10 Health Benefits of Vitamin B12, Based on Science

The scientific name of vitamin B12 is cobalamin. It is one of the most essential nutrients needed by the body. But the human body is unable to produce it. Thus, vitamin B12 needs to be consumed using animal products.

Other than that, this nutrient is also available in certain foods in the form of Vegan Vitamin B12 as well as oral supplement or injection.

There are numerous reasons why Vitamin B12 has become so important in human lives. With the increase in the standard of living, stress and other health-related problems also increase.

With the help of Vitamin B12, nerve cells can perform better. It is also the primary requirement for red blood cell formation as well as DNA synthesis.

For adults, the regular recommended daily intake of this vitamin is 2.4 mcg. While on the other hand, it is prescribed to take a higher dosage for pregnant or breastfeeding women. Vitamin B12 can boost energy, improve memory as well as helps in preventing heart diseases.

Following are some health benefits of Vitamin B12, as per science:

10 Surprising Ways Vitamin B12 Benefits Your Entire Body

Helps in forming red blood cells and prevents diseases like anemia

Everyone read about this during their school years. Vitamin B12 helps the human body in developing RBCs and they are very important.

If the level of Vitamin B12 is less in the human body there will be fewer red blood cells which will not help the body to develop properly. When RBCs are healthy, they are small and round but when there is a deficiency of Vitamin B12, they become large and oval.

Now, when they become large and oval, it becomes hard for them to travel from the bone marrow to the bloodstream at the standard rate. This can result in megaloblastic anemia.

Helps in preventing major birth defects

When a lady is pregnant, it is important that her Vitamin B12 needs are fulfilled. There are chances of birth defects in the child if the mother does not get a sufficient amount of B12.

The kids also need Vitamin B12 to grow properly at an early age. It is important to keep a check on Vitamin B12 intake of a child.

Support bone health and prevents osteoporosis

It is important to maintain bone health. If bone health is not maintained properly, results start getting visible in old age. People start suffering from diseases like osteoporosis.

Bones become delicate and fragile and lose all strength. To maintain healthy and strong bones, having supplements or natural vitamin B12 can prove to be of great help.

Reduces the risk of Macular degeneration

Macular degeneration can be explained as an eye disease which affects the central vision of any human being. If adequate levels of vitamin B12 are not maintained, it may result in loss of vision. It mainly exists in increasing ages. Thus, older people should be more careful about this.

Improves mood and decreases the symptoms of depression

Vegan Vitamin B12 can actually work as a great mood buster. The effect of vitamin B12 on the mood is not completely understood yet. But as far as synthesizing and metabolizing serotonin is concerned, B12 is an essential element to control this.

These are chemicals due to which mood becomes good or bad. Thus, vitamin B12 may lead to less production of serotonin. This will result in a depressed mood as well as sadness. There are studies that show that improved levels of Vitamin B12 help in coping up with stress as well as depression.

Those people who received both antidepressants as well as supplements of vitamin B12 cure faster than those who are treated only with medication which includes antidepressants.

Benefits the brain by preventing loss of neurons

The deficiency of vitamin B12 can result in memory loss, especially in older adults. Vitamins play an irreplaceable role in the prevention of brain atrophy.

Brain atrophy can be explained as the loss of neurons in the brain. In normal language, this disorder can be termed as memory loss.

People who are suffering from early-stage dementia showed a combination of omega 3 fatty acids as well as vitamin B12 supplements.

It improved memory, even in times of a clinically diagnosed deficiency. This is why children, as well as older people, are instructed to maintain their levels of vitamin B12.

Boosts energy

It has been seen that many people nowadays lack energy. It happens because of a busy lifestyle, unhealthy food as well as stress of work, studies and many more.

Vitamin B12 boosts energy levels in a prominent manner. If a person is deficient in Vitamin B12, he/she shows a lack of energy thus, the person becomes lethargic.

The products containing vitamin B12 or the supplements of these nutrients produce energy as well as pass it throughout the body. It is a water-soluble nutrient and does not provide any kind of side-effect to the body.

Improves heart health by decreasing homocysteine

Homocysteine is an amino acid that can cause serious heart problems if its level grows more than required. If any individual is significantly deficient in Vitamin B12, the levels of homocysteine are increased.

Studies prove that with a maintained and good level of Vitamin B12, heart attacks, the formation of cholesterol and other harmful things can be prevented.

Though, there is no scientific proof or evidence which proves the changing levels are caused only due to lack of Vitamin B12. But, there are many cases where this fact has been proved true.

Improves hair

Vitamin B12 is a very good nutrient for growth and nutrition of hair. People who have optimum levels of this vitamin in their bodies show shinier hair. Also, growth is fast. It improves hair strength and makes them well-nourished and healthy.

Improves skin

Vitamin B12 plays a great role in cell production. The supplements with vitamin B12 have shown drastic improvement in dermatologic symptoms in people who have a deficiency of vitamin B12.

Low vitamin B12 levels can cause skin diseases such as vitiligo (loss of skin color in patches throughout the body) and so on. Read about everything you need to know about vegan supplements.