What is B12?
Vitamin B12 is also known as cobalamin. It plays a role in the metabolism of every cell in your body. You can see why that makes it an important vitamin. It is one of the most commonly purchased vitamins on the market.
Your body does not create or store any form of B12. Animal-based foods are the only common source of B12 other than supplements. Animals consume bacteria that becomes B12 during the digestion process. Between 1.5% and 15% of the general population are vitamin B12 deficient.
Increased Energy Level
B12 converts carbohydrates into energy producing glucose. It does this by taking the energy in food and converting it to energy your body can use called ATP (adenosine triphosphate). If you often feel sluggish or fatigued, increasing your daily B12 intake may help. This is often the first sign of a deficiency. .
Improved Mood
Vitamin B12 helps the brain create chemicals used to control mood. In one study many patients experiencing depression were B12 deficient. This created a conclusion that adding vitamin B12 to the patients’ diets would help stabilize their mood.
Among other things, serotonin has a vital role in mood regulation. Vitamin B12 metabolizes and synthesizes serotonin. A B12 deficiency would make it difficult for the body to use this vitamin. The result is a depressed mood.
Heart Health
It is common to hear about garlic and red wine when looking for ways to keep the heart in good health. Some studies would suggest that vitamin B12 and folic acid play a more vital role. Research has also shown that vitamin B12 decreases homocysteine levels. It is thought that this will reduce the risk of heart disease.
People often overlook vitamins when caring for their heart. One study estimates a decrease of 310,000 heart disease related deaths if Americans increases their folic acid and vitamin B12 levels.
Bone Health
Decreased bone density can lead to osteoporosis and other bone density issues. Your bones are the foundation which holds up the rest of your body. When a foundation is weak, additional issues develop.
Vitamin B12 and its link to osteoporosis was studied in more than 2500 patients. It was concluded that a deficiency would lead to a lower bone density.
Improved Skin, Hair and Nail Health
These are all areas of your body that require constant cell reproduction. An example is skin; it dies throughout the day and is replenished rapidly. Whenever a process in your body needs such rapid reproduction it require vitamin B12.
Lower Risk of Various Diseases
Dementia, stroke, psoriasis, cancer, autoimmune diseases, Alzheimer’s and more, benefit from vitamin B12. Excessive nitric oxide levels are part of these diseases. B12 binds with the excess to remove it from your body.
Decreased Vision Loss
Adding folic acid and B12 to your diet is likely to prevent a disease called age-related macular degeneration. If a patient is experiencing blurred or decreased vision without any optical impairments, B12 may be the next thing to look at. A deficiency may cause those and other vision impairments.
Improved Ability to Learn
B12 aids in various cognitive abilities and concentration. This improved concentration helps you remember the information. Many learning difficulties stem from decreased memory.
Improved Memory
The brain uses neurotransmitters (information carriers) for healthy development and function. When the levels are low, our recall or memory may be sluggish.
Summary
Maintaining healthy vitamin B12 is just one essential vitamin to your overall health. Consider reading 5 Essential Vitamins You Should Take Daily.
Most importantly consult your physician whenever you are in doubt or adding something new to your health care routine. When purchasing a supplement – research. Don’t waste your money on fillers, sugars and flavors that take away from the supplements benefits. Natural is best.