Vitamin B12 is required for the proper function and development of the brain, nerves, blood cells, and many other parts of the body.
Vitamin B12 actually exists in many forms, and it contains the mineral cobalt, which is why compounds with vitamin B12 are collectively called cobalamins. Two forms of vitamin B12 that are active in human metabolism are methylcobalamin and 5-deoxyadenosylcobalamin.
It can be found in foods such as meat, fish, and dairy products. It can also be made in a laboratory. It is often taken in combination with other B vitamins.
Vitamin B12 benefits your mood, energy level, memory, heart, skin, hair, digestion and more. It is also an essential vitamin for addressing adrenal fatigue, multiple metabolic functions — including enzyme production, DNA synthesis and hormonal balance — and maintaining healthy nervous and cardiovascular systems. Vitamin B12 also helps with digestion health, so a deficiency can lead to both digestive disorders and an increased risk for heart disease. Because of its wide-reaching roles within the body, a vitamin B12 deficiency can show up in many different negative symptoms, many of which are very noticeable, such as potential chronic fatigue, mood disorders like depression, and chronic stress or feeling run down.
Main benefits:
- It helps maintain energy levels
- Prevents memory loss and lowers risk of neurodegenerative disease
- Boosts mood and helps the nervous system to properly function
- Plays a role in maintaining heart health
- Needed for healthy skin and hair
- Aids in digestion
- Needed for a healthy pregnancy
- May help prevent cancer
- Helps produce red blood cells and prevent anemia
Main sources of vitamin B12 in food:
- Swiss cheese
- Fortified yeast
- Fortified cereal
- Lamb liver
- Chicken liver
- Sardines
- Oysters