If you’re here, then you probably Google’d: what is b12 vitamin benefits. This subject along with many others are quite common, we will do our best to answer this and many other similar questions in this article which should ease your mind regarding this subject.
2. May Prevent Major Birth Defects
Summary Appropriate vitamin B12 levels are key to a healthy pregnancy.
Health Benefits
Women with low levels of vitamin B12 are three times more likely to have a child with birth defects. Brain atrophy, which refers to the loss of neurons in the brain, is associated with memory loss and dementia.
Another study found that low B12 levels, even within the normal range, contribute to poor memory performance.
How Much Vitamin B12 Do I Need?
The amount of vitamin B12 a person needs steadily increases as they age:
Older individuals may want to up their vitamin B12 intake. “Around the age of 50, it becomes harder to absorb vitamin B12, so older adults should aim to eat more B12-rich foods or take a supplement if needed,” says Wong.
Where Can I Get B12?
B12 can be supplemented in four ways, says Taylor Graber, MD, physician and owner of ASAP IVs, a mobile IV hydration and wellness company:
Orally, through eating foods rich in vitamin B12 Taking a B12 supplement Injected into the muscle Through an IV drip
As vitamin B12 is found naturally in animal-based food products, vegetarians and vegans may not get enough of it in their diet and require supplements. Medical conditions may also require a person to seek out additional amounts of the vitamin. Your small intestine helps absorb B12 with help from a substance secreted by the stomach known as intrinsic factor.
This makes people with certain health conditions more susceptible to B12 deficiency. That said, there can still be side effects of excess intake.
1) Metabolism
It’s easy to see why people who have a B12 deficiency can suffer from symptoms of fatigue and weakness.
A lack of B12 will prevent you from feeling your best and performing at your highest energy level.