The Top Ten Facts about Vitamin B12

To follow a healthy diet and for good maintenance of the body inside and out we should ensure that we get all the nutrients we need. Vitamin B12 benefits our health in many ways and is one of the most important vitamins.

1) Vitamin B12 is a water soluble type vitamin

This means it is carried around the body in water. Although some can be stored in the liver, it is excreted in urine and requires regular topping up to ensure constant and consistent delivery of Vitamin B12 benefits.

2) B12 is the energy vitamin

One of the major Vitamin B12 benefits is that it works in tandem with folic acid to convert the food we eat into energy. B12 is bound to the protein in foodstuffs and hydrochloric acid releases the bonds during the digestion process. B12 is then free to combine with a stomach substance called Intrinsic Factor. This is then absorbed into the body through the intestinal tract.

3) Vitamin B12 is a key building block for the body

B12 plays a role in the proliferation and metabolism of all body cells including red blood cells but also in DNA, the genetic material of all cells.

4) Vegetarians do not get enough B12

The sources of B12 are almost exclusively animal products and consequently missing from any meat free diet. Vegetarians and vegans usually display vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms and this should be treated with dietary supplements.

5) Vitamin B12 helps the brain

Another of the key vitamin B12 benefits is that it helps maintain the sheath that protects nerve cells. This means that neurotransmission systems (the way that the brain communicates with the rest of the body) are being looked after, so yes, B12 helps the brain. Some vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms are neurological such as frequent or severe headaches, confusion and memory dysfunction.

6) Vitamin B12 deficiency causes anaemia

B12 is involved with the production of red blood cells, along with iron and folic acid. Anaemia results from a reduction in the red blood cells and a deficiency in any of the 3 protagonists can result in decreased production. With a reduced red cell count the body is unable to carry enough oxygen to provide the energy the body needs and is why the symptoms of anaemia include tiredness.

7) B12 is primarily absorbed in the small intestines

B12 binds with intrinsic factor in the stomach to aid absorption in the digestive system.

8) The symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency take a long time to show

As B12 can be stored in the liver, it takes a long time for the supply to deplete sufficiently enough to cause problems. The symptoms may not show for maybe 5/6 years.

9) Antibiotics can deplete stores of Vitamin B12

This is too huge a subject to discuss in detail here but some antibiotics should not be taken alongside B12 supplements as they affect the absorption of the B12 and conversely B12 can impact in reverse on an antibiotic or other medication and reduce effectiveness. For example, B12 has a very negative impact on the advantageous effects expected from a dose of Tetracycline. With conflictions it is important that the vitamin B12 benefits are weighed up against those of the other medication. Your GP can advise when prescribing the drugs.

10) Vitamin B12 starts working immediately

Vitamin B12 is one of the few nutrients that can begin absorption in the mouth in unbound crystalline forms.

Vitamin B12 and vitamins in general are complex subjects but to ensure optimum nutrition we should all know the basic function of a vitamin, what foods we should eat to obtain it and also recognise the signs of deficiency or toxicity.

• Vitamin B12 Nutrition Facts