Vitamin B12 and How To Make Sure You Are Getting Enough
Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble vitamin that plays a key function to maintain a healthy nervous system, brain function, formation of red blood cells and DNA.
A deficiency of this vitamin can lead to different forms of anemia (Megaloblastic & Pernicious), vision problems, dementia, muscle weakness, nerve damage, mood disturbances, fatigue, low resistance to infections, psychoses, hypotension, ataxia, fatigue, and incontinence.
Vitamin B-12 is a protein bound food, so most people who eat meat, eggs and dairy products get enough vitamin B-12 in their diet, as long as, they have a strong healthy digestive system, in which their stomach makes enough HCI (hydrochloric acid) to break down the protein to release the B-12 during digestion and the intestinal tract is able to absorb it allowing it to enter into the bloodstream.
A healthy body is able to store in the liver 1-2 years worth of the vitamin, so in non-vegetarians, a deficiency of B-12 is not very common. High levels of vitamin B-12 can occur in people with liver disease such as cirrhosis or hepatitis, with some types of leukemia, and sometimes rarely in obese and diabetic people. People who eat lots of unhealthy fast & junk foods, carbonated beverages, coffee, sweets, have had lots of antibiotics, digestion problems, smokers, vegans, babies of vegans, and the elderly are more prone to vitamin B-12 deficiencies.
The best reliable sources of vitamin B-12 are found mostly in meat (poultry, beef, etc.), free range eggs, dairy products (cheese, whole & 2% milk), fish and shellfish. There are plant sources for vitamin B-12, such as fermented soya products, seaweeds (noni), algae (spirulina), however, studies have shown that this form of B-12 is unavailable to the human body and not able to use it.
Currently, no plant foods can be relied upon to give you enough B-12 to keep you healthy. Vitamin B-12 is frequently combined with folic acid and other vitamins as a supplement.
Always consult with your health care professional to see if supplementation is right for you and how much. It can vary greatly depending on your situation, age, health issues, etc. Strict vegetarians are recommended to supplement their diet with whole food V-12 supplements and fortified food. For most people eating 1-2 free range eggs, a chicken breast a day and whole milk or low fat milk and cheese products will give them enough B-12 per day.
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