Do you know about vitamin B12 and what it does for our bodies? I’ve seen it in passing, but never really paid much attention to it, until recently. I was doing some research on the medicine that I take, colchicine, when B12 caught my eye. I learned that taking colchicine at a high dose and for an extended period of time can cause depletions of certain vitamins and minerals in the body.
B12 is one of those vitamins. After I learned this, I asked my doctor to test my B12 levels. My levels were average, but he wanted them a little higher, so he recommended I take B12 over-the-counter. So, I got to my research right away, like a good journalist would! This is what I found.
Here’s what B12 does for you:
1. It helps in the manufacturing of red blood cells in the body
2. It supports the nervous system
3. It is required for the replication of DNA–generating new and healthy cells
Vitamin B12 is found in the following foods:
- Fish, meat, poultry, eggs and milk
- Beef liver and clams are the best sources of vitamin B12
- Some breakfast cereals, nutritional yeasts and other food products are fortified with vitamin B12
The recommended amount of Vitamin B12 for adults is 2.4mcg (micrograms). Most people in the United States get enough vitamin B12 from the foods they eat. But some people have trouble absorbing it from food. Vitamin B12 deficiency causes tiredness, weakness, constipation, loss of appetite, weight loss, and megaloblastic anemia, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Have you heard of B12 shots? I heard of them but I didn’t know what the purpose or benefit is. Well, some proponents of vitamin B-12 injections say it gives you more energy and boosts your metabolism, helping you lose weight. But unless you have a vitamin B-12 deficiency, vitamin B-12 injections aren’t likely to give you an energy boost, according to the Mayo clinic. Leave that to being active and eating healthy!
To learn more about Vitamin B12, visit this link at the National Institutes of Health website.
Healthy Summer 