Vitamin B-12 is a vital nutrient found in a variety of animal-based foods, including dairy products such as milk and yogurt, eggs, beef, beef liver and several species of fish. B-12 gained from food sources plays a number of important roles inside your body. B-12 supplements can also impact your health in several positive ways.
Essential B-12 Functions
Vitamin B-12 is a general term for a group of closely-related compounds called cobalamins, according to the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Two specific cobalamins -- methylcobalamin and 5-deoxyadenosylcobalamin -- are active inside the human body. You need these compounds for normal function of your nervous system, production of red blood cells and the creation of essential materials that include DNA, RNA, lipids, hormones and proteins. You also need the B-12 cobalamins to properly digest and use the carbohydrates and proteins in your diet.
B-12 Supplements
Your body normally stores a multi-year supply of vitamin B-12, MayoClinic.com reports. For this reason, most people don't need B-12 supplements to gain the health benefits of the vitamin. However, supplements can have a positive impact on your health if you have a B-12 deficiency. You run a risk for this type of deficiency if you are elderly, pregnant or have problems absorbing the B-12 content of your food. Breastfed infants also have an increased deficiency risk. In addition, you run a risk for a deficiency if you follow a vegetarian or vegan diet that completely excludes the presence of animal products.
Anemia and Deficiencies
If you have a condition called pernicious anemia, your body lacks a certain chemical that's necessary for proper B-12 absorption. People with this disorder typically need lifelong supplemental doses of B-12 to offset these absorption problems. If you have a B-12 deficiency, you may also develop another type of anemia, called megaloblastic anemia. Potential symptoms of a vitamin B-12 deficiency include muscle weakness, low blood pressure, incontinence, dementia and a movement and body control disorder called ataxia. You may be at risk for deficiency-related symptoms even if your B-12 intake is only just below normal, says MayoClinic.com.
Considerations
As an alternative to taking supplements, vegans and vegetarians can potentially avoid B-12 deficiencies by eating breakfast cereals fortified with the vitamin, the Office of Dietary Supplements notes. Additional medical conditions that may benefit from supplemental doses of B-12 include kidney or liver disease, cancer, hemorrhages, hemolytic anemia and an ailment called thyrotoxicosis. Adults typically need 2.4 to 2.8 mcg of the vitamin per day, while teenagers need 1.8 mcg. Younger children need anywhere from 1.2 mcg to 0.4 mcg per day, depending on their age. Ask your doctor for more information on the ways that vitamin B-12 can improve your health.
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