Vitamin B12 And You

There has been an increase of interest on B12 intake of people. More and more experts are highlighting the importance of this vitamin. Perhaps the effects caused by the lack of the vitamin have become so profound that it is now important to highlight its importance and hence encourage its intake. Whatever the reason, the hype surrounding the B12 vitamin is not going down. In schools, at work places and even on the televisions right in your home, more and more experts are constantly talking about the importance of vitamin B12. There are some experts who of course insist that the importance of the B12 vitamin is quite exaggerated when it comes to the health of a person.

The colliding opinions can lead to a lot of confusion especially to people who have no understanding of the nutrition content. The vitamin B12 is often ignored when people are calculating the nutritional content in their diet. More often than not people do not learn the importance of the B12 vitamin until it is too late to include it the diet or until the effects of the lack of B12 begin to show. This article highlights the importance of vitamin B12 to your health:

The first and most important benefit of the B12 vitamin is that the mineral is essential for the processing of fats and carbohydrates. Today’s diets often include hug carbohydrate and fat intakes that could actually be detrimental to the health of a person if not processed properly. The digestion and absorption of Carbohydrates and fats is made possible by the B12 vitamin. The process of breaking down the fats and carbohydrates into contents that can be absorbed into the body is made possible with the assistance of vitamin B12. People who do not consume the B12 vitamin find it difficult to absorb and digest the necessary fats and carbohydrates for their health. The lack of proper absorption and digestion often leads to weight management issues. Overweight people more often than not have ignored the importance of the B12 vitamin in addition to maintaining unhealthy diets. The result is that the high intake of carbohydrates and saturated fats remains undigested and congests in the body leading to unhealthy weight increases. As the fats continue to accumulate over time, they become detrimental to the health of the individual leading to diseases such as obesity, hypertension and heart diseases.

The immunity of our bodies depends entirely on the vitamin B12. This function is not exactly easy to understand as the process may be entirely too technical, however, the important thing to note is that without B12 out immune systems could not function properly. The vitamin keeps the white blood cells strong for the production and maximization of immunity. This is why doctors’ advice higher intake of the Vitamin B12 when one is combating a bacteria or virus in the form of an ailment or disease. At this time our white blood cells need to replenish faster to increase chances of healing and they can only do so with the help of the vitamin B12. In addition, red cells in the body cannot remain healthy without the B12 vitamin. The nutritional breakdown of the vitamin allows for the development of proper and healthy red cells. This means that in order to maintain good immunity in addition to proper blood volume the intake of vitamin B12 is necessary. The vitamin also protects the nerves so that they are not exposed completely. This is especially the case with nerves going towards the brain. The lack of vitamin B12 in the body could expose the nerves leading to migraines and other more complex health issues.

The Vitamin B12 is necessary to carry successful pregnancies. The health of the fetus relies greatly on the B12 vitamin. Mothers who do not ingest vitamin B12 during pregnancy whether in the form of nutritional pills or as part of the diet often give birth to malfunctioned and under-developed fetus. The placenta which connects the mother and the child relies on the B12 to function properly. Without it the placenta is unable to absorb food properly and deliver it to the fetus for the necessary growth and development to take place. The fetus systems cannot clean itself and dispose of its waste without the help of the placenta. If the placenta is not functioning properly the child may drown in its own waste or become severely mal-nutritioned and thereby completely underdeveloped. To ensure that a mother has sufficient B12 intake to keep her from becoming anemic or hindering the development of the fetus doctors often prescribe B12 substitutes. It is important to note that because the chances of developing anemia are higher during pregnancy, the intake of B12 must be higher. Anemia could in fact lead to the death of the mother r child in severe cases.

Vitamin B12 converts our food and produces the necessary energy for day to day productive activities. This is why lack of energy is among the first symptoms of lack of Vitamin B12. When the intake on B12 is too low, the individual suffers from very low energy levels which can lead to dizzy spells and fainting. To increase productivity people are often advised to increase their B12 intake. In addition to ensure proper and efficient absorption of oxygen into the body there is need to make B12 part of your daily intake. B12 ensures that the air taken in is converted to a manner that can be absorbed quickly into the blood without any difficulty and in the necessary amount of time. Constant shortness of breath means that the oxygen levels are much lower and the absorption to the blood stream is for some reason being hindered. The red blood cells which absorb the oxygen depend constantly on B12, therefore it is necessary to ensure that people with special needs such as pregnant women, the aging and the children take in enough of the vitamin to ensure maximum health and productivity both physiologically and psychologically.

If you are trying to manage your weight, you will find that an increased intake of Vitamin B12 could make breaking down fats easier. This means that in addition to reducing the carbohydrate and fat in your diet, the little that you ingest is quickly broken down to fast energy leaving you with fewer calories to work off. Although the B12 vitamin has many functions we only need a low amount to maintain proper health. This is because the vitamin is constantly recycled negating the needs for continuously ingesting it. For people on a vegetarian diet however, it may be important to take B12 supplements since the vitamin is found mainly in animal products such as eggs, meats and liver. If you ingest a lot of the vitamin it is stored in the liver to prevent future deficiency in your body. The aging adults often have difficulty absorbing B12 in their bodies, it may therefore be wise to introduce new supplements to ensure that the required daily intake is considered. Children also need more Vitamin B12 because they are at risk of diseases and anemia. Their cells and organs are still developing and are therefore more delicate than those of adults.

To understand the importance of the Vitamin B12 to your health and body, and how you can include this vital vitamin in your diet , visit your nearest nutritionist for advice and general knowledge. Remember that vitamin B12 cannot exist on its own; it is always in most of the foods we ingest.