Vitamins are essential nutrients for your body. B-12 vitamins are one of such vitamins that help in carrying out the vital body processes in a healthy and uninterrupted manner. Deficiency of this vitamin will lead to a hindrance in these processes. This will consequently lead to a vulnerable body welcoming several different kinds of ailments and diseases.

What Is Vitamin B-12?

This vitamin belongs to the family of B vitamins. Much like any other vitamin, B-12 is crucial for sound physical health. The basic function of b12 vitamins is to keep the cells of your body as well as the production of DNA healthy. Vitamin B-12 combines with protein before getting absorbed by your body, ultimately leading to the provision of energy, for which it is mainly known.

Dosage of B-12 vitamins

The average amount of daily intake for this nutrient in adults is 2.4 micrograms whereas pregnant women are required to manage an intake of 2.6 mcg per day. Children over the age of fourteen can take the same amount as that of the adults. However, the recommended daily intake for children who are under the age of fourteen varies.

Which foods offer this vitamin?

Some of the foods that contain vitamin B-12 are fish, eggs, poultry, beef liver etc. Several other dairy products are also found containing high amounts of this vitamin. It is quite difficult and fairly expensive to buy different products for the intake of different vitamins including the B-12. Therefore it is generally recommended to take multivitamin supplements in order to overcome your nutrient deficiency from a single source.

Deficiency of Vitamin B-12

Although this nutrient is available in several common foods, the intake does not always positively affect many people. The reason is that according to studies, there are several people found having problems absorbing this vitamin directly from food. This leads to a deficiency of this nutrient in over ten percent of the total public of the United States.

Deficiency of this vitamin affects a person’s regular life. Since it is strongly linked to the production of energy in the body, its deficiency leads people to weaknesses, tiredness, loss of appetite, or even weight loss. Severe deficiencies may even cause problems like depression, dementia, and numbness etc. 

Many people think B-12 vitamins directly reduce the risk of any heart disease, where in reality they only assist in reducing risks of a stroke, or a heart attack by reducing homocysteine levels in the body.

It is fair to establish that vitamin B-12 is one of the very essential nutrients for your body, but it is certainly not the only one. Moreover, excessive intake of this, or any other vitamin leads to adverse affects on the body.

Food intakes are good for assisting B-12 deficiency, but many people find it difficult to metabolize them. Such people should take multivitamins in order to restore the healthy nutrient levels of your body.