WHAT DOES A VITAMIN B12 DEFICIENCY DO AND HOW DO YOU INCREASE IT

 WHAT DOES A VITAMIN B12 DEFICIENCY DO AND HOW DO YOU INCREASE IT

The natural energy booster vitamin B12 is one of the most popular vitamins at the moment. Unfortunately, it owes its popularity mainly to the shortages that society has.

With age, a large proportion of vitamin B12 is less and less able to absorb, this is because this vitamin needs intrinsic factor for absorption.

The elderly produce less and less of these proteins, which means that the absorption also deteriorates.

What does vitamin B12 do?

Vitamin B12 is involved in the production of red blood cells and breaks down the substance homocysteine, which in turn has a positive effect on the heart and blood vessels. Vitamin B11 works together with vitamin B12 in this process.

In addition, vitamin B12 is essential for various functions in the body, such as the nervous system and cognitive ability. It also has a positive effect on the gastrointestinal tract.

Vitamin B12 is water-soluble, it just works a little differently than other water-soluble vitamins because you can create a stock for it.

Benefits Of Vitamin B12:

• Proper functioning of the muscles ( ∠1 ).
• Proper functioning of the nervous system ( ∠2 ).
• The brain ( 3 ).
• Production of red blood cells ( ∠4 ).
• Protects the DNA ( ∠5 ).

Vitamin B11 works together with B12 to strengthen the nervous system and protect DNA ( ∠6 ). In the production of red blood cells, vitamin B12 works together with iron and vitamin B11 ( ∠7 ).

What is vitamin B12 in

It is mainly found in animal products such as:

• Organ meats such as liver and kidneys (especially from lamb)
• Red meat
• Tuna
• salmon
• Eggs
• Dairy products such as cheese and milk

Vitamin B12 is also regularly added to vegetarian products, such as:

• Vegan milk like soy
• Breakfast cereals

A deficiency of vitamin B12

About 3% to 5% of the world's population is deficient in vitamin B12 ( ∠8 ). If there is a shortage, this can be difficult to supplement. A deficiency can cause many problems and these vary greatly from person to person.

A deficiency can also occur when no animal products are eaten. Vegetarians and vegans are therefore almost always forced to supplement it through supplements or eating products to which it has been added.

Some people do not absorb enough vitamin B12 or not at all. This will require vitamin B12 injections .

Nothing is known about an excess of vitamin B12 . Fortunately, it is rare because the absorption deteriorates the more you take in.

The upper dose limit is not known, the advice is not to take more than 5 times the recommended dose per day.

Symptoms of a Vitamin B12 Deficiency

If you have one of the complaints below, it may be that you have a deficiency.

• Tingling or paralysis in toes and fingers: Think little feeling in your fingers, the feeling that you are walking on cotton wool or even numbness in the arms and legs ( 9 ).
• Smooth or swollen tongue: If small bumps start to disappear and you get a smooth tongue, this is a big warning sign. The tongue can eventually even become inflamed if you walk around with a B12 deficiency ( ∠10 ) for a longer period of time.
• Fatigue: Red blood cells carry oxygen and nutrients in the body, if you are deficient in these you can feel very tired. Together with iron and vitamin B11, it plays a major role in the production of red blood cells ( ∠11 ).
• Poor concentration and memory: The nervous system is important for controlling the body and brain, ultimately a deficiency of B12 can even result in dementia ( ∠12 ).
• Psychological problems: It plays a major role in the production of the most important substances in the brain that determine the psychological state ( 13 ), if these substances cannot be produced you can suffer from depression, nervousness and irritability.
• Muscle complaints:  A deficiency can also cause muscle complaints, such as loss of strength, muscle cramps or vibrations in the muscles ( ∠14 ).
• Damage to blood vessels and heart complaints: A deficiency increases the homocysteine ​​value, which damages the blood vessels and increases the chance of platelets clumping together ( ∠15 ).

When to supplement vitamin B12?

Because it affects various functions in the body, the complaints are often non-specific and therefore very diverse.

Think of:

• Overall weakness.
• Fatigue.
• Forgetfulness.
• Concentration problems.
• Depressive complaints.
• Tingling.
• A decreased sense of smell.
• vision problems.
• ringing in the ears.

The elderly will absorb less and less vitamin B12 due to a reduction in intrinsic factor. This creates a chance that it will have to be supplemented extra.

A deterioration in absorption in people with stomach and intestinal diseases also results more quickly in a deficiency of vitamin B12.

What is vitamin B12 in

Products with a lot of vitamin B12 (high to low)

• Organ meats such as kidneys and liver.
• Sardines.
• Red meat.
• Tuna.
• Salmon.
• Milk.

There are also vegetable products for vegetarians to which vitamin B12 has been added, such as certain breakfast cereals.

How much vitamin B12 do you need

Men need 3.8 mcg of vitamin B12 per day, women need 2.8 mcg per day and children need 0.4 to 1.3 mcg.

Vitamin B12 is easy to get from food as long as you eat enough animal products. If you need more vitamin B12 due to your age or lifestyle, it is wise to mainly eat the products described above.