Facts About Vitamin B12
One of the eight B vitamins, vitamin B12 is an essential water soluble vitamin for humans and animals alike. Only produced by bacteria, both animals and humans must get this vitamin from food or supplements as it can not be naturally produced by the body.
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How Vitamin B12 Helps Your Body
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Involved in the metabolism of every cell, vitamin B12 primarily functions as a regulator for normal brain and nervous system function as well as in the formation of blood.
Sources of Vitamin B12
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Since neither humans nor animals can naturally produce vitamin B12, we must get this vitamin from outside sources.
Animals receive their required B12 by consuming bacteria which is the only organism able to produce it naturally. While some plant foods do contain vitamin B12, research has concluded that these are not viable sources for humans. Humans must get their required B12 from meat (especially liver and shellfish), dairy products and eggs. While eggs are considered a good source of B12, be weary of their ability to also block the absorption of B12.
Other sources of B12 include eating food items fortified with this vitamin. Certain soy products, breakfast cereals, textured vegetable proteins and yeast extracts may be fortified with vitamin B12.
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Vitamin B12 Supplements
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Nutritionists recommend that vegans and vegetarians supplement their diet with vitamin B12 since they are not consuming enough naturally through their diet.
Types of vitamin B12 supplements include pills, liquid, strips, nasal sprays and injections. Being injected with the required amount of B12 is considered the best supplement in terms of absorption by the body.
Recommended Daily B12 Intake
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Studies have concluded that the amount of vitamin B12 required for anyone over 15 years of age is 2-3 micrograms per day.
Interesting Vitamin B12 Facts
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Vitamin B12 is the most structurally complicated vitamin.
The discovery of B12 occurred because of its relationship with the disease pernicious anemia.
While deficiency of this vitamin is rare, it can cause severe and irreversible damage especially to the brain and nervous system.
Slightly lower than normal levels of B12 can lead to fatigue, depression and poor memory. In addition, it can cause symptoms of mania and psychosis.
Vitamin B12 regenerates folate in the body.
B12 is comprised of a collection of cobalt and corrin ring molecules.
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