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Why Most People Need Vitamin B12 Supplementation?

by Craig Jacobs Healthier Living 4 You

Why Most People Need Vitamin B12 Supplementation?

To live an active lifestyle, we all need some supplements on a daily basis. Given the fact that the food we eat is not that nutrient-rich or cannot fulfill our body’s essential vitamin or mineral requirement, it becomes even more important to get hands on those gummy multivitamins. Well, instead of that, vitamin b12 supplement is better as its deficiency can increase the risk of severe health problems.

 

 

vitamin b12 foods list

Since this vitamin is present in animal products like eggs, dairy, beef liver and cereals and grains, it is just not possible to have them all on a routine basis. Hence, the need for vitamin b12 arises to keep you healthy and fit.

To check if you have vitamin b12 deficiency, you need to gauge whether you have walking issues or imbalance problem, loss of vibration sensation or dementia. Let me tell you, the body needs sufficient quantity of b12 to make the protective coating close to the nerves. However, vitamin b12 is really important for the body, here’s a quick list:

  • Reproductive health
  • Iron absorption
  • Producing adrenal hormones
  • Metabolizing folate
  • Proper blood circulation
  • Digestion and metabolizing fat and carbs
  • Formation of red blood cells
  • Nervous system function
  • Nerve growth and function

Vitamin B12 Deficiency

B12 deficiency causes neurological disorders and diseases

B12 is present in animal products, but because of the modern practices, even these products are hard to believe. However, experts suggest taking a right amount of b12 supplements in your diet to ensure good health. Since the deficiency can cause autism, multiple sclerosis, and Alzheimer’s disease, etc. it can also affect the cervical cells to a great extent. Also, vegans or vegetarians face the deficiency way more than the others because animal products are the reliable source and not consuming them and also not supplementing the diet with vitamin b12 will make you anemic.

B12 deficiency – An alert for pregnant women

Are you pregnant? Do you want your child to develop the b1 deficiency? Because you are deficient, the child will also be defective through breastfeeding. There are cases when this deficiency even causes brain abnormalities so before you plan a baby, make sure to take the balanced nutritional diet. A strict vegetarian diet is not at all recommended as the consequences can be worse than expected. Impaired brain and bad nerve development are very hard to cure, later on, the damage once done is done. Take the proper diet and give your baby complete protection as they can also develop Type 2 diabetes if the mother is b12 deficient. Get b12 shots and also check the vitamin b12 injection dosage and frequency to improve the intake.

B12 deficiency contributes to Depression

B21 deficiency is the major contributing factor to depression and other psychiatric problems apart from autism. According to a study, it has been revealed that vitamin b12 deficiency increases confusion, mania, agitation, depression and paranoid delusions. Also, a combination of b12 with b6 and b8 is perfect to improve schizophrenic symptoms.

Symptoms of Vitamin b12 Deficiency

Fatigue, lack of energy, shortness of breath, and poor memory, etc. are vitamin b12 deficiency symptoms which you should immediately take care of. If you frequently face such issues, the chances are high that you are deficient. Low vitamin B12 levels even cause delusions and hallucinations along with these below-mentioned signs:

  • Mouth ulcers or sores
  • Numb sensation in hands, feet or legs indicating nerve damage
  • Blurry vision or seeing shadows, cause of optic nerve damage
  • Jaundice indicating the reduction in red blood cells
  • Dizzy and unstable feeling most of the time showing the reduction of oxygen in blood
  • Poor memory

Why people are at risk of B12 deficiency?

The number of reasons is there, but some more factors contribute to the B12 deficiency. Although it is a serious issue to discuss and consider, yet you should not panic if you find yourself deficient. With little lifestyle and diet changes, you can get control over it and lead a healthy life. Here are few causes why people are at risk of B12 deficiency which if appropriately addressed, can make the lack ineffective.

  • Alcoholic people are prone to deficiency
  • Vegans and vegetarians are susceptible since they don’t consume animal products
  • Body fails to absorb B12 when you are suffering from an auto immune disease like Crohn’s
  • Vitamin B deficiencies are most common in people taking more than 4 cups of coffee. Cut short your coffee intake
  • B12 absorption is less in those who have had gastric bypass surgery
  • Exposure to laughing gas can remove B12 reserves from the body
  • As you grow older over 50, your ability to product intrinsic factor diminishes
  • If you take antacids, the B12 absorption gets interfered
  • Metformin, a drug for low blood sugar interferes with b12 absorption which increases the risk of deficiency
  • Taking Pepcid or Zantac contributes majorly towards increasing the risk of B12 deficiency by 65 percent
  • Birth control pills for a generous amount of time impairs absorption of B12
  • Antibiotics encourage vitamin B12 deficiency so make sure not to take too much of them

How much vitamin B12 is required?

Well that depends from person to person! Here is the breakdown:

  • 8 mcg for breastfeeding women
  • 4 mcg for over the age 14 or more
  • 6 mcg for pregnant women

What happens if you take too much vitamin b12?

Nothing as such! No doubt, the excess of everything is dangerous so you should think of adding a sufficient amount in your diet instead. Overdosing of B12 is not a concern because the body flushes out the excess of everything and B12 is water soluble, so nothing to worry about. While B12 supplements contain cyanocobalamin, most people know cyanide as a poison, but the quantity is so small that the body will eliminate it during the flush out process with a substance called glutathione.

Have a healthy day!


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About Craig Jacobs Innovator   Healthier Living 4 You

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Joined APSense since, June 16th, 2016, From Wellesley, Canada.

Created on Jun 6th 2018 01:09. Viewed 441 times.

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