Vitamin B-12 does a body good
Posted May 16th, 2007 at 7:46 PM by Christopher Jack
Section: Nutrition, Supplements
For many of us, the importance of a balanced diet goes without saying; keep the vegetables, fruits and whole grains but toss the chips, cookies and beer.
Nothing in life can be that simple though, so listen up. Without the inclusion of a range of micronutrients into your diet your performance may suffer, but so could your memory, balance and energy. To help ward off any serious and long lasting bodily complications, a good starting point lies within the B vitamin family: vitamin B12.
One of eight water-soluble B vitamins, B12, also known as cobalamin, plays a crucial role in the production of red blood cells and myelin, the fatty insulation around nerve fibers, promoting the health of the entire nervous system. Like other B vitamins, B12 helps convert carbohydrates into glucose, which can be transformed into energy.
Shortages in the B12 vitamin can bring about fatigue, memory loss, confusion, anemia and weakness as well as impaired touch and pain perception. And with the most severe deficiencies in B12, the myelin sheath can actually degenerate.
A deficiency in the B12 vitamin has also been linked to a substance known as homocysteine, which activates a clotting system, causing blood cells to cling to arterial walls. As homocysteine levels rise, more serious conditions such as heart disease, Alzheimer’s and depression can set in.
Where do you get B12? Vitamin B12 is synthesized by bacteria and can be found most reliably in eggs, meats, fish and dairy products. All of this poses obvious problems for vegetarians, though. For vegans, fermented vegetable products like miso can provide small doses of the vitamin due to the fermenting bacteria, but this may still leave you short of the recommended value. In order to reach that daily recommendation, fortified cereals and vitamin supplements should be used.
The recommended daily value for vitamin B12 is around 6 mcg, but the safe upper limit is upwards of 3,000 mcg. However, people over the age of fifty need to be especially careful, as between 10 and 30 percent in that age bracket do not effectively absorb B12 from foods.
So while the threat of more serious, long-term health problems should be enough to stock up on tuna and vitamin supplements, just think about your daily workouts. Without the proper amount of B12, you might compromise your daily runs and lifting sessions – a lack of B12 hinders your recovery time, and depletes your energy stores.
Research sources and for more information: [Men’s Health Magazine], [University of Maryland - Medical Center], [TheFinalSprint.com],
***Note: We encourage EVERYONE to see a doctor before altering their diet, taking a supplement and/or performing athletic, fitness or other strenuous physical activity. It is your responsibility to evaluate the accuracy, completeness and usefulness of any information, instruction, opinion or advice contained in the content. Please also see our complete disclaimer.***
Tags: B vitamin, B12, cobalamin, homocysteine, micronutrients, myelin sheath, vitamin B, vitamin b12, vitamins, water soluble
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The Final Sprint
Vitamin B12 deficiency is estimated to affect 10%-15% of individuals over the age of 60. For an excellent review of Vitamin B12 deficiency, diagnosis and treatment, see this page:
http://jeffreydach.com/2007/05/13/vitamin-b12-deficiency-by-jeffrey-dach-md-drdach.aspx
Also recommended is the book: “Could it Be B12, An Epidemic of MisDiagnoses?” by Sally M. Pacholok R.N. and Jeffrey J Stuart D.O.
regards,
June 7th, 2007 at 5:56 pmhttp://www.drdach.com
Jeffrey Dach MD