Vitamin B-12 has a special relationship with the liver. Unlike the other B vitamins that dissolve in water and leave your body through urine, the liver stores vitamin B-12. Some evidence suggests a lack of vitamin B-12 causes liver disease, including several disorders and diseases, such as cirrhosis or hepatitis, that impair liver function. Speak with your doctor about your vitamin B-12 intake to insure that your body is absorbing enough vitamin B-12 for a healthy liver.
Benefits
All the B vitamins, including B-12, are necessary for a healthy liver and other parts of your body, such as your skin, eyes and hair. B vitamins also assist your body in metabolizing proteins and fats. You particularly need vitamin B-12 to make DNA and RNA, and to keep your nerve cells healthy. Vitamin B-12 and vitamin B-9 together assist in iron function and regulating the making of red blood cells. Vitamin B-12 also works with folate to make S-adenosylmethionine, a compound involved in your mood and immune function.
Storage
The lives stores years' worth of vitamin B-12. For this reason, vitamin B-12 deficiencies are rare. Unless you do not get an intake of vitamin B-12 from food or supplements for a long time, your liver has adequate vitamin B-12 saved to release as needed. Vitamin B-12 is in dairy products, fish, shell fish, beef, pork, liver and kidneys.
Liver Disease
Liver disease can cause an increase in the body's vitamin B-12 levels, although supplements can help improve symptoms of liver disease. Prime symptoms include abdominal pain and jaundice, a yellowing of the eyes or skin. Liver disease is actually a group of diseases that affect the liver, including hepatitis A, B, C and D; Wilson's disease; alcoholic liver disease; and many others. In these disorders, your liver functions abnormally or shuts down. Vitamin B-12 supplements significantly decrease jaundice and recovery time in hepatitis patients and is also a treatment for viral hepatitis patients.
VItamin B-12 Injections
People with liver disease often seek vitamin B-12 injections. These injections are thought to combat fatigue, which is common among people with liver disease. However, a vitamin B-12 deficiency is rare and therefore generally not the cause of fatigue. People with alcoholic liver disease or who drink excessively are the exception. Alcohol inhibits the absorption of vitamin B-12, making a deficiency more common in people who frequently drink. Older adults and vegetarians with chronic liver disease are also at risk for a vitamin B-12 deficiency. If you fall into one of these categories, vitamin B-12 injections may help reduce fatigue. Ask your doctor before taking any supplements.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin); June 2009
- Medline Plus; Vitamin B12 Level; March 2010
- Diagnose-Me.com; Vitamin B-12 Requirement: Overview; August 2011
- Colorado State University Extension; Water-Soluble Vitamins; J. Anderson and L. Young; August 2008
- DoctorYourself.com; There Must be Fifteen Ways to Love Your Liver; Andrew W. Saul; 2003
- UptoDate; Approach to the Patient With Abnormal Liver Function Tests; Marshall M Kaplan, M.D.
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