What is Vitamin B12?

Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble nutrient which your body needs to maintain a healthy nervous system, produce ample amounts of red blood cells, protect brain functioning and assist your metabolism.  Vitamin B12 also monitors homocysteine, an amino acid which is associated with increased risk for heart attack and stroke.

How can I include vitamin B12 in my diet?

Animal proteins are especially high in vitamin B12. For that reason, vegans are warned to get B12 supplementation regularly in order to avoid B12 deficiency. Food sources which are rich in vitamin B12 include:

• Lean meats, particularly beef chuck and organ meats, such as liver, kidneys and heart
• Fish, including salmon and halibut, and shellfish, such as clam, crab, mussels and oysters
• Dairy products, including Swiss cheese, yogurt and milk
• Eggs
• Fortified cereals

On Becoming Vegan: Avoiding Vitamin B12 Deficiency and Others

What are the symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency?

Vitamin B12 deficiency can only be diagnosed through a blood screening. It’s important to recognize the B12 deficiency symptoms in the early stages, in order to prevent serious neurological damage, pernicious anemia, heart attack or stroke and dementia.

Some of the symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency are:

• Depression
• Chronic fatigue
• Sleep difficulties
• Aggressiveness
• Hallucinations
• Weakness
• Short-term memory loss
• Heart palpitations
• Numb feeling in hands and feet
• Altered taste perception
• Decreased motor control

B12 Deficiency: Don’t Ignore the Symptoms

Are nursing mothers at risk for getting vitamin B12 deficiency?

Breast feeding mothers are more likely to suffer vitamin deficiencies than mothers who bottle-feed; this is because a significant amount of nutrients they consume are shared with the baby. In order to maintain healthy levels of vitamin B12, nursing moms must make up the difference by either taking vitamin B12 supplements or increasing their consumption of B12 in their diet.

Pregnant Moms and Low B-12 Levels: Let ‘em Eat Steak!

If I nurse often, is my baby still at risk for becoming deficient in vitamin B12?

Milk is high in vitamin B12. However, the milk of a nursing mother who has vitamin B12 deficiency will likewise have low levels of vitamin B12. And while an adult could harbor low B12 levels for a long time before showing any signs of B12 deficiency, a malnourished infant can develop symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency very quickly. If left untreated, vitamin B12 deficiency in infants could lead to:

• Severe vomiting
• Lethargy
• Anemia
• Stinted brain development
• Death

Are Vegans in France Responsible for Breast-fed Baby’s Death?

What vitamin B12 supplements are available for me and my baby?

Nursing vegan moms and pregnant women are strongly advised to supplement with vitamin B12. If vitamin B12 deficiency is diagnosed, your physician might prescribe vitamin B12 injections. B12 shots can be painful, so a popular option for many who are concerned about vitamin B12 levels is a vitamin B12 patch which may be applied once per week. And while few individuals would buy B12 injections with the intention of self-administering vitamin B12 shots, an increasing number of chronic B12 deficiency patients are opting for the B12 patch for convenience, effectiveness and comfort.

Natalie Portman Chooses B12 over Veganism

Vitamin-Enriched Chocolate Milk Facing School Ban

Sources:

Livestrong

Vitamin B12 deficiency can start with a few symptoms like tiredness and slight tingling or numbness in hands and feet; ignore the symptoms and low B12 levels could escalate into severe nerve damage, disease or death.

What are the symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency?

Below is a list of some of the most common side effects which may arise from insufficient stores of vitamin B12. (Please note that the severity of the symptoms may vary according to the stage of B12 deficiency.)

• Fatigue
• Depression
• Aggressive behavior
• Hallucinations
• Sleep problems
• Frailness
• Imbalance, difficulty walking with coordination
• Numbness or tingling in the hands and/or feet
• Altered taste perception
• Heart palpitations
• Short-term memory loss
• Also read: B12 Deficiency can really Get on your Nerves

B12 and your body

Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble nutrient. Therefore, your body is only able to store it for a short time. Vitamin B12 has many important functions in your body.

• Vitamin B12 is essential for producing plenty of healthy red blood cells and synthesizing DNA. A lack of B12 severely reduces your body’s ability to make sufficient red blood cells for carrying oxygen throughout your body. Pernicious anemia is a life-threatening condition which results from long-term vitamin B12 deficiency.
• Your nervous system is dependent on vitamin B12, which enhances communication between the brain and your many nerve sensors, such as those in your fingertips, feet and mouth. This explains why sufferers of B12 deficiency notice a sensation similar to wearing gloves throughout the day; others report that their food tastes unusual, another clue that the body’s neurons are not operating correctly.  A deficiency of vitamin B12 compromises your nervous system and could result in permanent neurological damage.
• Researchers have found a direct link between vitamin B12 deficiency and brain atrophy among the elderly. I one study which appeared in the Journal of Nutrition, senior citizens who had the highest levels of B12 experienced age-related dementia later in life than elderly individuals who did not have high vitamin B12 levels. Now Eat This: Preventing Age Related Hearing Loss
• Vitamin B12 helps your body monitor homocysteine levels. Elevated homocysteine increases one’s risk for heart attacks.

What diseases are associated with B12 deficiency?

There are many illnesses which occur when B12 levels are low; some conditions may be caused by vitamin B12 deficiency, while others are closely correlated. Below are some common illnesses associated with B12 deficiency, including many which most people don’t realize are affected by vitamin B12 stores.

• Alzheimer’s disease, brain deterioration, cognitive decline, memory loss and other forms of dementia
• Neurological diseases such as Multiple sclerosis (MS)
• Cardiovascular disease, caused by high homocysteine levels
• Mental illness, including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and psychosis
• Autism spectrum disorder
• Autoimmune diseases, such as AIDS and pernicious anemia
• Cancer
• Infertility

Eating Your Way Out of Depression with B-12

B12 deficiency is often misdiagnosed

According to a Tufts University study, 40 percent of people between the ages of 26 and 83 have low to medium-low B12 levels, indicating a deficiency severe enough to cause neurological disorder symptoms, while 9 percent are depleted enough to the point of irreversible neurological damage and life-threatening symptoms. Approximately 16 percent are close to becoming vitamin B12 deficient.

Why is vitamin B12 deficiency overlooked?

Only a blood test can properly determine if somebody is suffering from B12 deficiency, and most physicians don’t include a B12 screening with yearly check-ups. Also, many of the symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency are similar to common health disorders, such as diabetes, chronic depression and fatigue.

How can you prevent vitamin B12 deficiency?

Vitamin B12 is found in many high protein foods. Excellent sources of B12 are:

• Lean beef cuts, such as chuck and sirloin
• Poultry
• Fish, particularly salmon, tuna and halibut
• Shellfish, including crab meat, mussels, clams and oysters
• Dairy products, such as swiss cheese, yogurt, milk and cottage cheese
• Eggs

Vegans are at a high risk for developing vitamin B12 deficiency, as their diet specifically excludes food items which provide vitamin B12. Other people who are at risk of getting B12 deficiency are patients of weight loss surgery, diabetics on metformin, individuals with gastrointestinal disease, people who lack intrinsic factor and anybody taking prescription heartburn medication.

The only way to prevent becoming deficient in vitamin B12 is by constantly replenishing your body with B12-rich nutrients. Alternatively, patients diagnosed with vitamin B12 deficiency are encouraged to take vitamin B12 supplements, such as sublingual B12 tablets, nasal sprays, B12 shots or a weekly vitamin B12 patch.

Find more information on preventing vitamin B12 deficiency:

Getting Enough Vitamin B12? Three Reasons Why You Might Not B

On Becoming Vegan: Avoiding Vitamin B12 Deficiency and Others

A vitamin b12 injection (cyanocobalamin) is a synthetic form of vitamin b12.  The primary reason for getting a b12 injection is to treat b12 deficiency.  For many years b12 injections have also been given for patients suffering from fatigue and low energy.  The most common dosage is a 1000 microgram (mcg) b12 injection once a week. There are no upper limit dosages to vitamin b12 and there are no reported side effects to b12 overdose.

B12 shots are being talked about now all over the news.  Everyone has known about the benefits of b12 shots for years.  The b12 shot story started to heat up with the Roger Clemens case. Roger Clemens admitted to taking B12 shots. Athletes are not the only people who take b12 shots. All kinds of people have been getting b12 injections for years. Now celebrities are catching up too! Even Madonna is getting and giving out B12 shots.  B12 shots give a boost of energy that people can really feel.  The irony though is that there is a less painful and more convenient b12 product on the market that gives the same energy boost through a small patch.  The B12 Patch is comparable to a 1000 mcg b12 injection.  The B12 patch is safe and very easy to use.  If only Justin Timberlake knew about it, he would have certainly preferred getting stuck with a patch rather than getting a shot in his buttocks.

General Overview of Vitamin B12 Injections

Vitamin B12 comes as a solution that can be injected into a muscle or just under the skin. Vitamin B12 is often administered by injection to treat or prevent deficiencies from numerous causes. Vitamin B12 is often administered several times as a test. This is in order to see how well the body undergoes the absorption of vitamin B12. Since vitamin B-12 can be injected straight into the blood stream, it can be used effectively to supply the vitamin in patients who are unable to absorb it through the intestine. In most cases the initial treatment is one injection a day for the first 6 to 7 days. Then, depending upon the absorption rate and the symptoms of the body, the frequency and dosage is increased or reduced accordingly.

Vitamin B12 Injections And Weight Loss

Vitamin B12 has been found to help weight loss by stimulating the thyroid gland. Also, vitamin B12 might sometimes reduce water retention in the body. Therefore, vitamin B12 is often used in weight reducing programs. Many weight loss clinics are providing their clients with vitamin B12 supplementation to increase energy levels, support thyroid function, and to enhance the over-all well being of the entire body.