Health & Wellness Articles

Vitamin B-12

By Jayna Locke

Many of us go through life assuming that we get the nutrients we need from our food and our multi-vitamins. But this is not always the case. As an example, our soil is depleted of many minerals due to some of the modern agricultural techniques, and thus we need to obtain these minerals from additional supplements.

These days, getting everything we need for optimal health takes some knowledge and extra effort.

To B or Not to B

Vitamin B-12 is an important nutrient that is typically obtained from our diet, but can be missing due to absorption problems. Getting enough vitamin B-12 can improve your health and your energy. Lack of vitamin B-12, by contrast, can be detrimental to your health. So it’s a great idea to get to know vitamin B-12!

For easy reference, the following detailed description of vitamin B-12 is arranged as a Q & A.

Q: What is vitamin B-12 and why do I need it?

A: Vitamin B-12, also called cobalamin, is a water-soluble vitamin that is part of the vitamin B complex. Vitamin B-12 is important in several ways. It plays a key role in metabolism, is critical to the formation of red blood cells, and has a calming effect on the central nervous system. It is also important in the production of chemicals that help regulate sleep, mood, and appetite. Vitamin B-12 is vital to the production of myelin, the fatty sheath that insulates nerve fibers, keeping electrical impulses moving through your body.

Q: What are the sources of vitamin B-12?

A: Vitamin B-12 is found in eggs, meat, poultry, shellfish, milk, and milk products, so it is fairly easy to obtain from your diet. Vegans and strict vegetarians are an exception, and cannot obtain adequate supplies of B-12 from diet alone. (Note: one vegetarian food that does contain B-12 is peanuts.) Even people who do eat a diet including meat and dairy may have a lack of B-12 due to absorption problems.

Q: What can cause a vitamin B-12 deficiency?

A: Poor eating habits, digestive disorders, alcohol use and drug intake are all factors that can influence the availability of vitamin B12 in the body.

Additionally, the absorption of vitamin B-12 is a complex process that is easily interrupted. Here’s what happens. Acids in the stomach separate the B-12 from the protein source, at which point it must combine with “intrinsic factor”—a specific collection of cells in the stomach that are required for B-12 absorption in the small intestine. The vitamin B-12/intrinsic factor complex travels through the intestine and is absorbed in the terminal ileum by cells with specific receptors. The absorbed complex is then transported via plasma and stored in the liver. The interruption of one or any combination of these steps places a person at risk of developing a deficiency.

In most cases, vitamin B-12 deficiency is due to an inability of the intestine to absorb the vitamin, which can happen in several ways:

1. As we age, our ability to produce gastric acids in the stomach decreases, meaning that the B-12 is less likely to be released from its food source. This deterioration also occurs if we become overly reliant on the use of antacids.

2. Deficiency may result from an autoimmune disease that reduces the production or blocks the action of intrinsic factor, or from other diseases that result in intestinal malabsorption. The most frequent underlying cause of vitamin B-12 deficiency is pernicious anemia, which is associated with decreased production of intrinsic factor.

3. Also, changes in the abdomen or in abdominal health can create a deficiency. For example, abdominal surgery can cause B-12 deficiency by eliminating the site of intrinsic factor production or the site of vitamin B-12 absorption.

4. Other causes of vitamin B-12 deficiency include pancreatic insufficiency, fish tapeworm infection—in which the parasite competes for B-12—and severe Crohn's disease, which results in reduced absorption of B-12 in the intestine.

Q: How can I tell if I have a vitamin B-12 deficiency?

A: According to the National Institutes of Health, these are some of the characteristic signs of vitamin B-12 deficiency: Fatigue, weakness, nausea, constipation, irritability, incontinence, dementia, numbness or tingling in the hands and feet, difficulty in maintaining balance, soreness of the mouth or tongue, loss of appetite, paleness, and shortness of breath.

Note: Many of these symptoms can result from a variety of medical conditions. It is important to see a physician for evaluation and treatment in the event that any of these symptoms occur.

Q: What are the risks of a vitamin B-12 deficiency?

A: Untreated, the symptoms of vitamin B-12 deficiency can become permanent and lead to abnormalities of growth and mental retardation in children and severe systemic disorders in adults. Clinical manifestations of vitamin B-12 deficiency include anemia, neurological impairment, irritability, memory impairment, and depression. Deficiencies of B-12 have also been linked to multiple sclerosis-like symptoms and dementia.

The role vitamin B-12 deficiency plays in the promotion of atherosclerosis is now being explored. Researchers have discovered that a deficiency raises blood levels of homocysteine, an amino acid in the blood. In addition to being toxic to brain cells in high doses—suggesting a possible role in Alzheimer's disease--homocysteine may be one of the primary causes of heart disease. In some people, the accumulation of homocysteine may be caused by a genetic defect, while in others, it's simply the result of a vitamin B-12 deficiency. People who have both a B-12 deficiency and raised homocysteine levels may have a higher risk of heart disease and stroke.

Q: What is the link between vitamin B-12 deficiency and low energy?

A: As described earlier, vitamin B-12 is important for the production of red blood cells. A severe deficiency, called pernicious anemia, can lower energy levels. A person with a decreased red blood cell count that takes an efficient source of vitamin B-12, will experience an almost immediate burst of cell productivity in the bone marrow, creating more oxygen-carrying capacity to tissues.

In a study with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patients, 80% of patients who received high doses of B-12 injections experienced dramatically increased energy and also experienced better sleep. Now, many doctors are administering B-12 shots to help their patients have more energy and better sleep patterns.

Q: How can I replenish my vitamin B-12 supply?

A: Over-the-counter multivitamins do not contain enough vitamin B-12 to raise a low level. The most effective way to get B-12 is going to your doctor for shots. A simpler alternative is taking an isotonic B-12, which is quickly absorbed into the intestine and then into the bloodstream. Isotonic nutrients are taken as a liquid and are perceived by the body as pre-digested, which means they are propelled quickly through the digestive system and into the bloodstream. (Click here for information on Isotonix® Advanced B-Complex.)

Q: Can you overdose on vitamin B-12?

• A. No. Vitamin B-12 supplements are considered extremely safe. Even excess doses are harmlessly excreted through urine.
  
  About Market America's Isotonix® Advanced B-Complex
  
  Isotonix® Advanced B-Complex is a supplement that includes:
• 
  • 120 mcg Vitamin B-12
• • 800 mcg Folate
• • 3 mg Vitamin B-2
• • 6 mg Vitamin B-6
• • 2 mg Vitamin B-1
• • 20 mg Vitamin B-5
• • 20 mg Vitamin B-3
• • 300 mcg Vitamin B-7
• • 40 mg Magnesium
• • 94 mg Potassium
• Folic acid, a key ingredient in the Advanced B Complex, is important in the normal development and functioning of red blood cells, and it works in conjunction with B-12 to construct the genetic material of the cells. Folic acid is also responsible for the normal utilization of amino acids and proteins.
• Our lifestyle and diet can have a direct effect on the availability of Vitamin B-12 and folic acid in the body. Supplementing daily with Isotonix® B-12 can help prevent deficiencies in B-12 and folic acid, which can lead to problems in the circulatory, nervous, and digestive systems.
  
  Ordering
  
  To place an order, click here. Click "sign in" to log into your Preferred Customer account, or set up an account. Then click the Health & Nutrition panel on the left. The Advanced B-Complex is located in the General Health category.
• Getting Your Questions Answered
• If you have any questions about Vitamin B-12, heart health, weight management, or supplementation for improved health, please send me an email. I will find the answer for you.
• Thank you for reading. All comments are welcome. I look forward to providing you with more health tips in the future.

My B-12 Testimonial

To increase my energy level and reduce my dependence on caffeine, I began taking Market America's Isotonix® B-Complex.

The term "isotonic" means the same osmotic pressure as your blood. Isotonic nutrients are quickly absorbed into the intestine and then into the bloodstream. So taking isotonic B-12 provides an immediate energy boost that is sustained for quite some time. It's a great way to improve energy, and the fact that it is also beneficial to the nervous system means that it is this nutrient has an overall calming effect rather than producing excitability. There are few substances that offer these kinds of benefits.

At first I took the B-Complex late in the day when I have the least amount of energy. Then something odd happened. I stopped sleeping well at night. I would toss and turn and be awake for hours, and I assumed it was because I had too much on my mind. Then my chiropractor, Dr. Andrew Luing, asked me if I was taking B-12 in the evening, and I made the connection. The B-12 was giving me lots of energy, but at the wrong time of the day. He recommended that I take it in mid-morning and mid-afternoon, not in the evening.

So, the end of the story is that I got the increased energy that I needed, and also started sleeping much better at night.

Thank you for reading. All comments are welcome. I look forward to providing you with more health tips in the future!

To Your Health!

Sources

• American Academy of Family Physicians, www.familydoctor.org
• National Institutes of Health, www.nih.gov
• “Vitamin B-12 Deficiency”  published in American Family Physician, 7/21/05

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