Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) is a vital water-soluble vitamin your body needs but cannot make on its own. You get it naturally from animal foods, though it can also be manufactured and added to certain products, including breakfast cereals. It supports red blood cell formation, DNA production, and the healthy function of the brain and nervous system. A B12 deficiency, especially in older adults, people following vegan diets, or those with digestive disorders that interfere with nutrient absorption, can cause anemia and psychiatric and neurological health problems.
What is vitamin B12?
Vitamin B12 is essential for red blood cell formation, cell metabolism, nerve function, and DNA production. What sets it apart from other B vitamins is that it is the only vitamin that contains cobalt, one of the minerals the body needs. Because the body cannot produce vitamin B12, you must get it naturally from animal foods.
It is almost absent in plant foods. It can also be made industrially through bacterial fermentation synthesis as a food supplement. It is also added to many foods, especially cereals.
What does vitamin B12 do?
Vitamin B 12 is essential for DNA formation and regulation, nervous tissue health, brain function, and red blood cell production. Every cell in the body relies on vitamin B12 metabolism because it helps with fatty acid synthesis and energy production.
Like other B vitamins, it is water-soluble, so it can move through the bloodstream. It also helps the body absorb vitamin B9 (folic acid), supporting the synthesis and release of energy.
The human body produces millions of red blood cells every minute. Without vitamin B12, these cells cannot reproduce properly. When vitamin B 12 levels are too low, red blood cell production drops. If the red blood cell count falls, anemia can develop.
The body cannot make this vitamin, but it can store it in the liver (mostly) and kidneys for about four years. Any excess requirement is passed out in urine. Getting enough Vitamin B 12 is highly beneficial for overall body health.
Benefits of vitamin B12
- It creates DNA, one of the building blocks of cells.
- It contributes to the protein synthesis process.
- It ensures the production of new cells and prevents aging.
- Converts carbohydrates to glucose, reduces fat and increases energy
- Strengthens the central nervous system, repairs nerve cells
- Strengthens the immune system
- May prevent Forgetful, Alzheimer’s and Dementia
- Helps prevent anemia
- May prevent major birth defects
- May support bone health and prevent osteoporosis
- May reduce risk of macular degeneration (yellow spot) eye disease
- Prevents or reduces the effects of depression
- Beneficial for the digestive system
- Protects the body against cardiovascular diseases
- Helps regulate blood pressure and lower cholesterol
- Prevents the risk of stroke
- It is one of the basic needs of hair, skin and nail health.
- May protect against breast, colon, prostate, lung cancers
Vitamin B12 Foods
Vitamin B12 is not present in fruits and vegetables. The only natural source of B12-containing foods is certain protein-rich animal foods. These:
- Shellfish such as lobster and mussels
- Oily fish such as sardines, anchovies, haddock, tuna, salmon
- Poultry such as chicken, turkey
- Red meat such as beef and sheep
- Especially sheep offal such as liver, kidney
- Dairy products such as milk, cheese, yogurt, kefir
- Eggs
How much vitamin B12 should be taken per day?
- Teenagers and adults over 14 years old 2.4 mcg
- pregnant women 2.6 mcg
- Breastfeeding women 2.8 mcg
How can the daily need for vitamin B12 be met?
Make sure you include one vitamin B12 food in one of your meals each day.
Fortified breakfast cereals are practical and ideal. Eat them with milk and honey, and add nuts if you like.
Vegans can also add some fortified soy products to their diet, along with foods that contain yeast extract (extract).
Even though some plant milks or cereals, such as almond milk, are fortified with vitamin B12, they still cannot fully meet a vegan woman’s B12 needs, and deficiency problems may build up over time.
Vitamin B12 deficiency
Because the body can store an average of 4 years’ worth of vitamin B12, deficiency is often rare or appears years later. Still, if you do not eat enough B12-containing foods or if you have digestive conditions such as gastritis, you may develop vitamin B12 deficiency.
Who gets vitamin B12 deficiency?
- in the elderly
- Those who do not eat any animal products, such as vegans
- In people with anemia
- Diabetic patients using drugs containing metformin
- Especially in people with certain digestive disorders such as Celiac or Crohn’s disease
- Taking long-term anti-acid medications against heartburn
- in people who are HIV positive
- People who have had gastrointestinal surgery
- Long-term drug users
- Those who consume large amounts of alcohol
If you have signs of vitamin B12 deficiency, see a doctor right away. Without treatment, it can progress to more serious illness and may cause lasting harm to the body.
Vitamin B12 test
Vitamin B12 testing is used for three different reasons:
1- Vitamin B12 deficiency test
This is usually the first test ordered when you visit a doctor with symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency. It measures the amount of vitamin B12 in your blood only. You may be told not to eat for about 6-8 hours before your blood is drawn. The normal level range is 200-800 pg/L. 199 pg/L and below indicate B12 deficiency, 1500 pg/L and above indicate excess. The normal level in people 50 years of age and older is 500-800 pg/L. Some lab results may give different results. Therefore, your doctor will make the correct evaluation.
2- Causes of vitamin B12 deficiency test
The main purpose of this test is to find vitamin B12 deficiency early enough to prevent complications with treatment. In some cases, false deficiency and false height may occur. This can point to an underlying condition that makes B12 values look low or high even when they are normal.
- Conditions where false deficiency can be seen: It is a sign of active liver disease, lymphoma, autoimmune diseases and bone marrow diseases.
- Situations where false elevation can be seen: B9 (folate) deficiency, pregnancy, multiple myeloma (a type of cancer that develops in the white blood cell), excessive vitamin C intake.
3- Vitamin B12 control tests
10-14 days after drug supplements and nutritional therapy, the doctor may ask you for another blood test for control purposes. The goal is to control the course of treatment.
Diseases caused by vitamin B12 deficiency
Neurological changes
Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause neurological (affecting your nervous system) problems:
- vision problems
- Loss of memory
- numbness and tingling
- Loss of physical coordination (ataxia) that can affect your whole body and cause difficulty speaking or walking
- Damage to nerves, especially in the legs
Infertility
Vitamin B12 deficiency can sometimes lead to temporary infertility. This can usually be corrected with appropriate vitamin B12 therapy.
Gastric cancer
You may have an increased risk of stomach cancer if you have a vitamin B12 deficiency caused by pernicious anemia (a condition in which your immune system attacks healthy cells in your stomach).
Birth defect
If you’re pregnant and don’t get enough vitamin B12, you may increase your baby’s risk of developing a serious birth defect known as a neural tube defect. The neural tube is a narrow canal that forms the brain and spinal cord.
Does vitamin B12 help weight loss?
There is no evidence that taking pills or particularly injection supplements will help with weight loss. Those who enter such a sphere do not need to worry, because excess B12 is excreted through urine, so it does not accumulate in the body and cause damage. Approach all supplements that are said to help you lose weight with caution.
