Vitamin B12 Benefits

In a chaotic world riddled with fast food and chronic vitamin deficiencies, it’s easy to forget just how important vitamins can be in helping our bodies perform their daily functions and avoid disease. One of the most important of these vitamins is vitamin B12. When vitamin B12 levels are at their peak, our bodies function at a high level and can prevent disease and give us more energy to last the day. The benefits are numerous, and here are a few of the best:

Energy

Vitamin B12 helps make DNA during cell division and aids in the formation of red blood cells. These two functions are absolutely essential for our body. With a healthy amount of red blood cells which are responsible for transporting oxygen throughout the body, our metabolism is boosted and our energy levels remain high. Such functions also help maintain the central nervous system, reducing or eliminating symptoms of fatigue.

Helping to Combat Depression

Adequate daily levels of vitamin B12 have been shown to help in creating seratonin levels. Seratonin is the chemical principally responsible for keeping our minds “happy” staving off depression. While it may not eliminate the condition entirely, vitamin B12 has been show to be essential in boosting the body’s seratonin levels and reducing depressive episodes and symptoms.

Maintaining Eyesight

As we age, one of the top concerns regarding our vision is the prevention of cataracts. Vitamin B12, when supplemented properly, helps the body protect the lens of the eye and keep it healthy. As cataracts are a condition of the lens, this greatly reduces the likelihood of their occurrence.

Regulates Homocysteine Levels

Homocysteine, while a little known term outside the medical communist, is very important in preventing conditions such as osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease and stroke. Proper supplementation of vitamin B12 helps regulate homocysteine levels and reduce the risk of these diseases noticeably.

Other Health Benefits

Vitamin B12 has been shown to reduce the severity of several diseases like Alzheimer’s; in other cases, its supplementation has been shown to virtually eliminate the presence of allergies, asthma, sleep disorders and even tendinitis.

No matter what your health concerns may be, there is a significant chance that proper supplementation of vitamin B12 will help you reduce those concerns or eliminate them altogether. Vitamin B12 benefits are truly wide-ranging and diverse, from maintaining energy and metabolism levels to helping stave off life-altering conditions such as depression and Alzheimer’s disease. There is simply no reason to allow your body to continue operating with a vitamin B12 deficiency when the health benefits are so numerous and diverse.



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Vitamin B12 Deficiency Symptoms

Vitamin B-12 is an important and necessary vitamin, which keeps the body functioning properly. Its main function is essential to cellular metabolism as it affects the DNA of cells. Vitamin B-12’s actions include the formation and maintenance of red blood cells, the production of fatty acids, folic acid and vital energy as well as its function in keeping the nerves of the nervous system and brain healthy. Without regular adequate intake of this vitamin or when certain absorption disorders are present, vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms can occur.

What Causes Vitamin B-12 Deficiency?
Vitamin B-12 deficiency can occur when the diet is lacking in foods that contain this vitamin such as meat and dairy products. Although this cause is rare, individuals who are on vegetarian diets can be more at risk of developing a vitamin B-12 deficiency. Usually the cause of this deficiency is due to an absorption problem. Vitamin B-12 is normally absorbed in the stomach after consumption. Certain disorders such as pernicious anemia destroy stomach cells that normally absorb this vitamin. Individuals who have had weight-loss surgical procedures such as bypass surgery also are at higher risk of developing a B-12 deficiency as well as those who have digestive disorders such as Crohn’s disease.

Symptoms of Vitamin B-12 Deficiency
Vitamin B-12 deficiency can be very dangerous, causing damage to the nervous system and brain that may be so severe that it is irreversible. When these deficiencies are mild, symptoms are difficult to diagnosis, as symptoms can be vague. These symptoms could include depression, fatigue and memory difficulties. The main symptoms of vitamin B-12 deficiency include gastrointestinal disturbances such as constipation or diarrhea, nausea, weight loss, neurological problems such as difficulties with touch perception, numbness and tingling of toes and fingers, decreased muscle reflexes, lack of muscle control, muscle weakness and megaloblastic anemia, which affects the bone marrow. Symptoms can also appear as psychological disturbances such as psychosis or states of mania, irritability, suicidal tendencies and difficulty with concentration. Most individuals with a vitamin B-12 deficiency will appear pale, weak and may have a sore tongue or gums that bleed often. The longer these symptoms remain untreated, the higher the chance of irreversible damage.

Treatments for Vitamin B-12 Deficiency
Treating vitamin B-12 deficiencies usually involve the use of vitamin B-12 supplements. Depending on the severity of the deficiency, the physician may prescribe B-12 injections until the levels have stabilized. Once this has been accomplished, vitamin B-12 supplements will be required on a daily bases if the deficiency is caused by an absorption disorder. When diets lack foods that contain this vitamin, taking vitamin B-12 supplements regularly can prevent vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms.

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Vitamin B12 Weight Loss Secrets

As anyone experienced with dieting and weight loss knows, the process of eating healthy, getting your daily vitamins, and making fat loss permanent can be daunting if not close to impossible. One of the most efficient ways to help the process along and make it long-lasting is the use of vitamin B12 supplemenation. The vitamin B12 weight loss secrets are many, but they need not be secrets any longer.

Functions

First and foremost, it’s important to understand what vitamin B12 does. This water-soluble vitamin is essential in making DNA during cell division as well as aiding in the healthy formation of red blood cells. As you may or may not know, these red blood cells are principally responsible for producing hemoglobin which transports oxygen from the lungs to the other parts of the body. That means that healthy formation of red blood cells will boost your cardiovascular performance as well as keep your metabolism chugging at a high rate afterwards. Efficient distribution of oxygen throughout the body is one of the keys to cardiovascular weight loss.

Effects

Supplementation of vitamin B12 helps the body crank up its metabolism to full steam. Combined with healthy eating habits and regular exercise, the use of a vitamin B12 supplement can help your body burn more calories, on average, during the day. This means that you can maintain the same healthy caloric intake levels but your body will be more efficient (and quicker) at burning those calories. If you’re already in engaged in a healthy diet and exercise routine, use of vitamin B12 will speed up the process and give you noticeably quicker results during your regular weigh-ins.

For those who are supplementing their dieting with exercise, it’s worth noting that vitamin B12 also gives the body a boost of energy (which is why it’s so effective at maximizing your metabolism). This means you won’t run out of steam when you’re out for your daily run or lifting weights at the gym. This extra burst of motivation can be the difference between settling for a mediocre workout and going the extra mile to shed the last few pounds.

It’s also worth noting that a vitamin B12 deficiency can result in chronic fatigue. If you feel constantly tired at all hours of the day, even after a good night’s rest, you may want to look into vitamin B12 supplementation. If your body is constantly in slow motion throughout the day, it will be harder for your to succeed in your weight loss goals. That’s because your metabolism will naturally be slower, your motivation will dwindle, and your ability to exercise will be significantly reduced.

One of the biggest vitamin B12 weight loss secrets is the huge boost the pill, shot, or liquid can give to your metabolism. While it has long been known to help with chronic fatigue, vitamin B12 is now widely accepted as an effective way to have your body firing on all cylinders and power you through your daily workouts.



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Vitamin B12: Foods That Are Natural Sources

The human body does not respond well when it is lacking an adequate supply of vitamins in its system. No vitamin deficiency is healthy, yet a deficiency in Vitamin B12 tends to wreck havoc on our bodies and internal processes. Symptoms of needing more vitamin B12 include, but are not limited to fatigue, anemia, and symptoms of bipolar disorder, including states of mania and/or depression. If you suffer any of these symptoms or simply want to avoid having them, there are options such as pills, sprays, concentrated liquids, and shots available to supplement your intake of vitamin B12. Vegetarians prefer these options and tend to utilize whey powder and yeast extract supplements as well. There is another option available to increase your intake of Vitamin B12: Foods That Are Natural Sources.

Seafood tends to be rich in vitamin B12 and provide the most popular source of the vitamin worldwide. Shellfish are the highest level of B12 containing food sources nature has to offer. These foods can be prepared in a variety of ways including raw, fried, baked, and steamed. The highest B12 levels in this category are found in clams, oysters, and mussels. Other sea creatures such as octopus, crab, and lobster are also extremely high in vitamin B12 and afford many cooking options to consumers. Fish are an excellent natural source of vitamin B12 while also offering high levels of protein and omega 3 fatty acids. For those not on a budget, caviar is another option. Many of these foods tend to provide more than 100% of your body’s B12 daily needs.

There is no need to worry about ‘overdosing’ by consuming more than 100% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of B12. Excess amounts of this vitamin do one of two things: excrete themselves from the body, or store themselves in the liver for future use.

The liver of most animals provide high levels of vitamin B12, especially lamb, beef and veal livers. Beef and lamb meat are themselves are excellent food sources to increase your B12 intake. Cheeses are a relatively good source of the nutrient, especially Swiss, Parmesan, and feta types. Eggs vary in B12 levels depending up their source, with goose and duck eggs offering the highest levels. The yolk of chicken eggs contains small amounts of vitamin B12 but not nearly enough to meet the RDA.

Keep in mind that the human body has needs for adequate vitamins, especially Vitamin B-12: Foods That Are Natural Sources are the ideal choice to avoid vitamin deficiencies and to improve overall health.



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The Benefits of Vitamin B12 Shots

B vitamins are extremely important for good health, however, many individuals are deficient in these vitamins and don’t know it. There are several ways to get the necessary B vitamins including Vitamin B12 shots, pills, and through food. Getting your vitamins through food is the best way, but it isn’t always possible to get enough, which is why supplements are necessary. If you are able to get Vitamin B12 shots, here are several benefits you may receive.

Better Absorption

By getting a B12 shot, the vitamins enter your bloodstream right away, which means much faster absorption. Taking regular supplements may take hours before you start to feel any different from taking these vitamins. Also, because the vitamin is injected right into your bloodstream, it will be absorbed a lot better resulting in less wasted vitamins and more benefits.

Increased Energy

B vitamins are known for their ability to increase energy. Often individuals who are chronically tired find B vitamins to be enough to give them an incredible amount of energy. Due to the increased speed of absorption through a shot, you can gain that energy often within a matter of minutes.

Increased Metabolism

Part of feeling sluggish is having a slower metabolism in addition to a lack of energy. Increasing the amount of B12 vitamins in your bloodstream will help speed up your metabolism. This will give you more energy which also may help in losing weight.

Improve your Mood

Vitamin B12 shots are also a great way to improve your mood. Your central nervous system requires vitamin B12 to function properly, which is what affects your moods. If you are deficient in vitamin B12, a shot can make you feel much happier for a while. You might find yourself feeling a bit giddy at first, which will wear off soon after, but the happiness will remain for a while.

Improve your Cardiovascular Function

Your cardiovascular function also needs plenty of vitamin B. B12 actually thins the blood which helps it move more smoothly through your bloodstream and keeps the blood cells from sticking together which could lead to blood clots or strokes. Vitamin B12 may help effectively decrease your risk for cardiovascular disease.

Reverse Alzheimer’s Disease

Vitamin B12 has been found to decrease levels of tumour necrosis factor-alpha which are often found in those with Alzheimer’s disease. While B12 isn’t proven to cure the disease, it may be able to help slow it down or reverse it.

Deficiency

Finally, many individuals are actually deficient in vitamin B but they don’t even know it. A vitamin B12 shot can often help in many of the ways above instantly without the person even knowing what they needed. It can often take years to notice a vitamin B deficiency.



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Vitamins For Hair: Don’t Overdo It

Telogen effluvium (TE) is the second most common type of hair loss. To begin to understand TE, you first have to understand how we grow hair. The follicles on our heads do not produce hair continuously. The growth cycle can last two years or more, then the follicles enter a resting stage that can last up to two months. At any given time, between 80% and 90% of our hair follicles are in the Anagen, or growing stage, and the other 10% to 20% are in the Telogen, or resting stage.

The word effluvium means “outflow”. Telogen effluvium occurs when the number of hair follicles actually producing hair drops significantly during the telogen, or resting phase, creating an increased “outflow” or loss of hair.

TE causes a thinning of hair all over the scalp, not necessarily in the same spots as, say a receding hairline, or male pattern baldness. However, it does show up more on the top of the head than the back or sides.

People suffering from TE rarely lose all of their hair, severe cases do exist where it is much more noticeable than others. It is also normally contained completely on the head, but again, severe cases can affect eyebrows and pubic areas.

Although there can be several causes of TE, many dermatologist believe that our overall reduction in red meat consumption, and a growing number of vegetarians who eat no meat, contributes to a lack of nutrients needed to combat the problem. Many people who do not eat meat, especially red meat, do not get enough iron. Other nutrient dificiencies that can contribute to TE include amino acids, zinc, L-lysine, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12.

Adding foods that are rich in these nutrients to your diet is the best way to get what you need, but sometimes you end up turning to supplements for help. Even all natural vitamin supplements can be a double-edged sword, though. If you take too much iron, you can reach toxic levels, which in turn, can cause hair loss, the very situation you were trying to correct. The same is true with Vitamin A – too much causes toxicity.

If you feel that you need to add vitamin supplements to your diet to help correct your hair loss, the best thing that you can do is to talk to your doctor or dermatologist and let them help you determine which supplements you need and the correct amount for each one.



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Is Vitamin B12 Good For Hair?

Many women consider their hair to be their “crowning glory”.  A bad hair day means a bad day, period. If their hair doesn’t look good, they can’t feel good about themselves. While this may seem shallow to some, to others, that is just the way it is. Their self esteem is tied directly to their looks. Can you imagine how this person feels when they realize that their hair is getting thinner every day?

Hair loss in women is not as common, or as commonly discussed, as men’s hair loss, but it still affects a large number of women. It can have several causes: the natural aging process, genetic conditions or a medical condition. Just as there are numerous causes for hair loss in women, there are a variety of ways to treat it. One of the easiest things to try first is to change your diet.

B Vitamins and Hair Growth

A diet that consists of high protein, low carbohydrates and a lowered fat content is as good for your hair as it is for your overall health. Samantha Heller, MS, RD, an NYU Medical Center nutritionist believes that a lack of omega 3 fatty acids, plus low iron, can lead to an anemic condition that reduces red blood cells and is often a cause of women’s hair loss. She says that adding iron rich foods like broccoli or brewer’s yeast, plus good fats like walnuts, fish, soy and canola oil, can lead to healthier hair, and in some cases even reverse hair loss.

Dermatologist Ted Daly, MD, also adds that the best hair growth vitamins include B12 and other B vitamins. Foods that are naturally high in vitamin B12 include meat, poultry, and eggs. Other B vitamins, like Biotin, are also essential for healthy hair. In fact, Biotin is often prescribed in addition to name brand hair loss treatments such as Propecia and Rogaine.

Biotin For Hair

Biotin is also found in liver and eggs but in such small amounts that it isn’t practical to try to eat enough to get the amount of Biotin that can make a difference in your hair’s health. Daly recommends up to 3 mg per day for his patients with hair loss. Others recommend no more than 2 mg daily.

Other Supplements To Aid In Hair Health

Zinc is sometimes recommended because it has been shown to affect your androgens, which can be part of the reason for genetic hair loss. But if you take zinc, you have to also take the proper amount of copper to balance it out. If you take too much zinc, it can cause a copper deficiency that will result in even more hair loss, so this is best done under medical supervision.

Do Hair Care Products Cause Hair Loss?

The short answer is NO. Daly says that scalp inflamation is possible from some permanents and dyes, which in turn can cause hair loss, but these cases are very rare. The common sense approach is to take care of your hair, whether you suffer from hair loss or not. Daily use of a very hot blow dryer and frequent use of permanent solutions and hair dye will leave you with dry, brittle hair that breaks easily and appears thinner, even though there is no medical or genetic reason for hair loss.



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