Vitamin B12 is essential for your nervous system;  Find out how Vitamin B12 supplements like the B12 Patch can help you live a healthier lifestyle.

What is vitamin B12?

Vitamin B-12, or Cobalamin, is an essential nutrient that occurs naturally in protein food sources, such as beef, poultry, fish, eggs, and milk.  The B12 vitamin is one of the B-complex vitamins.  Other B vitamins are vitamin B9 (folate) and vitamin B3 (niacin).

B12 Benefits

Vitamin B12 is important for many bodily functions.  B12 helps your body produce red blood cells, regulates your nervous system, boosts your immunity, and protects cognitive functioning.  Some other benefits of vitamin B12 include lowering your risk for heart attack, stroke, cancer, and toxic reactions.

B12 Deficiency: Don’t Ignore the Symptoms

Folic acid and B12

Vitamin B12 and vitamin B9, in addition to vitamin B3 are necessary for breaking down and regulating DNA.  According to the Linus Pauling Institute, damaged DNA is one of the many risk factors associated with cancer.  In case studies, women with the lowest amount of vitamin B12 were twice as likely to get breast cancer as women who had healthy B12 levels.

Low B12 and cancer risks

Previous studies examining the effect of alcoholism on breast cancer noted that low folate levels, combined with B12 deficiency, raise one’s risk of getting cancer.  Likewise, female alcoholics who had high levels of vitamin B12 and folate were less likely to suffer from breast cancer than test subjects who were deficient in B vitamins. One such case study conducted by the Institute of Public Health in Mexico concluded that high vitamin B12 levels among female Mexican participants accounted for a 68% lower risk for breast cancer than those who suffered from vitamin B12 deficiency.

What is the best way to get vitamin B12?

The best way to get enough vitamin B12 in your diet is by eating plenty of lean meats, chicken, fish, eggs, and dairy products. Foods that have the highest levels of vitamin B12 are clams, oysters, beef liver, and halibut.  However, eating B12-rich foods does not guarantee against vitamin B12 deficiency.  Some people are unable to digest B12 naturally from foods, and must take B12 supplements in order to avoid symptoms of malnourishment, such as fatigue, depression, irritability, numbness in hands and feet, memory loss, and difficulty concentrating.

Most physicians prescribe vitamin B12 shots, sublingual B12, or b12 vitamins after diagnosing B12 deficiency.  Another popular option is to supplement with nonprescription vitamin B12 patches, which are painless and more convenient.  The B12 patch contains a similar 1000 mcg dosage of vitamin B12 as B12 injections.

Read more about vitamin B12 benefits:

Vitamin B12- How much do you need?

Cruising for a Bruising? Choose Vitamin B12 Shots or Anemia

Signs and Symptoms of 6 Types of Anemia Blood Disease

Sources:

Vitamin B Supplements: Can You Prevent Cancer With Vitamins?

Benefits Of Taking Vitamin B12- LIVESTRONG.COM

Vitamins that Protect and Repair DNA to Prevent Cancer and Slow Aging

Alcohol and risk of breast cancer in Mexican women

Folate, vitamin B12 and postmenopausal breast cancer in a prospective study of French women

Image credits, from top:

jscreationzs, Maggie Smith, Idea go, Paul, Suat Eman

If you’ve had bariatric surgery (gastric bypass surgery, lap band surgery), then you’re at risk for vitamin B12 deficiency. Weight loss surgery causes B12 vitamin malabsorption, in addition to difficulty absorbing other vitamins and minerals. Learn about B12 deficiency symptoms, and ways to get your B12 levels back to normal.

How many types of bariatric surgery procedures are there?

There are many types of weight loss surgeries, including gastric bypass and lap band surgery, but there are two general categories:

• Malabsorptive surgery rearranges and/or removes part of your intestines so that you are unable to absorb vitamins from foods, thus bypassing the digestive process.  There are no longer any strictly 100% malabsorptive weight loss surgeries, but many such as the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass include a combination of (mostly) malabsorptive and restrictive techniques.
• Restrictive surgery shrinks your stomach, thus causing you to feel full earlier and avoid overeating.  Examples are the gastric sleeve and gastric banding (lap band surgery).

Gastric Bypass Stomach Surgery in Mexico- Would you?

Why do I need to take bariatric vitamins and minerals after having bariatric surgery?

If you’ve had weight loss surgery, then you are at a high risk for vitamin deficiencies, particularly vitamin B12 deficiency.  There are two reasons for this:

• If you’ve had malabsorptive surgery, such as a mini-gastric bypass or duodenal switch, then your body is unable to digest water-soluble vitamins such as vitamin B12 from food sources.  One of the procedures of malabsorptive bariatric surgery is the removal of the ileum, the part of your small intestine responsible for digesting vitamin B12.  The only way for you to receive enough B12 to avoid vitamin deficiency is to put it directly into your bloodstream, either through B12 shots or B12 injections.  (Sublingual B12 pills are not your best option for absorbing vitamin B12.)
• With restrictive surgery, such as gastric sleeve, your stomach is unable to contain enough food at one time to avoid vitamin deficiency.

10 Mistakes Gastric Bypass Patients Often Make

What are the symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency, and why should I be worried?

Vitamin B12 supports many important functions in your body- B12 boosts energy and mental clarity, produces red blood cells, maintains your metabolism, protects your nervous system, strengthens cognitive functioning, and reduces your risk of heart attack or stroke.

Vitamin deficiency is one of many possible gastric bypass complications. In one study on diminished B12 absorption after gastric bypass, 30% of gastric bypass patients suffered from B12 deficiency.

The most common symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency are:

• Chronic fatigue
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Short-term memory loss
• “Brain fog”
• Disorientation
• Difficulty concentrating
• Loss of physical balance
• Altered taste perception
• Tingling and/or numbing sensation in hands and feet
• Blurred vision

Left untreated, symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency could escalate into severe neurological damage, pernicious anemia, early-onset dementia, and even premature death.

Read more about weight loss surgery and vitamin B12 deficiency:

Gastrointestinal Surgery for Crohn’s (IBD) and B12 Warnings

Bariatric Surgery- 13 Reasons you still need to Exercise

Tired of getting Dumped? 4 Ways to avoid Gastric Bypass Dumping.

Sources:

Types of Bariatric Surgery – The 16 Established & Experimental Weight Loss Surgery Procedures

Evidence for diminished B12 absorption after gastric bypass: oral supplementation does not prevent low plasma B12 levels in bypass patients- PubMed NCBI

Vitamin B12 Absorption & Gastric Bypass- LIVESTRONG.COM

Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Vitamin B12

Image credits (from top):

kornnphoto, nattavut, alancleaver_2000, o5com

It’s best to avoid drinking too much alcohol, and chronic alcohol abuse is detrimental, not only for your health, but for the mental health of your loved ones.  If you suffer from alcohol addiction, please seek help from a professional, or call your local Alcoholics Anonymous.

What is a hangover?

• A hangover (medical term: Veisalgia) is the aftereffect of your body’s reaction to sudden vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms, in addition to intoxication, hypoglycemia, and dehydration.
• Hangovers are symptoms of alcohol poisoning that many happen after binging on alcoholic beverages.  Certain factors affect your chances of suffering a hangover after drinking, such as body weight, amount of alcohol consumption, and emptiness of stomach.
• A hangover can last for several days following an alcoholic binge.
• Common symptoms of a hangover may include throbbing headache, nausea, fatigue, anxiety, increased sensitivity to bright light and loud noise, and severe thirst.

Vitamin B12- one of many essential B vitamins

Vitamin B12 is crucial for healthy brain development and functioning, in addition to stabilizing the nervous system, producing red blood cells, and reducing your risk for heart attack or stroke.  Vitamin B12, or Cobalamin, is part of the family of B-complex vitamins.

1. Cyanocobalamin (B12)
2. Pyridoxine (B6)
3. Thiamine
4. Folic acid
5. Biotin
6. Niacin
7. Riboflavin
8. Pantothenic acid

B12 deficiency symptoms include fatigue, loss of energy, “brain fog,” short-term memory loss, increased risk of early-onset dementia, and neurological damage.

Vitamin B12- a hangover cure?

Scientists have noted a strong correlation between hangover symptoms and low B12.

• According to Dr. David Katz of the Yale Prevention Research Center, drinking excessive amounts of alcohol inhibits your body’s ability to absorb nutrients such as vitamin B12 and vitamin B6.
• Depending on your level of intoxication, B12 deficiency could be mild- resulting in tiredness, disorientation, and dizziness- or severe, causing extreme depression, nervousness, paranoia, and neurological disorders.
• Taking extra doses of B-complex vitamins, especially vitamin B12 and vitamin B6, before drinking alcohol and the following day, are excellent ways of avoiding hangover.  Also, remember to drink plenty of water throughout the day and evening.

Read more about vitamin B12 deficiency:

B12 and Alcohol Consumption

Vitamin Deficiencies can drive you Crazy- Seriously! Part 1

The Vitamin B12 Patch for Energy

Sources:

• Ten Tried And True Hangover Cures- Forbes.com
• Vitamin B12 vs. The Hangover
• Vitamin B12 (cobalamin)
• Top 10 Hangover Cures
• How to Prevent a Hangover with Vitamin B Complex- eHow.com
• Hangover Cures Causes and Remedies

Image credits:

(From top) Rob Wiltshire, Stuart Miles, ahmet guler, Tina Phillips

Celiac disease and vitamin B12 deficiency are interrelated, but celiacs are unaware of their high risk for developing B-12 deficiency. Like celiac, vitamin B12 deficiency is an autoimmune disorder, and may lead to pernicious anemia, if untreated.

What is vitamin B-12?

Vitamin B12, “cyanocobalamin,” is an essential nutrient that occurs in protein foods, such as beef and chicken liver, oysters, shrimp, cheese, yogurt, and eggs. Vitamin B12 is water-soluble, and is stored in the liver.  B12 is crucial for healthy red blood cell production, for protecting your nervous system, for preventing diseases such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, and cancer, and for improving cognitive functioning, such as memory, thinking skills, and logic.

What are the symptoms of vitamin B-12 deficiency?

If you are unable to sustain sufficient amounts of B12 in your liver, then you may start to feel tired, depressed, and disoriented.  You might notice a numbing or tingling sensation in your hands and feet, described as “pins and needles.”  You might also notice that you have a hard time remembering important dates or meetings, or finding the right word while talking to somebody or sending an e-mail. (Read Feed your Brain Something You’ll never Forget)

Some side effects and/or complications that may arise unless you receive treatment for vitamin B12 deficiency:

• Chronic fatigue
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Paranoia
• Aggressiveness
• Distractedness
• Short-term memory loss
• Loss of physical balance
• Tingling-numbing in extremities
• Red, swollen tongue
• Altered taste perception
• Malnourishment
• Anemia
• Increased risk for heart disease or stroke
• Osteoporosis
• Liver disease
• Dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease
• Severe neurological damage

What is celiac disease?

Celiac disease is one of many autoimmune diseases that occur with vitamin B12 deficiency.  With celiac, patients who eat any foods containing gluten experience painful symptoms such as stomach cramps, diarrhea, nausea, and achiness.  That is because their immune system identifies gluten as a threat, and begins to attack traces of gluten in the digestive system, causing severe damage to the intestinal tract.  Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley.  Celiac patients and others with gluten intolerance must avoid all products containing gluten- baked goods, packaged snacks, and a long list of food additives- in order to avoid symptoms.

Why are celiac disease patients at risk for vitamin B12 deficiency?

Scientists don’t claim that celiac disease is an outright cause of low B12, but they have noted a strong correlation- enough to warrant extensive research and recommendations. In order to digest nutrients such as vitamin B12 properly, you need to have a healthy digestive system.  People with autoimmune diseases that cause gastrointestinal damage, such as Hashimoto’s disease, Crohn’s disease, and celiac diseases, are unable to absorb nutrients from dietary sources because of damage to their stomach linings, small intestines or colon.  For them, malabsorption often leads to anemia, osteoporosis, chronic fatigue, and peripheral neuropathy in the hands and feet (thus the tingling and numbness).

Parasitic Worms for Crohn’s Disease- Friendly Gut Bugs

Celiac disease patients, and others who can’t absorb vitamin B12

Besides celiac disease, other factors can make it difficult for your body to absorb enough vitamin B12:

• Chronic alcoholism
• Crohn’s disease
• Inability to produce intrinsic factor, a necessary protein for B12 vitamin absorption
• Gastrointestinal surgeries (gastric bypass, IBD surgery) that involve removing your ileum, a part of your small intestine that helps you digest vitamin B12 from food
• Long-time usage of heartburn medications
• Following a vegan diet

Does following a gluten-free diet cure vitamin B12 deficiency?

Not entirely; according to research by the University of Edinburgh, people who suffer celiac disease, but do not receive treatment, have a 41% chance of developing vitamin B12 deficiency.  In celiac patients who started following a gluten-free diet, most of their symptoms disappeared.  However, a significant amount of celiacs continued to suffer neuropathic symptoms such as tingling and numbness, and those side effects did not disappear until they received routine vitamin B12 supplements.

Read more about preventing vitamin B12 deficiency:

Absorbing Vitamin B12, a Metabolic Gastrointestinal Journey

6 Degrees of Vitamin B12- B12 Deficiency and Autoimmune Disease

Gastrointestinal Surgery for Crohn’s (IBD) and B12 Warnings

Sources:

Anemia-B12 Deficiency- University of Maryland Medical Center

Celiac Disease & Vitamin B12 Deficiency- LIVESTRONG.COM

Vitamin B12 deficiency in untreated celiac disease- PubMed – NCBI

Images, from top: Artis.Rozentāls, photostock, rmkoske, Cooking Gluten Free

The many benefits of Vitamin B12 Patch are awesome.  Vitamin B12 contains cobalamin, a water-soluble protein-based nutrient that provides energy and boosts cognitive skills.  B12 wears many hats, protecting you from pernicious anemia, early-onset dementia, heart disease, and chronic fatigue.

A weekly Vitamin B-12 patch helps your body produce red blood cells for oxygen, aids in skin renewal, and regulates your nervous system.  Without sufficient B12 levels, you would feel worn down, lacking in energy, depressed, and disoriented.  These are all common side effects of vitamin B-12 deficiency.

Vitamin Deficiencies can drive you Crazy- Seriously! Part 1

Low energy levels could signal vitamin B12 deficiency

The National Institutes of Health Medical Encyclopedia lists “lack of energy” as one of the symptoms of B12 deficiency.  Other low B-12 symptoms are:

• Chronic fatigue
• Depression
• Dementia
• Short-term memory loss
• Difficulty concentrating
• Numbness or tingling sensations in hands and feet
• Loss of balance

Why vitamin B12 is the “energy vitamin”

The B12 vitamin has gained a lot of media attention over the years as a popular energy booster, the miracle vitamin that provides mental clarity, vitality, and promotes athletic endurance.  These claims are all true- if you happen to be among millions of sufferers of B-12 deficiency.

“Due to its role in energy metabolism, vitamin B12 is frequently promoted as an energy enhancer and an athletic performance and endurance booster.” -National Institutes of Health

How can I be sure that I’m getting enough vitamin B12?

The real question isn’t if you consume enough vitamin B12- unless you’re a vegan, then you probably eat enough meat, dairy, and fish meals that are packed with vitamin B12. The problem for many sufferers of B12 deficiency is that they are unable to digest vitamin B12 from dietary sources.  The liver stores vitamin B12 for a while, but unless you constantly replenish your supply with a B12 patch, you will start to feel the symptoms of B12 deficiency, which can lead to pernicious anemia and increased risk for heart attack or stroke.

Get a blood test.

The only way to find out if you have vitamin B12 deficiency is to visit your doctor and request a B12 blood screening.  If you are low in B12, then you have the option of taking B12 supplements.  A weekly B12 injection might be prescribed, but you may opt to supplement with a weekly B12 patch as a more cost-friendly, convenient, and pain-free alternative.

Related reading:

6 Degrees of Vitamin B12- B12 Deficiency and Autoimmune Disease

Cruising for a Bruising? Choose Vitamin B12 Shots or Anemia

Sources:

Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Vitamin B12

Best Vitamins for Energy

Vitamin B: A Key to Energy- Psychology Today

The Health and Beauty Benefits Of Vitamin B12

A Lack of Energy & Low B-12

Anemia – B12 deficiency: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia

Images:

Young Woman Dancing

Elderly Couple Dancing

Dancing Young woman

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 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-spreading red blood cells.
• Vitamin B12 also protects the myelin sheathe, which protects your nervous system.
• Vitamin B12 reinforces cognitive functioning- sufficient levels of B12 help to prevent symptoms of autism, and to delay the onset of dementia.
• Supplementing with vitamin B12 renews energy, memory, mental clarity, and feelings of well-being in individuals who suffer from vitamin B12 deficiency.
• Long-term vitamin B12 deficiency causes depression, anxiety, fatigue, memory loss, numbness, and tingling.  Untreated, it can lead to pernicious anemia, stroke, heart attack, or osteoporosis. (B12 Deficiency: Don’t Ignore the Symptoms)

Most People Digest B12 like this…

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 supplement with vitamin B12 injections or B12 patches, which go directly into the bloodstream, bypassing the need for digestion.

You might need a B12 patch if…

• 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.

Related:

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

Vitamin Deficiencies can drive you Crazy- Seriously! Part 1

Parasitic Worms for Crohn’s Disease- Friendly Gut Bugs

Sources:

The Importance of Vitamin B12 for Your Body

Where is b12 absorbed in the body?

How Is Vitamin B12 Absorbed by the Body?

What Do You Know About Vitamin B12 Deficiency?

Low Vitamin B12 Level in Elderly May Spur Dementia

myelin sheath (anatomy) — Britannica Online Encyclopedia

Images: Wikimedia Commons, Free Digital Photos

Today’s health food stores stock a wide variety of goods to meet the needs of every diet known to mankind- low fat, low sugar, processed-free, nondairy, low carb, high protein…but what gives with gluten-free?

Gluten is a protein found in grain products such as wheat, spelt and barley, among others.  Patients of celiac disease, a disorder which distresses the small intestines, have trouble digesting such products and are thus advised to follow a gluten-free diet.  Health food aisles abound with gluten-free cake mixes, breads and pastas.  Hundreds of recipe web sites offer creative suggestions for gluten-free living.

Rewind to thirty years ago, and most people would probably have not heard of celiac disease.  So, how did celiac disease suddenly become a household name?  Modernization provides a key – despite the advice from numerous health experts, we Americans still love our Wonder bread; those light, airy loaves cannot be produced without rich, glutinous dough, and agriculturalists have been striving to deliver the most highly glutinous crops of wheat available in order to meet our demands.

Another culprit might be commercial yeast, which has replaced sourdough yeast as the preferred rising agent among bread makers. According to a report published by Applied and Environmental Microbiology, sourdough yeast contains bacteria which break down the gluten in the dough, thereby reducing the likeliness of bowel irritation.  Commercial yeasts offer no such protection.

Celiac disease can lead to other complications such as osteoporosis, anemia resulting from B12 deficiency, fatigue and weight gain, to name just a few. Incidences of celiac disease are rising, either due to increased wheat consumption or the public’s rising awareness of the disorder.

A doctor’s visit is required in order to ascertain whether one is suffering from celiac or from gluten intolerance, the latter of which is less harmful.  Although gluten intolerance does not create any lasting damage, some experts believe that the continuance of a high-gluten diet might lead to an eventual celiac disease diagnosis.

A study published in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association suggests that regular intake of vitamin B12, vitamin B6 and B9 (folate) can prevent premature death of heart disease and stroke.

The Japanese study proves that women who eat foods enriched vitamin B12, vitamin B6, and folate are less likely to suffer heart attack or die of a stroke.  Japanese men who eat B-rich foods are less likely to suffer heart failure.

These findings confirm similar studies which have been conducted in the US and Europe, all of which came to the same conclusion; B vitamins such as B12, B6 and folate are essential for cardiovascular health.

Through the Japan Collaborative Cohort (JACC) Study, a survey which collected data on the dietary habits of over 85,000 Japanese between the ages of 40 and 79, scientists were able to gain information on a correlation between the amount of B vitamin intake and likeliness of mortality from heart disease and stroke.   Out of the 85,000 men and women studied, 986 died from stroke, 424 perished from heart attack and over 2,000 died from a variety of heart-related illnesses – all in a 14-year time frame.

Scientists grouped test subjects into five categories, varying in relation to B6, B12 and folate intake.  Of the female test subjects who ate the lowest amounts of B6, B12 and folate, more were likely to die of stroke or heart attack than those who ate a moderate amount of B vitamins.  Similarly, men who consumed the least B vitamins were more likely to die from cardiovascular illness than others.  Of the test subjects who reported eating a steady diet of B6, B12 and folate, fewer suffered mortalities related to stroke or heart disease than counterparts from any of the other groups.

Scientists believe that B vitamins lower homocysteine levels, an amino acid which many doctors believe increase one’s risk of suffering from heart disease and stroke.  Vitamins B6, B12 and folic acid prevent the accumulation of homocysteine.  Eating whole grains, leafy vegetables, legumes and fish are excellent ways to get B vitamins.  However, many suffer from an inability to completely digest B12, resulting in B12 deficiency.  Symptoms include fatigue, memory loss and numbness or tingling in the extremities.

The benefits of Vitamin B 12 have been long known. During the nineteen sixties and seventies Vitamin B 12 shots were frequently offered at the family Doctor’s office to assist with a list of ailments, it was a very common practice than during the nineteen eighties and nineties it was kind of shelved as other products were more prevalently offered to treat ailments. Vitamin B12 is a complex combination of necessary nutrients that sustains metabolism and assists in the production of red blood cells, a Vitamin B12 deficiency is often misdiagnosed as a slew of illnesses. A simple blood test can determine if there is a Vitamin B12 deficiency but it is often overlooked. There are primarily two ways to insure that the Vitamin B12 levels are sufficient. The first way is the simplest, through a well rounded diet; the second way is through supplements.

Delivery Methods of Vitamin B12
There are quite a few delivery methods of Vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 can be delivered via, tablets, capsules, sublingual drops, patches and shots. The most common form of delivery is through tablets, capsules and pills. It is the simplest and most common way for folks to take a Vitamin B 12 supplement. Oddly enough it is the least effective way of taking Vitamin B 12. The body usually does not recognize the pill as nutrients and it passes through the system without much absorption taking place. There are some Vitamin B12 tablets that are manufactured from crushed food particles, studies show that the crushed food particle tablets are absorbed better than the traditional tablets.
Vitamin B12 sublingual drops are one of the most effective delivery methods of Vitamin B 12. The drops are placed under the tongue and quickly absorbed into the blood stream by the many arteries that are located under the tongue. The most effective artificial delivery method of Vitamin B 12 is the Vitamin B 12 shots. All of these methods will deliver supplemental Vitamin B 12 to the body, but they are all artificial methods of delivering Vitamin B 12. Most people will get all the Vitamin B 12 they need from the food they eat as long as they eat it in appropriate quantities.

List Of Foods
Vitamin B 12 is generally found in foods that are derived from animal products, it is not generally found in vegetation. The following is a brief list of food that naturally contain Vitamin B 12:

1 Beef Liver
2 Beef Steak
3 Ground Beef
4 Trout
5 Salmon
6 Haddock
7 Tuna
8 Ham and Other Pork Products
9 Chicken
10 Cheeses
11 Eggs
12 Whole Milk

As part of a well rounded diet Vitamin B 12 can be easily absorbed and processed by the body. The body easily recognizes the nutrients when they come from food. Diets that are high in low fat animal products will supply the body with an ample amount of Vitamin B12 and in absence of a medical condition should be a sufficient supply according to the Recommended Daily Allowances according to published reports by the US Department of Agriculture.

Intrinsic factor is a protein produced by the cells of the stomach, parietal cells, which also produce the acid (gastric juice) for digestion. The intrinsic factor is the compound which facilitates and allows the absorption of vitamin B12 from food in the stomach and the intestines.

Once ingested the B12 becomes bound to a binding proteins present in the hydrochloric acid of the stomach. In the less acidic environment of the small intestine, these proteins separate from the vitamin, enabling it to bind to intrinsic factor and enter the bloodstream.

 The intrinsic factor is an enzyme-like unidentified substance secreted by the stomach. It is present in the gastric juice as well as in the gastric mucous membrane. The optimum pH for the action of the intrinsic factor is 7 and it is inactivated at temperatures above 45^oC.

In pernicious anemia, an autoimmune disease, autoantibodies direct themselves against the intrinsic factor and/or parietal cells themselves and lead to an intrinsic factor deficiency, which results in malabsorption of vitamin B12. Atrophic gastritis, an inflammation of the mucous membrane of the stomach, can also cause intrinsic factor deficiency and anemia through damage to the parietal cells. Pancreatic exocrine insufficiency can interfere with normal dissociation of vitamin B12 from the proteins, as well preventing its absorption via the intrinsic factor structure. Bariatric surgery is a known risk factor in the development of pernicious anemia, other risk factors include stomach tumors, gastric ulcers, and excessive consumption of alcohol.

Patients experiencing an insufficiency in their intrinsic factor levels cannot benefit from a low dose oral vitamin B-12 supplement, because it will not absorb through the wall of the small intestine. Historically, the disease was thought untreatable before the discovery that it could be managed with regular injections of vitamin B-12, thus bypassing the digestive tract. Other options are available nowadays if injections are not the desired method of supplementation.