(also referred to as...)
Cobalamin
Description
Vitamin B12, or cobalamin, is a water soluble nutrient found in many foods and supplements. Your body does not manufacture B12 and it must be obtained from your diet.
This nutrient promotes iron utilization in the body, prevents anemia, and helps folic acid regulate red blood formation. Cobalamin is important for protein synthesis and carbohydrate and fat metabolism.
B12 prevents nerve damage and helps maintain a healthy nervous system. It is important for the maintenance of myelin sheaths that wrap around nerve endings. This vitamin also boosts energy levels.
Ailments / Situations Where Used
Adequate intake of B12 prevents the development of pernicious anemia. This is a very serious deficiency and symptoms include pale skin, raw, red tongue, numbness and tingling in toes and fingers, and weakness. It leads to serous degeneration of the spinal cord and brain, and, inevitably, death.
This versatile nutrient can help prevent or alleviate a large variety of nervous system related ailments including Alzheimer's disease, depression, diabetic neuropathy, difficulty walking or speaking, multiple sclerosis, nervousness, emotional and mood disorders, and neurological damage.
Other ailments that benefit from B12 include chronic fatigue, constipation, eye disorders, low sperm count, spinal cord degeneration and tinnitus (ringing in the ears).
Source
B12 is derived mainly from animal products, including cheese, clams, fish, beef liver, lamb liver, milk products, and organ meats.
Vegetarians can obtain B12 from various sea vegetables, including dulse, kelp, kombu and nori. Spirulina/blue-green algae is an excellent source of B12. This vitamin can also be found in brewer's yeast and enriched soy products, e.g., soy milk. B12 is rare in most vegetables and is not found in fruit.
Optimal Absorption
There are several substances that destroy or limit absorption of vitamin B12. They include most laxatives, tobacco, alcohol, caffeine, estrogen, prolonged use of sleeping pills, antibiotics, anticoagulants, and potassium supplements.
The following is a list of United States 1997-1998 Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI): Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for nutritional vitamin B12 intake and are included as a guideline only. Consult with your nutritionist, naturopath, or other health practitioner for a dosage appropriate for your needs. Children under 6 years of age should be under the supervision of the above mentioned specialists if directly supplementing with vitamin B12.
0 - 5 months, 0.4mcg 6 - 11 months, 0.5mcg 1 - 3, 0.9mcg 4 - 8, 1.2mcg 9 - 13, 1.8mcg 14 - 18, 2.4mcg 19 - 30, 2.4mcg 31 - 50, 2.4mcg 51 - 70, 2.4mcg > 70, 2.4mcg 9 - 13, 1.8mcg 14 - 18, 2.4mcg 19 - 30, 2.4mcg 31 - 50, 2.4mcg 51 - 70, 2.4mcg > 70, 2.4mcg
If supplementing, take a B-complex vitamin with B12 in liquid, capsule, or sublingual form.
Some people require B12 injections to correct deficiencies. However, an editorial in the January 2, 1991 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association debates this point. See your naturopath or other health practitioner for more information.
Contraindications / Precautions / Warnings
There are no reported cases of vitamin B12 toxicity.
Vitamin B12 is involved in the same chemical processes as folic acid and also activates this vitamin. As such, a B12 deficiency often results in a folic acid deficiency. A high intake of B12 may mask a folic acid deficiency and vice versa.
High levels of B12 supplementation may cause acne. This situation occurs more frequently in women.
Ailment / Situation Listing
