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Vitamin B12 †Sources & Deficiency

By: expressway1 Home | Health-and-Fitness | Supplements


B12 is known as the energy vitamin because it gives a real energy boost. It is used to remedy fatigue and it speeds up the metabolism. Red blood cells are also responsible for producing hemoglobin, the part of the blood that takes oxygen from the lungs and transports it to all the different parts of the body. Vitamin B12 is highly beneficial in various forms. Methylcobalamin, the coenzyme form of vitamin B12 is a body-friendly version, which means that no metabolic steps are required for its ingestion and it can be used it in its normal form. It is available as a sublingual tablet that dissolves under the tongue (because the digestive system might modify this molecule). Through this method, vitamin B12 can directly penetrate the bloodstream and yield numerous benefits.

Folate. Doctors may indicate a test to check the levels of serum or RBC folate. If results indicate low levels, you are suffering from a deficiency; on the other hand normal levels still don't discard the presence of a deficiency. The daily requirement for cobalamin is very small since a little bit goes a long way in your body. You'll need more, though, as you age because your body does not absorb the vitamin as efficiently as you get older. If you want to get cobalamin through the foods you eat, you should consider ground beef, cheddar cheese, chicken legs and liver, steamed clams, cottage cheese, eggs, milk, light tuna, and low fat yogurt, which are all high in Vitamin B12.

There is some question as to whether vegetarians and vegans acquire enough vitamin B12. They are at a risk of developing a deficiency syndrome because natural food sources of this vitamin are limited to animal foods. Hence, vegetarians are advised to include a rich intake of foods fortified with vitamin B12 within their diet schedule. Good sources of this vitamin are fortified cereals, dairy products like soya milk, free-range eggs and sunflower margarines.

Vitamin B12 deficiency is also linked with several neurological and psychological disorders. A lack of cobalamin results in cognitive decline, nerve degeneration and irreversible neurological damage particularly for adults above fifty. Breast-fed infants of women who follow strict vegetarian diets have very limited reserves of this vitamin, and if undetected, vitamin B12 deficiency in infants can result in permanent neurological damage. Depression, dementia and Alzheimer's disease are also caused due to a shortage of vitamin B12.

Fish is a popular food that contains quite a bit of the B12. Some sources of this food are mackerel, tuna, herring, sardines, cod, bluefish and trout. Fish not only has a lot of B12, but it is low in cholesterol and loaded with omega 3. Intrinsic Factor Binding Antibody. This is a specialized lab test, which might indicate a presence in those with pernicious anemia. They found that women with the highest levels of Vitamin B12 had the strongest, most break-resistant bones. Vitamin B12 contains cells called osteoblasts which work to build new bone tissue. Research conducted in Finland suggests that taking as little as 1,000 mcg of Vitamin B12 daily can help stead your mood, and if you are suffering from depression



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