What Is Vitamin B12 Good For In The Body – Vitamin B12 plays an essential role in many bodily functions. But the benefits of vitamin B12 are less discussed. In Central and South America, Mexico, the Indian subcontinent and some parts of Africa, vitamin B12 deficiency is a severe problem (1).
This vitamin mainly improves heart health, helps manage skin diseases, improves memory and helps with mood improvement. The daily dose of vitamin B12 is 2.4 micrograms in adults (2).
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What Is Vitamin B12 Good For In The Body
From the article below, know what it says about vitamin B12 and the benefits it offers. Also look at which foods are rich in this vitamin and the symptoms of its deficiency. Scroll down!
Vitamin B12: Functions And Food Sources
Vitamin B12, also known as cobalamin, helps in the proper functioning of the body’s blood cells and nerves. It also plays a role in DNA synthesis (3).
The vitamin is also known for preventing megaloblastic anemia, a type of anemia that makes people weak. Studies have shown that a lack of this nutrient could lead to the condition (4).
Vitamin B12 is absorbed in the body in two steps. In food, this vitamin is bound to protein. The hydrochloric acid in the stomach separates vitamin B12 from this protein synthesis. The vitamin then combines with another protein made by the stomach (called the intrinsic factor). It is then absorbed in the body (5).
Individuals with pernicious anemia (a decrease in red blood cells) may be deficient in vitamin B12 because their bodies do not have the ability to produce the intrinsic factor (3).
What Can Vitamin B12 Do For Your Eyes?
Vitamin B12 is important for performing various body functions. In the next section, we will discuss the crucial benefits of vitamin B12 in detail.
Vitamin B12 (along with folate) helps in the formation of red blood cells. Without enough vitamin B12, red blood cells do not divide normally as they are supposed to and become too large. This makes it difficult for them to leave the bone marrow (6).
This can result in fewer red blood cells in the bloodstream to carry oxygen to the body, leading to feeling tired and weak. This condition is also called pernicious anemia, and if left untreated, it can damage the brain, heart and other organs of the body (6).
Vitamin B12 is one of the crucial ingredients during pregnancy. Deficiency of this vitamin can cause infertility and recurrent miscarriages (7).
Vitamin B12 Injections: Uses, Benefits, & Side Effects
Beginning a pregnancy with a vitamin B12 deficiency can increase the risk of neural tube defects in the newborn. It can also lead to premature delivery. The deficiency in the mother can also cause the same in the newborn if sufficient vitamin B12 is not available in breast milk. However, these implications need more research (7).
Women with vitamin B12 levels lower than 300 ng/L have a higher risk of giving birth to babies with birth defects (8). Increasing B12 levels beyond this may reduce the risk, although more research is warranted (8).
Vitamin B12 is required to create the new maternal and fetal cells and prevent neural tube defects in the newborn (9). It works together with folate to achieve this. A lack of vitamin B12 can also lead to a lack of folate, and this adversely affects pregnancy.
The vitamin can treat nausea and morning sickness that are often associated with pregnancy. However, research in this aspect is limited.
Vitamin B12 Deficiency
Vitamin B12 deficiency has been associated with changes in the skin. The most common symptom is hyperpigmentation (10).
X An autoimmune disease that causes loss of skin color in patches due to a lack of melanin and also affects the mouth, hair and eyes. and other skin lesions
XAn abnormal change in the appearance of the skin or tissues that is usually caused by trauma or disease. (11), (12).
Vitamin B12 can also help treat some serious skin conditions. One study found that vitamin B12 cream could reduce the extent and severity of eczema. This was especially true in the case of eczema in children (13).
Vitamin B12 As Protection For The Aging Brain
You can get the cream from a pharmacy. Apply it to the affected areas twice a day. Make sure you consult your doctor. B12 also helps with inflammation reduction and its side effects, and this is one reason it can fight eczema.
Vitamin B12 can also help reduce the pain of shingles. Anecdotal evidence suggests that taking 1000 mcg of vitamin B12 daily may help treat the condition. However, since research is limited, we recommend that you check with your doctor before using it.
XA condition where the fat deposition under the skin causes lumpy, dimpled flesh on thighs, buttocks and stomach. , but there are limited studies to prove this.
Vitamin B12 deficiency has been observed in those with hair loss (15). At the base of hair follicles, we have tiny blood vessels that connect to the roots of each hair strand. These blood vessels carry oxygen to the hair, thus accelerating hair growth and preventing hair loss.
What Is Vitamin B12 & Why Do You Need It?
Vitamin B12 has shown potential for heart disease prevention and treatment. The food lowered homocysteine (a particular amino acid), high levels of which could increase the risk of ischemic heart disease (16).
Deficiencies of B vitamins, in general, have been linked to higher homocysteine levels and an increased risk of stroke (16). This can also reduce the long-term costs associated with expensive medical treatments.
Although there is no direct link between vitamin B12 and diabetes treatment, the nutrient can treat diabetic retinopathy (damage of blood vessels in the eye) (18).
It may help the treatment of diabetic neuropathy (nerve damage in the legs and feet), although further research is warranted (19). Anecdotal evidence suggests that the vitamin may also treat some of the symptoms of neuropathy, including numbness, pain, and a tingling sensation.
What Are The Benefits Of B12 Injections?
More interestingly, metformin, a commonly prescribed diabetes drug, can cause vitamin B12 deficiency (21). Therefore, it could be a good idea to supplement it, especially in the case of diabetes. Pernicious anemia is a deficiency of vitamin B12 experienced in the case of type 1 diabetes (22).
Low plasma levels of vitamin B12 have been linked to lower bone mineral density in humans. Studies suggest that the vitamin can affect bone formation. It has also been linked to osteoblast activity (bone formation) (23).
XA bone disease, which causes bones to become weak and brittle due to low bone mineral density and decreased bone mass. (24). Since vitamin B12 helps lower homocysteine levels, it can play a beneficial role here.
In a study conducted on older women, lower levels of vitamin B12 were linked to increased hip bone loss (25).
Vitamin B12 Foods
Age-related macular degeneration was associated with reduced plasma vitamin B12 levels and increased homocysteine levels. The intake of B12 supplementation may prevent the condition (26). However, more in-depth studies are needed to understand the mechanism.
Another study also states that high levels of homocysteine may increase the risk of age-related macular degeneration (27). Because vitamin B12 helps lower the levels of this amino acid, it could be helpful in the treatment of AMD.
In another study in women, daily supplementation with folic acid, vitamin B12, and vitamin B6 over a seven-year period was found to reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration (28).
Studies show that supplementing with vitamin B12 along with antidepressants can improve depression symptoms. B12 deficiency may be associated with depression (29).
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Adequate vitamin B12 can also increase the likelihood of recovery from depression. However, we need more studies to confirm this finding (30).
The vitamin can also have a beneficial effect on mood. It is believed that the vitamin produces brain chemicals responsible for better mood stabilization, although we need more research to understand the mechanism. Anecdotal evidence suggests that it can help treat stress and certain anxiety disorders.
Vitamin B12, when combined with omega-3 fatty acids, could also slow memory decline in adults. The nutrients improve cognitive function and also slow the progression of mild cognitive impairment (31).
Another study states that the vitamin can prevent brain volume loss in the elderly. Individuals taking adequate vitamin B12 had a reduced risk of brain shrinkage/atrophy (32).
The 11 Best B12 Supplements Of 2022
XA is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that causes impaired memory and mental functioning due to the shrinkage of brain cells. , although more studies are needed to understand the mechanism (33), (34).
Because vitamin B12 also helps with cell production (a process called methylation), it may help improve the symptoms of autism.
XA is a serious developmental disorder that affects an individual’s overall cognitive, emotional and social ability to interact. (35).
Vitamin B12 plays a role in cellular energy production (36). However, there is no research stating that it can boost energy levels or improve athletic performance, as popularly believed.
Top 5 Foods That Are High In Vitamin B12
There is limited research in this aspect. However, one study states that adequate levels of vitamin B12 may improve sleep-wake rhythm disorders (38). This study was only conducted on two patients, so we need larger studies to understand the effect this vitamin can have on sleep quality.
It is believed that a lack of B12 can cause insomnia. However, more research is needed to establish the link.
XA disease characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain and tenderness, accompanied by fatigue, altered sleep and mood problems. and chronic fatigue syndrome. There is a lack of research in this aspect.
One study states that vitamin B12 injections can act as analgesics, thus aiding the treatment of fibromyalgia (39).
Vitamin B12; Make It An Important Part Of Your Diet Today.
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