It’s Hard To Overdo Vitamin B12
Unlike fat-soluble vitamins that accumulate in your body and can have side effects in excess, B12 is a water-soluble vitamin, meaning your body only absorbs a small amount and the rest is excreted through urine, says Middleberg. That’s good news if you need to refill your stores of this nutrient but worry about taking too much. But keep in mind that large amounts of B12 at one time may cause diarrhea and all-over itchiness, she adds. If your doctor recommends supplements, read the label and take only the amount recommended by your MD.
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Vitamin B12 Supplementation Does Not Improve Cognition In Dementia Patients With Normal Vitamin B12 Levels
Vitamin B12 supplements do not appear to benefit dementia patients who are not vitamin B12 deficient. Aisen et al. examined the effect of 1 mg vitamin B12 daily supplementation for 18 months on cognitive function in dementia patients with normal vitamin B12 levels. Cognitive decline was not altered by treatment over the study period. Similarly, global cognition measured by the Mattis Dementia Rating Scale did not significantly improve in dementia patients treated with 1 mg vitamin B12 daily for 24 months . However, patients in the latter placebo controlled trial with hyperhomocysteinemia who were treated with vitamin B12 supplements improved significantly on some test items. Therefore, vitamin B12 therapy may be effective for dementia patients with altered Hcy metabolism or HHcy, of which poor vitamin B12 status is a cause. There is no evidence that vitamin B12 supplements improve cognitive function in dementia patients with good vitamin B12 levels.
S.P. Kalarn, Ronald Ross Watson, in, 2017
Getting Enough Vitamin B
Both men and women should consume 2.4 micrograms of vitamin B-12 each day, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. Meats and fish provide rich sources of the nutrient — a 3-ounce serving of steamed clams contains 84 micrograms, while 3 ounces of cooked beef contain 2.1 micrograms. While vitamin B-12 does not occur naturally in plant-based foods, vegetarians and vegans can boost their vitamin B-12 intake by consuming fortified cereals, and vegetarians can also increase their vitamin B-12 intake by consuming dairy milk and eggs.
As you age, your ability to absorb vitamin B-12 begins to decrease. To prevent developing a vitamin B-12 deficiency, the Linus Pauling Institute recommends that adults over 50 years old consume vitamin B-12 supplements and vitamin-fortified foods to allow for better absorption.
References
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Why You Need B Vitamins
The B vitamin group plays a special role in your body. First of all, B vitamins help enzymes with several functions, including:
- Releasing energy from proteins, carbohydrates, and fats
- Breaking down amino acids
- Moving oxygen and energy around your body
B vitamins also help your cells grow and multiply. Some B vitamins also aid the bodys production of hemoglobin, which is important for red blood cells. Hemoglobin gives blood its red color and also helps transport oxygen throughout your body.
Some other health benefits of B vitamins include:
Immune Function
Vitamin B6, or pyridoxine, supports biochemical reactions in your immune system. Taking this B vitamin as a supplement has been proven to increase immune responses in people who are critically ill.
Brain Health
Data from studies suggests that the more B vitamins there are in your blood, the better your performance will be with tests involving memory, problem-solving, and word and sentence formation.
Disease Prevention
Vitamin B6 and B12 appear to play roles in reducing heart disease and some types of cancer. However, there is also research to suggest that long-term use of these two B vitamins might increase lung cancer risk in men.
Get Feeling Better Fast
Vitamin B12 is essential for many of your bodys functions. Making sure you have enough vitamin B12 by giving it a boost through injection could benefit your health in a multitude of ways. From bone health to brain health to red blood cells, you may feel happier and healthier with a B12 injection. If you think a B12 injection may be right for you, to schedule your consultation today.
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Important Health Benefits Of Vitamin 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 for vitamin B12 is 2.4 mcg, and it is found exclusively in animal foods .
This important vitamin has a large number of functions, and it affects every cell within the human body.
This article will examine the health benefits that B12 offers.
Identification Of The Active Compound
While working at the Bureau of Dairy Industry, U.S. Department of Agriculture, was assigned work on the bacterial strain Lactobacillus lactis Dorner , which was used to make yogurt and other cultured dairy products. The culture medium for LLD required liver extract. Shorb knew that the same liver extract was used to treat pernicious anemia , and concluded that LLD could be developed as an assay method to identify the active compound. While at the University of Maryland she received a small grant from Merck, and in collaboration with Karl Folkers from that company, developed the LLD assay. This identified “LLD factor” as essential for the bacteria’s growth. Shorb, Folker and Alexander R. Todd, at the University of Cambridge, used the LLD assay to extract the anti-pernicious anemia factor from liver extracts, purify it, and name it vitamin B12. In 1955, Todd helped elucidate the structure of the vitamin, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1957. The complete chemical structure of the molecule was determined by Dorothy Hodgkin, based on crystallographic data in 1956, for which for that and other crystallographic analyses she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1964. Hodgkin went on to decipher the structure of insulin.
Five people have been awarded Nobel Prizes for direct and indirect studies of vitamin B12: George Whipple, George Minot and William Murphy , Alexander R. Todd , and Dorothy Hodgkin .
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Symptoms Of Vitamin B12 Deficiency
A vitamin B12 deficiency has a wide range of symptoms. Someone with low vitamin B12 may lose their appetite, lose weight or feel tired and weak. Depression, poor memory and trouble thinking can all be symptoms of a vitamin B12 deficiency. Other symptoms of a vitamin B12 deficiency include a numb or tingling feeling in the hands and feet, a loss of balance, a sore mouth or tongue and constipation. Yellowed skin, anemia, paranoia and hallucinations may also indicate a vitamin B12 deficiency, according to Harvard Health Publications.
If you notice any of these symptoms, you should consult a health care professional, rather than trying to self-treat with supplements, experts say.
“People shouldn’t jump to supplements if they have these symptoms,” said Vandana Sheth, a registered dietitian nutritionist and spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Many of these symptoms can be signs of another condition, Sheth said, adding that blood tests can confirm a deficiency, and a diet assessment may help people get their needed nutrients without resorting to supplements.
Pregnancy can also lower vitamin B12 levels, as can hyperthyroidism if it causes the person to produce too much body heat, according to the NIH. Pregnant or breastfeeding women who do not get enough vitamin B12 may cause their babies to have low vitamin B12 levels.
Why Low Vitamin B12 Levels Are Common In Older Adults
To understand how low vitamin B12 levels happen in aging adults, its good to start by learning how the body usually obtains and processes this vitamin.
In nature, vitamin B12 is available to humans only in meat and dairy products. However, in modern times, you can easily get it via a supplement or multivitamin. The recommended daily allowance for vitamin B12 for adults is 2.4 micrograms. Experts have estimated that a Western diet contains 5-7 micrograms of vitamin B12, and a multivitamin often contains 12-25 micrograms.
Once you ingest vitamin B12, it is processed by acids and enzymes in the stomach and small intestine. The processed vitamin is then absorbed by the small intestine and stored in the body, especially in the liver.
This stash can actually meet the bodys needs for a few years although vitamin B12 is essential, only a tiny bit is needed every day. So if a healthy person stops taking in vitamin B12, it often takes a few years before the body runs out of it and develops symptoms.
So why does vitamin B12 deficiency particularly affect older adults?
As people get older, their ability to absorb vitamin B12 decreases. This is because aging adults often develop problems with the acids and stomach enzymes needed to process the vitamin.
Common risk factors for low vitamin B12 levels in older adults include:
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Foods With B Vitamins
Although B vitamins are naturally found in many foods, they are easily destroyed by alcohol and cooking. Food processing also strips foods of their B vitamin content, especially in white flour, white bread, and white rice.
Continued
Because your body cant store all of the B-group vitamins, its important that you continuously get them through your diet. Here are five foods that are high in B vitamins:
1. Whole Grains
Because food processing removes nutrients from grains, you want to eat whole grains that have not undergone this process. Grains high in B vitamins include:
- Brown rice
What Role Do Vitamins Play In The Body
Vitamins, along with minerals, are essential nutrients. Your body needs both of these nutrient groups in order to keep healthy and essentially, help your body do its job!
Once your diet is varied and balanced, its likely that youre getting the recommended intake of vitamins. That said, some people may need to take extra vitamin supplements dependent on certain factors . For example, people with conditions that make it difficult to absorb a variety of nutrients such as Crohn’s disease or celiac disease may take supplements .
Why are vitamins important?
Your body needs vitamins to perform all of its essential functions, some of these include :
- Helping your body’s natural defence against illness
- Helping with wound healing
- Keep bones, teeth and muscles healthy
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What Is Vitamin B12 And What Functions Does This Nutrient Have In The Human Body
Vitamin B12 forms part of the B vitamin family. The body does not make this vitamin itself, but rather requires it from food sources. The vitamin is known to be an enzyme cofactor. Specifically, vitamin B12 acts as a cofactor for two different types of enzymes in human body1.
This vitamin is water-soluble, which means there is no need to be concerned about taking it with fat content. It is present in a relatively small number of foods, but can also be taken through a daily dietary supplement. There are also prescription versions of vitamin B12 available, but these are usually only provided to a person when they have a deficiency of this particular nutrient.
There are different forms of vitamin B12, each with their own specific function in the human body. Cobalt, a type of mineral, is contained within this vitamin. Cobalamins is a term used to refer to the compounds that possess the activity of vitamin B12.
The two primary forms of vitamin B12 that are involved in the metabolism of the human body include2:
The vitamin has a relatively large number of functions to play in the human body, including:
- The synthesis of DNA
- Neurological functionality
- The formation of red blood cells
There is also an indirect relation that vitamin B12 plays with lipids, proteins, hormones, and the DNA of the human body. Methionine, a type of enzyme, needs vitamin B12 to function properly.
Vitamin B12 Deficiency Symptoms
Vitamin B12 deficiency can be slow to develop, causing symptoms to appear gradually and intensify over time. It can also come on relatively quickly. Given the array of symptoms a vitamin B12 deficiency can cause, the condition can be overlooked or confused with something else. Vitamin B12deficiency symptoms may include:
- strange sensations, numbness, or tingling in the hands, legs, or feet
- difficulty walking
- difficulty thinking and reasoning , or memory loss
- weakness
- fatigue
While an experienced physician may notice the symptoms and be able to detect a vitamin B12 deficiency with a good interview and physical exam, a blood test is needed to confirm the condition.
Its a good idea to ask your doctor about having your B12 level checked if you are a strict vegetarian or have had weight-loss surgery or have a condition that interferes with the absorption of food.
Early detection and treatment is important. If left untreated, the deficiency can cause severe neurologic problems and blood diseases.
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How Does Vitamin B12 Work With Iv Hydration Therapy
Vitamin B12 is bound to protein in food and is typically found in clams, organ meats , eggs, and milk. Vegetarians, people with dietary restrictions, and individuals with gastrointestinal disorders are just a few of the groups who are at risk for B12 deficiency.
Not only does IV Hydration therapy combat the ill effects of dehydration, vitamins like B12, can be added to create a cocktail tailor made to deliver those essential vitamins directly into your bloodstream. The All-Day All-Nighter formula combines crucial electrolytes, vitamins B and C, and major amino acids to help your body fight fatigue, cold and flu symptoms, and boost benefits to skin. With more and more of us rushing around and not taking the time to eat properly take 30 minutes out of your day to rehydrate and re-energize your body with IV Hydration Therapy.
Vitamin B12 And Vegan Foods
In traces, vitamin B12 also occurs as a micro bacterial contaminant in and on plants, especially at the roots however, these traces are so small that they are often hardly detectable. Additionally, the vitamin B12 content can vary according to factors such as location, soil quality, and type of microorganism present meaning that vitamin B12 from this source is too rare, unreliable and minuscule to rely on as a vegan supply.
Moreover, today the soil flora in many regions is so destroyed by industrial agriculture that fruits and vegetables grown there generally contain no more than minor traces of vitamin B12. Various fertilizers and pesticides have caused large parts of the soil flora to die.
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Vitamin B12 Therapy And The Bodys Store
Today the maintenance of a healthy store of vitamin B12 is considered important and should be taken into account in vitamin B12 deficiency treatment. With the use of oral supplements, and when vitamin B12 intake has been low or inconsistent for some time, an ample dosage of 500 µg is advised for several months before it is lowered. A mixture of methylcobalamin and hydroxocobalamin are optimal, as the latter form is stored most effectively.
Excessive Folic Acid Intake
Although folic acid is generally considered non-toxic, excessive intakes above 1,000 mcg per day over a period of time can lead to malaise, irritability and intestinal dysfunction. The main risk with excessive folate intake is that it can mask a vitamin B12 deficiency, so its best to consume these two vitamins within the recommended amounts.
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Who Is Affected By Vitamin B12 Deficiency
So if you think that only the vegans are affected, youre wrong.
Risk groups where a vitamin B12 deficiency could be likely are:
Older people, People who rarely eat raw food and natural foods. People with gastrointestinal disorders (Celiac disease, gastric acid deficiency, gastritis, People with kidney and liver diseases, pregnant and lactating women, people with autoimmune diseases, people who take medication, patients with diabetes.
Vegans and Vegetarians.
We can assume that many vegans, due to their overall significantly healthier lifestyle and selection of better foods, also have skills to compensate for the lower vitamin B12 intake in other ways.
It seems, there also exist vegans without a B12 deficiency.
But how do these people live?
They never eat fast food, never drink alcohol, and have never smoked. Also, they eat only organic/raw food and are not afraid to eat worms in the fruit or unwashed wild plants. They live stress-free, are not vaccinated, and may consume a lot of algae, spirulina and wild herbs.
Everything To Know About Vitamin B12 Injections
The body needs a large range of vitamins and minerals in order to function properly. When we become deficient of these vitamins, we can suffer from malnutrition. Malnutrition is associated with many adverse health effects but it is important to note that each vitamin plays a different role in the human body. Thus, being sufficient of a certain vitamin is prone to cause very specific symptoms and side-effects to develop.
Vitamin B12 is a crucial nutrient that plays a role in the production of energy within the human body. The vitamin is also responsible for assisting with the process of producing proteins. There are many other important roles that vitamin B12 plays in the body. Failure to obtain enough of this vitamin can lead to serious complications.
When a person is deficient of vitamin B12, a physician may recommend the use of a vitamin B12 injection. These injections contain a synthetic form of the vitamin, known as Cyanocobalamin, and can help to restore optimal levels of vitamin B12.
In this article, we analyze the pros and cons of a vitamin B12 injection, consider the roles of this vitamin, and we look at some of the most important signs of a vitamin B12 deficiency.
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