Your body uses vitamins and nutrients to carry out a multitude of functions. A vitamin deficiency can prevent your body from functioning optimally. Vitamins help promote health and well-being. Vitamin B-12 plays an important role in the health, maintenance and production of red blood cells, tissues, DNA and RNA, making it crucial to healthy body function.
Red Blood Cell Formation
Red blood cells serve an important role in your body. A single drop of blood contains millions of red blood cells that circulate in your bloodstream, removing waste and transporting oxygen and nutrients to your body's organs and tissues. Vitamin B-12 is needed for the healthy production of red blood cells, without it, you would not have enough oxygen and nutrients, causing your tissues and organs to suffer from oxygen deprivation.
Anemia Prevention
Anemia is when your body lacks enough red blood cells. Lack of B-12 can lead to anemia and manifest as a variety of symptoms, most notably fatigue. Oxygen is crucial to all functions of your body. When you have anemia, your cells and organs do not receive enough oxygen. This can cause you to feel tired and sluggish. Lack of B-12 also causes megaoloblastic anemia, a form of anemia characterized by large, immature, malfunctioning blood cells.
Nerve Function
Your nerves transmit signals throughout your body. For example, when you touch a hot object, you automatically retract your hand because your nerves send impulses to your brain that transmits a pain signal. Nerves connect your senses to your organs. Your sight, smell, touch, taste and hearing depend on the health of your nerves. Vitamin B-12 is needed for proper nerve function. A deficiency of B-12 can cause nerve damage with symptoms including tingling of the extremities.
Other Roles
B-12 plays a role in DNA synthesis and is needed for healthy cells and tissues. It is also a co-factor in other nutrients, such as methionine, an amino acid that helps break down fats, preventing their accumulation and possible damage to the arteries. B-12 is important for nervous system health and helps promote wound healing. An autoimmune disease called pernicious anemia causes the body to mistake B-12 absorbing cells in your stomach as antigens, attacking them. This prevents absorption of B-12, making injections necessary.
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