Vitamin B12, also known as cobalamin, is important for maintaining a healthy metabolism and central nervous system. This vitamin is present in many foods, including eggs, meat, poultry, shellfish, milk and fortified cereals. Unlike other vitamins in the B family that are water soluble and pass through your body quickly, vitamin B12 can be stored in your liver for years.
B12 Benefits
Vitamin B12's primary function is to aid in metabolism, the process by which your body creates and uses energy. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, or UMMC, digestion, absorption, respiration, circulation and the regulation of your body temperature are tasks vitamin B12 helps facilitate. Vitamin B12 also might offer other health benefits as well, states the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. When combined with folate and vitamin B6, vitamin B12 might help reduce your risk of breast cancer. Some studies indicate that vitamin B12 is beneficial for certain cardiovascular disorders, fatigue and restless leg syndrome. People with pernicious anemia might be treated with prescription vitamin B12 injections.
Food Choices
Animal foods such as meat, eggs and diary foods are dietary sources of vitamin B12, states the National Institute for Health, or NIH. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Nutrient Database, seafood scores particularly high in vitamin B12, with clams, oysters, crab, salmon and sardines topping the list. Turkey, beef and chicken, including organ meat, also are good sources of vitamin B12. Vegans, who don't eat dairy products or eggs, are more at risk for a vitamin B12 deficiency in their diet.
B12 Supplements
If you eat meat, milk and other dairy products, you don't need to take vitamin B12 supplements, says the UMMC. Vegans might need to take vitamin B12 supplements, as might older individuals who lack the ability to absorb this vitamin. Don't take vitamin B12 supplements without first speaking with your treating physician. Although vitamin B12 is considered safe, taking any of the B vitamins alone can result in an imbalance of the others in the B family, cautions the UMMC. Vitamin B12 supplements also might interact negatively with certain medications, such as tetracycline.
Deficiency
In addition to vegans and the elderly, other populations are at risk for vitamin B12 deficiency, says the UMMC. These include people with eating disorders, HIV, and conditions such as a tapeworm infection or small intestine or stomach surgery, which make it difficult for the body to absorb vitamin B12. When your stomach cannot manufacture enough intrinsic factor, you cannot absorb vitamin B12, which results in a condition called pernicious anemia. Vitamin B12 deficiency is characterized by tiredness, shortness of breath, nervousness, diarrhea and numbness or tingling in the extremities.
Daily B12 Requirements
Your recommended dietary intake of vitamin B12 varies depending on age and gender, says the NIH, with pregnant and breastfeeding women requiring more. Males and females 14 and older need 2.4 mcg of vitamin B12 daily. Children between 1 and 3 need 0.9 mcg; those between 4 and 8 need 1.2 mcg; and those from 9 to 13 need 1.8 mcg. If you suspect your vitamin B12 needs aren't being met through dietary sources, talk to your treating physician.
Member Comments