Vitamin B12 is one of the water-soluble vitamins, meaning it dissolves in water and can travel through the bloodstream, and any excess vitamin B12 is excreted in the urine.
The body can store vitamin B12 for up to four years, but the body cannot produce it, but must obtain it from natural or artificial sources.
Sources of Vitamin B12
Animal sources are the only natural sources of vitamin B12, as this vitamin is not naturally found in plant sources, unless they are additionally fortified with it, such as breakfast cereals fortified with vitamin B12.
1 Meat, including beef and poultry.
2 Fish, including tuna and salmon.
3 Chicken liver and livestock liver.
4 Eggs.
5 Milk and various dairy products.
Sources of vitamin B12 can also include all supplements that contain a synthetic form of vitamin B12, such as cyanocoplasminin, which can be present in different pharmaceutical forms, such as vitamin B12 pills, including B12 pills under the tongue, as well as B12 injections or vitamin B12 sprays.
Benefits of Vitamin B12
Helps in the production of red blood cells
When you develop anemia, your body doesn’t have enough red blood cells to transport oxygen to your vital organs, which causes you to experience persistent symptoms such as fatigue and dizziness when doing simple activities.
Vitamin B12 helps produce more red blood cells, which reduces the risk of anemia.
strengthens memory
Forgetting some information or people is a common symptom of vitamin B12 deficiency, while getting the amounts contributes to strengthening memory, so students are usually recommended to take it.
Studies have also found that vitamin B12 deficiency increases the chance of developing Alzheimer’s in the long term, which underscores its importance for maintaining brain health and increasing concentration.
Protects against birth defects
Taking adequate doses of vitamin B12 during pregnancy is essential for a healthy pregnancy, as vitamin B12 deficiency in the early stages of pregnancy may increase the risk of having a baby with birth defects, premature birth, or miscarriage.
Reduces the risk of osteoporosis
Maintaining adequate levels of vitamin B12 may support your bone health, as a study of more than 2,500 adults showed that people with vitamin B12 deficiency had fragile bones compared to others.
Vitamin B12 deficiency also significantly affects your body’s movement and makes you more likely to fall, so be sure to take supplements if your blood levels are low.
Contributes to the prevention of eye diseases
Maintaining eye health is one of the important benefits of vitamin B12, as its deficiency may lead to damage to the nervous system, which in turn affects the optic nerve.
Maintaining adequate levels of vitamin B12 may also help prevent the risk of age-related macular degeneration, as researchers believe that taking a vitamin B12 supplement may reduce homocysteine, a type of amino acid found in the bloodstream, which increases the risk of developing the disease.
Increases energy
This vitamin contributes to facilitating the metabolic processes that occur within your body due to its role in converting complex carbohydrates into simple glucose chains that cells use to gain energy, and this mechanism allows your body to carry out your daily tasks without feeling stressed quickly or chronically tired.
Promotes heart health
Vitamin B12 plays an important role in regulating homocysteine levels, as its increased production causes damage to blood vessels and increases the risk of fatal heart disease, such as atherosclerosis and stroke.
Boosts your immune system
One of the benefits of vitamin B12 has been found to have an effect on the health of the immune system, as it protects against cancer, especially when folic acid is present with it.
Contributes to the increase of sperm
Vitamin B12 supplementation has been found to increase sperm count and improve mobility, which reduces the risk of infertility.
Benefits vitamin b12 for Aesthetic health
Enhances the strength of nails
Broken and weak nails are a sign of vitamin B12 deficiency, because they are important for the production process of cells that give nails their shape.
Eating healthy foods rich in vitamin B12 can lead to healthy, beautiful nails.
Promotes healthy hair
One of the benefits of Vitamin B12 is to maintain hair health, when you eat healthy foods that contain vitamin B12, hair breakage and dryness decrease, and it also prevents baldness.
Contributes to skin protection
One of the benefits of vitamin B12 has been found to help protect your skin from dryness, increase its freshness and make it radiant because it increases the production of red blood cells.
Read more about benefits of vitamin E .