In the past few years, B12 has become a trend in health and wellness. But sometimes it is hard to separate the real information from the fad. So here is the low down on vitamin B12, why it’s important and how you should be getting it every day.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links that I earn a commission from at no cost to you
Personally, I have seen more and more people around me needing B12 prescribed and suffering from really low energy without it. But it still seems a mystery as to why this deficiency occurs and how it affects the body.
What is Vitamin B12?
B12, also called cobalamin, is a water-soluble essential vitamin that naturally occurs in food. Specifically animal products such as meat, fish, eggs and dairy products. Adults only require 2.4 mcg per day and more for women during pregnancy.
It plays a crucial role, like any other any vitamin does, in our body and the way it functions.
Why is B12 Important for Health and Wellness?
Vitamin B12 has many roles within our body and one of the most important is the formation of red blood cells. It contributes to ensuring red blood cells are produced, they are right size and shape and effective in transporting oxygen through the bloodstream.
Therefore, vitamin B12 prevents anaemia and ensures your blood is well oxygenated. Anaemia is a deficiency of red blood cells or haemoglobin in your system and can be a symptom of B12 deficiency.
Another symptom of B12 deficiency is extreme tiredness and fatigue. In relation to your holistic health and wellness, this feeling can have huge negative impacts on your mental, physical and spiritual health.
As a B Vitamin, B12 contributes to ‘numerous aspects of brain function, including energy production, DNA/RNA synthesis/repair’. Although it does not provide energy itself, vitamin B12 is important in producing the energy you need day-to-day. Therefore, reducing the likelihood of suffering from fatigue and tiredness.
Additionally, this activity in the brain can also improve symptoms of depression. As well as improving cognition and memory by preventing the loss of neurons when combined with omega-3 fatty acids. Therefore, vitamin B12 can improve your mood and cognitive function. Memory loss is also another symptom of B12 deficiency.
How can You become Vitamin B12 Deficient?
Our bodies do not naturally produce vitamin B12 so it must be obtained from the food you consume. This deficiency can be caused by many factors including your diet and your internal health. Here are the main causes of vitamin B12 deficiency:
Age
Those in an older age group are more likely to develop this deficiency. This can be due to the body not absorbing B12 or conditions such as Atrophic Gastritis.
This is where the body thins the stomach lining resulting in decreased absorption of vitamin B12.
Gastrointestinal Conditions
Conditions affecting the small intestine can reduce the absorption of this vitamin. Including Coeliac, Crohn’s disease or bacterial growth.
These diseases can increase the risk of becoming deficient in many essential vitamins and minerals needed for the body. Therefore, it can be worth trying methods to improve gut health to assist vitamin absorption.
Medications
Certain medications can interfere with the absorption of vitamin B12. This includes proton pump inhibitors (acid reflux/heartburn medicines), H2 blockers and the diabetes medication, Metformin.
Therefore, being informed about the effect your medication can identify any deficiencies. Especially as these stop the absorption of vitamins from your food.
Diet
As vitamin B12 can only be obtained through your diet, consuming food rich in B vitamins. Therefore, vegan, vegetarian and diets low in meats and animal products can be extremely low in B12.
If you follow this diet, then it would be recommended to supplement your diet with B12 vitamins or B complex vitamins containing more than just B12 as these are not found naturally within this diet.
Should You Supplement Your Diet with Vitamin B12?
As already mentioned, vitamin B12 naturally occurs in animal food products. The table below shows the amount of B12 found in foods:
| Food | Micrograms (mcg) per serving | Percent DV* |
|---|---|---|
| Clams, cooked, 3 ounces | 84.1 | 3,504 |
| Liver, beef, cooked, 3 ounces | 70.7 | 2,946 |
| Trout, rainbow, wild, cooked, 3 ounces | 5.4 | 225 |
| Salmon, sockeye, cooked, 3 ounces | 4.8 | 200 |
| Trout, rainbow, farmed, cooked, 3 ounces | 3.5 | 146 |
| Tuna fish, light, canned in water, 3 ounces | 2.5 | 104 |
| Nutritional yeasts, fortified with 100% of the DV for vitamin B12, 1 serving | 2.4 | 100 |
| Cheeseburger, double patty and bun, 1 sandwich | 2.1 | 88 |
| Haddock, cooked, 3 ounces | 1.8 | 75 |
| Beef, top sirloin, broiled, 3 ounces | 1.4 | 58 |
| Milk, low-fat, 1 cup | 1.2 | 50 |
| Yogurt, fruit, low-fat, 8 ounces | 1.1 | 46 |
| Cheese, Swiss, 1 ounce | 0.9 | 38 |
| Beef taco, 1 soft taco | 0.9 | 38 |
| Breakfast cereals, fortified with 25% of the DV for vitamin B12, 1 serving | 0.6 | 25 |
| Ham, cured, roasted, 3 ounces | 0.6 | 25 |
| Egg, whole, hard boiled, 1 large | 0.6 | 25 |
| Chicken, breast meat, roasted, 3 ounces | 0.3 | 13 |
You can see that the amount of B12 in fish and red meat is very high and if your diet includes these foods regularly you are not likely to be lacking vitamin B12.
Although, getting more than enough B12 does not necessarily have an effect.
Vitamin B12 is water-soluble which means that the body does not absorb extra amounts of the vitamin. Instead, it passes through the body is filtered out in your urine.
This does then pose the question…
Do we need to supplement our diet with B12 vitamins if the extra is not used?
If you think you may have a B12 deficiency, then we recommend you check with your doctor. This deficiency can occur because your body stops absorbing the vitamin and therefore, supplements alone may not have an effect.
However, the benefits of B12 can be significant for your overall health and wellness and can be something worth trying. It is also worth integrating a B vitamin supplement if you do not eat much red meat, fish or dairy.
Additionally, as research suggests, combining B12 vitamins with omega-3 fatty acids can increase its effectiveness. These can be obtained with fish oils such as Krill oil tablets.
Therefore, supplementing your diet with B vitamins may not be the only thing you can do to improve your health and wellbeing.
What Difference will You see with Vitamin B12?
Armed with this information, does your health and wellbeing require more vitamin B12?
B12 contributes to energy and red blood cell production, brain function and mood. Therefore, ensuring you have enough of this vitamin is highly important.
With this knowledge, you can evaluate your current diet and if it supports your vitamin B12 absorption. If not, consider supplementing your diet with B12 vitamins or B complex and combining with other supportive supplements such as fish oils.
Bulk Powders UK is a brand we trust and have used ourselves and recommend highly. However, you can also purchase B vitamins from Amazon but do your research first before choosing a product!
Amazon B Vitamins
Let us know your thoughts on B12 and share this valuable information with your friends and family on Pinterest!