Vitamin B12 is an essential vitamin that the body needs in order to function properly. This vitamin is responsible for many important functions in the body, including the production of red blood cells and DNA. It also helps to keep the nervous system functioning properly. Unfortunately, many people are deficient in vitamin B12 and don't even know it. In this blog post, we'll discuss everything you need to know about vitamin B12, including its benefits, sources, and signs of deficiency.
What are the benefits of vitamin B12?
Vitamin B12 has a plethora of benefits, both for the body and the mind. Physically, vitamin B12 helps to keep the nervous system functioning properly, it aids in the production of red blood cells, and it helps to prevent anemia. Additionally, vitamin B12 has been shown to boost energy levels and metabolism. Mentally, vitamin B12 has been shown to improve memory, concentration, and cognitive function. It has even been linked to a reduced risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
There are a few different sources of vitamin B12. The best sources are animal-based foods such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy products. However, there are also some plant-based foods that contain small amounts of vitamin B12. These include fortified cereals, soy products, and tempeh. Additionally, you can also get your daily dose of vitamin B12 through supplements or injections.
If you're not getting enough vitamin B12 in your diet, you may start to experience some signs of deficiency. These can include fatigue, weakness, constipation, loss of appetite, weight loss, anemia, depression, memory loss, and tingling in the hands and feet. If you experience any of these symptoms or think you may be deficient in vitamin B12, be sure to speak with your doctor for more information.
Vitamin B12 is an essential nutrient that plays a vital role in many different functions in the body. Unfortunately, many people don't get enough vitamin B12 in their diet and don't even know it. If you think you may be deficient in this important nutrient or if you simply want to learn more about its benefits and sources—this blog post is for you!
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Vitamin B12:
Dr. Kathryn King (00:00):
Okay, Dr. Kathryn King here and today we're gonna talk about vitamin b12. So this is something that you do hear about regularly because it's actually pretty easy to become deficient in it. Vitamin B12 is not something that you make in your own body. You have to consume it. It is necessary for building a bunch of cells in your body, so your blood cells, your brain cells, your nerve cells. We need it to be able to maintain our hormone balance and our neurotransmitters. It's important for mood and energy. So if you are deficient, then you'll be deficient in those things. You'll be tired and irritable and have like extreme lethargy and fatigue. If you do not have enough b12, you can get a certain type of anemia. So then you will also have heart palpitations. Be very pale. Really it's quite important to maintain your B12 status.
Dr. Kathryn King (00:50):
So in America the range is I believe, one 60 to nine 50 in your units. And honestly like I want it way up by the top, like 900 would be great. In Canada I don't think we have an upper range. It's just, you know, it's gotta be over. I think ours is one 50, so it's gotta be over one 50. And again, I want it like seven 50, like high. And so the nice thing about B12 is that it is water soluble. So this means if you are taking too much of it, you will just pee it out, which I mean fine, you're creating expensive P if you're taking too much, but it's not really gonna be harmful. The upper limit I think is if you're making yourself and you're not supplementing, then that could show that there's a problem. But supplementing it's fine, go for it.
Dr. Kathryn King (01:42):
So foods that have b12, if you're gonna try and get it through your diet, that is meat and fish. Great. It's also eggs and dairy, not so great in my mind for most people. And then nutritionally yeast also, everyone talks about how nutritional yeast has so much B12 in it, but it's really not that much. I think I saw that you have to eat a quarter cup. That's a lot. For a 17 micrograms. K when I supplement b12, I like 1000 to 5,000 micrograms a day. And the other question people ask me about often is not just how much, but what kind. So there are a few different common kinds of b12, different forms of b12. So three of them are natural forms. So the natural forms are methylcoblamin, hydroxylcobain, and adenosylcobalamin. These are all great. The adenosil and the methyl kind of do different functions in your body and the hydroxy will become both of them. I like supplements that have a mix of all three. That's great. There's a really great company outta Calgary actually that makes one, that's a mix of all three
Dr. Kathryn King (02:58):
And you can take that one orally. Actually sublingually. You put it under your tongue and it dissolves Otherwise the cyanocobalamin is the synthetic version and this is what I see commonly. It's the cheapest. I don't love it. If you have issues with methylation, it can be irritating. So I would say a good, strong combo of any of those three natural versions of b12. And eat your meat and your fish, and you will be feeling great.