also interacts with a number of drugs, so you should not take it without a prescription from your doctor.