Posted on 22nd Jan 2011 @ 11:52 AM

Vitamins are essential for maintaining optimum nutrition and we take it for granted when we hear the word vitamin used that we know what it means. For professional nutritionists and food scientists it's a complex subject that warrants continuous research. For the rest of us we just need to know the basics of what they are, what they do and what happens if we are deficient in any of them. For example, when a pregnant woman is told Vitamin B12 benefits her during gestation she'd want to know why and how it affects her unborn baby.

Vitamin B12 Explained

B12 is commonly known as the energy vitamin.

B12 is one of the eight vitamins in the B group. It is a water soluble vitamin meaning it cannot be made in the body. To ensure that we realise Vitamin B12 benefits regularly, our diets need to contain enough to continuously replenish the body's lost resources.

Vitamin B12 benefits our body health by being key to the normal functions of our brain and nervous system and also in the formation of blood, including red cells. B12 plays a role in the metabolism of every cell in the body including fatty acid regulation and the conversion of food to energy. B12 works in partnership with other nutrients, for example it is needed for the absorption of folic acid (hence the recommendation of supplements through pregnancy).

Vitamin B12 nutrition and supplements

For most of us, the maintenance of a healthy body is sufficient and can be achieved with a balanced diet and regular exercise. Others, aim for optimum nutrition which is a regime of eating the right foods in the right quantities to a planned schedule. Because of the wide ranging functions it gets involved in throughout the body, Vitamin B12 plays a key role in achieving optimum nutrition. The way it partners other minerals, vitamins and nutrients is a major influence on dietary intake including any supplements.

Foods that are good sources of Vitamin B12 are exclusively animal products and 80% of the vitamin is stored in our liver. Most B12 is absorbed through the gastrointestinal system and people who suffer from stomach problems should consider supplementing their natural B12 intake. Vegetarians should take supplements or regularly include fortified foods in their diet to achieve Vitamin B12 benefits from synthesised sources.Type the details of your news item here...