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Vitamin B-12 (Cobalamin) originates in most protein foods, but even meat-eaters can get vitamin B12 deficiency. Absorbing vitamin B12 is a tricky process, and people who lack the intrinsic factor protein are unable to digest vitamin B12 from natural sources. Learning about B12 supplement absorption is essential for avoiding B-12 deficiency symptoms.
Vitamin B12- What is it?
Vitamin B12, a member of the B-complex family of vitamins, is a water-soluble protein. Most of the vitamin B12 that you eat comes from meat sources, as animal microorganisms produce it. Beef, liver, chicken, fish, and shellfish are some of the richest sources of vitamin B-12, in addition to eggs, cheese, and other dairy products. The only widely confirmed vegan form of B12 occurs in brewer’s yeast.
This is your Body on B12
The benefits of vitamin B12 for your body are expansive.
Vitamin B12 assists in producing oxygen-carrying red blood cells.
Vitamin B12 also protects the myelin sheathe, which protects your nervous system.
Vitamin B12 benefits cognitive functioning- Cognitive health treatments are essential for treating symptoms of autism, and to delay the early onset of dementia.
Supplementing with vitamin B12 boosts stamina, sustains the memory, enhances mental focus, and imparts feelings of well-being in individuals who suffer from vitamin B12 deficiency.
Long-term vitamin B12 deficiency causes depression, anxiety, fatigue, memory loss, and numbness/tingling in the extremities.
Vitamin B12’s journey through your body is a complicated, tricky procedure, and many things can go wrong.
1. When you consume dietary vitamin B12 (from food), it immediately clings to hydrochloric acid and pepsin, a gastric enzyme that your body makes- except for when it doesn’t. (More on this later.)
2. In your stomach, digestive acids separate vitamin B12 (cobalamin) from its protein part. Also in your stomach, gastric parietal cells produce a substance called intrinsic factor- a necessary glycoprotein for digesting B12.
3. Vitamin B12 combines with “R protein,” thus becoming B-complex. B complex, along with intrinsic factor, travels to the small intestine.
4. In the small intestine, R protein and B-complex separate. B12 then attaches itself to intrinsic factor.
5. The B12/intrinsic factor complex travels through the small intestine, finally arriving at the very bottom, where it reaches the terminal ileum. The ileum then absorbs the vitamin B12 and distributes it into your bloodstream, where it is then stored in the liver.
Things that can go wrong with vitamin B12 Absorption
Some people are unable to digest vitamin B12 properly from food, and must instead receive vitamin B12 injections, which go directly into the bloodstream, bypassing the need for digestion.
You don’t have intrinsic factor. Lack of intrinsic factor is an autoimmune response, in which autoantibodies destroy intrinsic factor proteins produced in the stomach. Since intrinsic factor is required in order to digest B12, the only way to avoid B12 deficiency is to bypass digestion by taking vitamin B12 supplements.
You are among the elderly. The majority of senior citizens don’t produce the amount of stomach acids needed to break down B12 for digestion. Even the minimum amount of vitamin B12 recommended by physicians is not enough to avoid dementia caused by B12 deficiency, so elderly individuals are a high-risk group. To prevent early-onset Alzheimer’s disease or neurological damage, transdermal vitamin B12 is advisable.
You take heartburn medication. As with the elderly, people who have GERD, or others who frequently take medicine for acid-reflux, including pregnant women, are susceptible to B12 deficiency.
You have had your ileum removed.Gastric bypass patients are at high risk for developing vitamin B12 deficiency, as are other patients of gastrointestinal surgery, such as sufferers of Crohn’s disease. Unfortunately, many surgeons neglect to warn their patients about complications regarding vitamin B12 deficiency, and many bariatric surgery patients don’t find out about it until the symptoms- depression, fatigue, brain fog- become too hard to ignore.
You are a vegan. The vegan diet is largely devoid of B-12 sources, so unless you are a vegetarian who eats eggs, fish, or dairy, then you must take regular vitamin B12 supplements in order to avoid B12 deficiency.
You are diabetic. Metformin, a diabetes drug, interferes with the absorption of vitamin B12.
You have an autoimmune disease. Many autoimmune diseases such as celiac disease, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome are highly correlated with B12 deficiency. Scientists are unsure as to the exact cause, but they have noted a decrease in symptoms such as fatigue, irritability, and depression with the inclusion of vitamin B12 supplements.
Got Colitis? Skip Tequila, Go for the Worm: Scientists believe they have a cure for Crohn’s disease and celiac,and it involves using parasitic hookworms. Here are some other surprising natural options for managing autoimmune disease.
Are we killing ourselves with hygiene?
Clean bottled drinking water, sub-zero refrigeration, anti-bacterial gels, dirt-free playgrounds, and sanitized kitchen counters- what do all these things all have in common?
If you guessed that these things all help to prevent disease, then guess again.
According to scientists, our standards of cleanliness are backfiring, killing healthy microscopic parasites that our bodies need to thrive.
Unlike people living in impoverished countries, where bug-ridden sacks of grain are commonly dealt with, we, with our clean, white processed bags of flour are nevertheless exclusive in our propensity for developing autoimmune diseases such as Inflammatory Bowel Disorder (IBD),Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and asthma.
Dish out the dirt.
The hygiene hypothesis implies that modern-day medical technology and sanitary standards, such as vaccines, antibiotics, purified water, and refrigeration have caused autoimmune disease by disturbing the body’s natural balance of healthy parasitic worms.
Worm therapy was part of standard medicine in previous centuries. So it comes as no surprise to supporters of the hygiene hypothesis that autoimmune diseases were nonexistent in earlier times, arriving on the medical scene only in recent years.
According to Dr. Joel Weinstock, chief of gastroenterology and professor of immunology at Tufts University, instances of IBD went up from 1 out of 10,000 in the 50s, to 1 out of 250 in modern days.
Open up and say…well, you might want to close your eyes.
Beginning in October 2011, research participants will volunteer to swallow pig whipworm eggs, as part of a study focusing on treating autoimmune disease. By introducing worms into the digestive systems, scientists hope to find a cure for digestive disorders. By the end of the year, the whipworm larvae will have passed through the intestines, and scientists hope to find enough evidence to further the advancement of worm therapy for immunological diseases.
Treat IBD naturally and deliciously by including these anti-inflammatory fermented foods in your diet.
There’s a war brewing in your tummy!
Whether you suffer from IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) or IBD (inflammatory bowel disease), such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, you know that the best way to treat your tummy right is by following a diet rich in probiotic foods.
Probiotics are live microorganisms that occur naturally in aged foods, such as pickles and yogurt. Consider them your allies in fighting your body’s war between good and evil! (bacteria-wise, that is.)
When it comes to promoting gastrointestinal integrity, the health benefits of probiotics are unrivaled.
Yogurt is an old standby for people who understand the health benefits of probiotic foods, and for good reason.
Many brands of yogurt contain live cultures that keep your tummy calm and balanced, even after taking antibiotics.
Keep in mind that not all yogurts are alike- only the ones that are marked “active cultures” or “live cultures” on the label have potent probiotics.
2- Kefir
Kefir is a popular European drink that contains a mixture of goat milk and fermented kefir grains. In addition to antioxidants, kefir is also rich in lactobacilli and bifidus bacteria.
3- Buttermilk
Buttermilk is a nourishing drink that adds creaminess and rich flavor to Ranch salad dressings, pancakes, and cornbread. It is also an excellent source of probiotic cultures.
Sour cream is a fermented condiment that contains healthy bacteria. Use it sparingly, as it is high in fat.
5- Miso
Miso is a traditional Japanese condiment that consists of a fermented paste produced by soybeans, barley, or rice. It adds a salty, smoky flavor to soups and sauces.
6- Tempeh
Tempeh is an excellent vegetarian source of vitamin B12. Produced from fermented soybeans, tempeh is a meatier alternative to tofu and makes a satisfying centerpiece in vegan main meals.
7- Natto
Natto is another soy product featured in Japanese cuisine, containing bacillus subtilis. It has a pungent quality that true lovers of vegetarian cookery enjoy.
8- Sauerkraut
This fermented cabbage began its gastronomical career as a popular German condiment; today, hot dog enthusiasts all over the USA delight in topping their frankfurters with tangy sauerkraut.
Kimchi is a traditional Korean condiment made of assorted pickled vegetables. Like sauerkraut, kimchi contains fermented cabbage, in addition to onions, carrots, and garlic.
Unlike sauerkraut, kimchi has a hot ‘n spicy kick to it.
10- Kombucha tea
Kombucha tea, a health food staple that contains live cultures, is an ancient tonic that promotes healthy gut bacteria.
11- Pickles
Dill pickles, bread and butter pickles, or half-sours: any way you slice them, pickled cucumbers are a tasty, crunchy source of gut-friendly probiotics.
12- Unpasteurized olives
Naturally fermented, unpasteurized olives have a unique, full-bodied flavor that is lacking in traditionally bottled pasteurized olives. Like all olives, they are equally beneficial for heart health.
Looking for advice on parenting children with Crohn’s disease? Here are some great blogs, forums and recipe sites for IBD sufferers.
Crohn’s Disease is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that causes inflammation in your digestive system. Symptoms of Crohn’s disease are painful, embarrassing and sometimes life-threatening:
One of the best ways to treat IBD is to follow a diet plan that alleviates most of the symptoms. There are many food ingredients that are associated with increased Crohn’s disease symptoms: dairy, gluten, sugar, and grains, for example.
The gluten-free diet excludes all food items that contain gluten, a protein found in grains such as wheat, barley, rye, oats and others.
The casein-free diet eliminates the specific protein that occurs naturally in milk, while the dairy-free diet rules out all dairy products as a whole.
Vitamin B12’s journey through your body is a complicated, tricky procedure, and many things can go wrong.
