The Health Benefits of Vitamin B12

It was the normal days of college. My brain was foggy. My muscles were tingly. I could not think straight. I went to the naturopathic college nearby and they told me that I had an iron and B12 deficicency. During this time I ended up receiving rounds of B12 serum just to remove the brain fog and the tingly pains in my legs that I felt. Ever since I supplemented with Vitamin B12 for years.

So what is Vitamin B12? Why do we need it? Where can we get B12 from?

Vitamin B12, according to Healthline.com, also known as cobalamine, is an essential vitamin that the body needs that helps with red blood cell formation and anemia prevention. It may help with bone health and prevent osteoporosis, major birth defects, and macular degeneration or eye disease. It is known to improve your mood and alleviate symptoms of depression and prevent loss of neurons in the brain. It also decreases homocysteine and thus improve your heart health. It also helps with hair, skin, and nail health, not to mention the wonderful benefits of a great energy boost.

So who are at risk?

Those at risk include older adults, people with digestion disorders such as Crohn's disease or celiac disease, people with gastrointestinal surgeries, those on a strict vegan diet, anyone who takes metformin, and those taking proton pump inhibitors for chronic heartburn. People who need extra vitamin B12 include pregnant and breastfeeding women, infants, and children.

What can we do to avoid B12 deficiency in our own lives? Here is a comprehensive starters list.

For starters, supplements are always a great idea, but addressing the root cause of why you are deficient is a key solution that can help go a long way towards solving the problem. Dosage might vary based on the person's needs. But that is only a mere quick fix.

If one has animal products in their diet, this is a great way to ensure that one is getting this necessary vitamin, however, there are two other ways to ensure that you increase vitamin B12 absorption.

Firstly, I suggest reducing one's stress. Stress has a way of depleting your B vitamins including vitamin B12. When I was in college, I was undergoing a lot of stress from several life changes and I needed to take iron and B12 supplements to help me as I resolved the sources of my stress. It's also very important to note that stress might cause you to be depleted from other vitamins as well, so reducing stress might do more than just maintain vitamin B12 levels.

What are some ways to improve one's stress levels?

Laughter and humor. Laughter and humor, even dark humor, I found was a great way to reduce stress levels in ways no one can ever imagine as it can help you have a healthy perspective on life.

Good sleep always improves your mood as well.

Gardening in good soil, is a great way for your body to get direct contact with vitamin B12 and improves your mental health at the same time.

Secondly, it's important to improve your digestive health, and more specifically your gut health with healthy foods such as fermented foods. If you have a great digestive system and improve gut health as this improves the body's ability to make intrisic factor which is necessary for the body's ability to absorb vitamin B12.

I hope that you enjoyed and found value in my article on vitamin B12. If you want more health tips, I recommend my book Instructional Medicine that shows a holistic and thorough look at medicine from an interfaith perspective. Click the description and get your copy today in either paperback or kindle edition. Happy health and wellness!

https://www.amazon.ca/Instructional-Medicine-Interfaith-Approach-Previously/dp/B0CCCPKCCD/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Instructional+medicine&qid=1690123812&sr=8-1

Further Reference:

1. Healthline.com: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-b12-benefits#1.-Helps-with-red-blood-cell-formation-and-anemia-prevention

2. Whit Worth Chemists.co.uk: https://whitworthchemists.co.uk/blog/articles/stress-and-how-vitamin-b12-can-help-you-cope#:~:text=Stress%20is%20known%20to%20deplete,to%20meet%20their%20body's%20needs.

3. Indian Express.com: https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/health/dietitian-maximise-absorption-vitamin-b12-iron-deficiency-anaemia-blood-clog-symptoms-foods-7445141/