The B12 vitamin has an extremely intricate relationship with the body’s chemical balances and thus its healthy function. There are a number of ways in which it protects and supports a variety of chemical interactions necessary for a normal quality of living and even survival. This short guide will introduce you to the basics of B12 chemical functions.

1) Vitamin B12 Regenerates Folic Acid

Without B12, folic acid (B9) becomes trapped in the body in a metabolically useless form. Folic acid is a necessary component in cell division and formation of new cells.

2) Healthy Red Blood Cells Depend on Vitamin B12 Driven Synthesis of DNA. Without usable B12 in the system, the DNA synthesis begins to shut down, resulting in pernicious/megaloblastic anemia. Symptoms of this illness include fatigue, Low energy levels, nausea and diarrhea, decreased appetite, weakening of the muscles, headaches, tingling sensations and a sore tongue.

3) Vitamin B12 Supports Synthesis of the Amino Acid Methionine and Amino Acid “SAM-e”

Methionine is one of the two sulfur based compounds involved in metabolic functions. It is a crucial building block of proteins necessary for a state of a healthy body. SAM-e is involved in over 100 enzymatic reactions required for normal metabolic activity.

5) Vitamin B12 Promotes Activity of Hormones and Neurotransmitters Affecting Your Mood

The hormones include dopamine, serotonin and melatonin. These particular neurotransmitters are necessary for a healthy balanced mood, emotional state and even the sleeping cycle. An imbalance in either the levels or the function of any of these can result in a depression which is likely to need medicating.

6) Vitamin B12 Helps Reduce Dangerous Levels of Homocysteine Homocysteine is a toxic amino acid (protein) associated with a number of different negative side effects in the body. High homocysteine levels can cause any of the following symptoms: tinnitus, anxiety, increased heart beat, worsening symptoms of thyroid disorders, depression and body toxicity. Individuals with high homocysteine levels are at risk for cardiovascular problems.

7) Vitamin B12 Benefits Help Prevent Irreversible Neurological Impairment Peripheral and central nervous system deterioration can occur due to a vitamin B12 deficiency. Vitamin B12 deficiency has been linked to demyelination of the nerve and the onset of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Vitamin B12’s primary functions are in the formation of red blood cells, DNA synthesis and the maintenance of the nervous system. If B12 deficiency occurs, DNA production is disrupted and abnormal cells called megaloblasts manifest, which results in anemia. B12 protect the nerves which are surrounded by an insulating fatty sheath called the myelin. B12 plays a vital role in the metabolism of fatty acids essential for the maintenance of myelin. Prolonged B12 deficiency can lead to nerve degeneration and irreversible neurological damage. When deficiency occurs, it is more commonly linked to a failure to effectively absorb B12 from the intestine rather than the lack of B12-rich foods.

Vitamin B12 can be stored in small amounts by the body. Total body store is 2-5mg in adults. Around 80% of this is stored in the liver. Vitamin B12 is excreted in the bile and is then effectively reabsorbed - this is known as enterohepatic circulation. People on diets low in B12 may be obtaining more B12 from re-absorption than from the food they ingest. Re-absorption of the B12 from the bile is the reason it can take over 20 years for deficiency disease to develop. In comparison, if B12 deficiency is due to a failure in the absorption mechanisms it can take only 3 years for deficiency disease to occur.

The only reliable dietary sources of vitamin B12 are meat, dairy and eggs. The considerable research into possible plant food sources of B12 turned up few positive results. Fermented soya products, seaweeds and algae have all been proposed as possible sources of B12 because they are products which have been “pre-digested” into various amino acids, making them easier to absorb. However, analysis of fermented soya products, including tempeh, miso, shoyu and tamari, found no significant B12.

Spirulina, algae available as a dietary supplement in tablet form, and nori, a seaweed, have both appeared to contain significant amounts of B12 after analysis. However, it is thought that this is due to the presence of compounds structurally similar to B12, known as B12 analogues. These cannot be used satisfy dietary needs. The body is unable to differentiate between B12 and its analogues. Researchers have suggested that supposed B12 supplements such as spirulina may in fact increase the risk of B12 deficiency disease, as the B12 analogues can compete with B12 and inhibit metabolism. The current nutritional consensus is that no plant foods can be relied on as a safe source of vitamin B12.

Bacteria present in the large intestine are able to synthesize B12. In the past, it has been thought that the B12 produced by these colonic bacteria could be absorbed and utilized. However, the bacteria produce B12 too far down in the intestine, and as B12 is not absorbed through the colon lining, this B12 just gets flushed out of the system. Supplementations such as the injections or patch should be used if you begin to experience the symptoms of B12 deficiency and you know that you are at risk.

Pernicious anemia (also known as Biermer’s anemia, Addison’s anemia, or Addison-Biermer anemia) is a form of megaloblastic anemia which occurs due to a vitamin B12 deficiency. It is most often caused by impaired absorption of vitamin B12 in the GI tract due to the absence of intrinsic factor in the setting of atrophic gastritis, and more specifically of loss of gastric parietal cells. Future posts will fully describe and explain exactly the functions of these processes.

The name of the disease comes from the historical fact that early sufferers were always properly diagnosed after they were classified as anemic (had low blood hemoglobin levels). However, with more modern tests which specifically target B12 absorption, the disease may properly be diagnosed before patients actually become anemic. An individual with this illness will have to supplement his/her B-12 for the rest of their lives or risk the onslaught of extremely unpleasant symptoms. Most commonly the cause for impaired binding of vitamin B12 by intrinsic factor is autoimmune atrophic gastritis, in which the person’s own antibodies are directed against certain cells, resulting in their death, as well as against the intrinsic factor itself, rendering it unable to bind vitamin B-12.

Sometimes the loss of the GI cells may simply due to a weakening digestive system, such as that frequently occurring in elderly people affected and Helicobacter pylori infection. Note that forms of vitamin B12 deficiency other than pernicious anemia must be considered as a B12 deficiency can cause megaloblastic anemia, which is easily mistaken for classical pernicious anemia, The deficiency may also be caused by infection with a tapeworm, possibly due to the parasite’s competition for vitamin B12

The treatment of Pernicious Anemia varies from country to country and from area to area, but there is yet no cure. Cobalamin (one of the forms of B-12) is usually injected and is given every month in some countries and every three months in others. The single most common cause of complaint by members of the Pernicious Anemia Society is that patients needs vary and some patients need more frequent injections than others.

Patients who are needle-phobic, or patients who are unable to receive injections for another reason can be prescribed cyanocobalmin tablets in very high doses, which means that some of the B12 is absorbed in other places in the bowel other than the terminal ileum where B12 absorption usually takes place. The efficacy of using B12 tablets to treat pernicious anemia (by definition due to atrophic gastritis) is likely not to be sufficient, as the body will have trouble absorbing it as it does from food. As an alternative the B12 Patch brings a great deal of flexibility and comfort for individuals in dire need of an effective, unintrusive vitamin supplementation.

When it comes to nerves and nerve conduction vitamin B-12 plays a special role. One of the reasons the body needs this nutrient is to manufacture myelin, the fatty sheath that wraps around nerve fibers, insulating them and allowing them to conduct their electrical impulses at a better pace. A vitamin B12 deficiency can also raise blood levels of homo-cysteine, an amino acid that is thought to be toxic to nerves, which can cause subsequent ringing in the ears.  Vitamin B₁₂ in turn sheathes ear nerves and may help prevent tinnitus emergence and its symptoms.

    Vitamin B12 deficiency is associated with chronic tinnitus,” says Dr. Attias. “Long-term exposure to noise depletes the body’s levels of B12 and so makes the ears more vulnerable to noise-induced damage.” If you have tinnitus, and especially if you also have memory problems, ask your doctor to check your blood level of vitamin B₁₂.

Research from the Institute for Noise Hazards Research and Evoked Potentials Laboratory at Chaim-Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan and from Tel Aviv University, both in Israel, looked at a group of 385 people with tinnitus and found that 36 to 47 percent suffered from vitamin B₁₂ deficiency. All of the people low in B₁₂ received injections of 1,000 micrograms weekly for four to six months. At the end of that time, their hearing and tinnitus were evaluated. Fifty-four percent reported improvement in their tinnitus, and approximately one-fourth reported reductions in the measured loudness of their tinnitus.

     Most people get enough vitamin B₁₂ from foods but often an individual is unable to absorb the B12 in their GI tract, which will eventually cause a deficiency. Strict vegetarians, who eat no meats, dairy products or eggs, are also at risk for deficiency, since B12 comes only from animal products. If your doctor determines that you have issues with absorbing B12 the vitamin you will need to supplement it. Those with an absorption problem will need to opt for either injections of B12 by your doctor, sublingual B12 pills from your pharmacist (studies show this method can also be poor in terms of absorption)  or a transdermal B12 patch available online.

Vitamin B12 is one of the very most important nutrients we get from animal foods. Vitamin B12 is a compound that is red in color because of the presence of cobalt. Absorption of Vitamin B12 is a complex process which can be problematic for many. For it to be absorbed effectively, B12 attaches to a protein known as intrinsic factor which is secreted in the stomach. Vitamin B12 binds with intrinsic factor and travels through to the small intestines. Once in the bloodstream, B12 binds to transport proteins. Enzymes release B12 from the protein complex and convert it to two forms- methylcobalamin and adenosylcobalamin. Deficiency in the enzymes can stop this conversion. Because there are so many potential blocks in the absorption process many people develop Vitamin B12 deficiencies even though they get plenty of Vitamin B12 in their diet.

More than 70% of people over the age of 50 are thought to suffer from some form of vitamin b12 deficiency.  When this occurs your body is being deprived of an essential vitamin.  B12 is needed in order for your body to make red blood cells.  Therefore when your body does not have enough vitamin b12 it can lead to anemia. Red blood cells are critical as they carry oxygen through the body.  A person with vitamin b12 deficiency may feel very lethargic, weak, and tired.  There are different methods for a person to receive vitamin b12 such as through vitamin b12 injections or using vitamin b12 patch.  The b12 patch is very convenient for people rather than having to get monthly b12 shots all the time.  With the B12 patch they can avoid all the hassles associated with getting b12 shots.