Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Vitamin B12: Are you Deficient?

By Sonia Reece

Vitamin B12 is one of the top 5 important supplements in a balanced diet. Your system requires B12 in order to prevent anemia and produce red blood cells.

This vitamin is found almost exclusively in animal products, including milk, eggs and cheese. Those on a Vegan diet or lifestyle can get vitamin B-12 from enriched cereals, fortified soy products or by taking a supplement that contains this vitamin.

Will you know if you have a deficiency in this vitamin?

Not consuming adequate amounts of the foods listed above and experiencing shortness of breath, dizziness, weakness, nausea, loss of appetite, numbing sensations, low energy, it's quite possible you may have a deficiency.

It may take years before signs or symptoms of this deficiency to manifest in your body. Being deficient in vitamin B12 can lead to pernicious anemia and can eventually turn into Alzheimer, loss of memory, confusion and dementia.

Seniors absorb the supplement better in the sublingual form. Malabsorption of the vitamin is another reason for the deficiency. Example, to receive optimal benefits from supplementing with vitamin B12 you would combine with folic acid and vitamin c, which will assist the absorption.

What's a good way to determine the amount needed to prevent becoming deficient?

I had the same question, so after conducting some research and acquiring data from the National Institutes of Health, I came up with the following information.

-.4 mcg- 0-6 months

-.5 mcg- 7-12 months

-.9 mcg- 1-3 years

-1.2mcg- 4-8 years

-1.8mcg- 9-13 years

-2.4mcg- age 14- older

-2.6mcg- pregnant adolescent females

-2.8mcg- lactating females

-25-100mcg-Adults over 50 (except if consuming fortified foods)

Expert opinion may be slightly different, but two ideas were clear: We are designed to absorb low levels of vit B12 at each meal, ranging from .1mcg to 1mcg.

Vitamin B12 deficiency also depends on environmental factors. For example, if we consume chlorinated water on a daily basis, B12 absorption would be low or diminished based on the toxic invasion on the body.

Consuming plants and animals that have been treated with pesticides and other toxins can also be another source for causing B12 deficiency.

About the Author:

No comments: