Vitamin B 12 is also known as cobalamin. It is a water-soluble vitamin that is needed for the proper functioning of the brain, the central nervous system and development of nerve cells, and the formation of red blood cells and DNA synthesis. Vitamin B12 depends on a special protein called Intrinsic Factor to transport from GI tract to the rest of the body.
Signs & Symptoms of Deficiencies:
- Premature aging.
- Neurological disorders.
- Vascular disorders.
- Children with learning disabilities.
- Female and male infertility.
- Compromised immune function.
Deficiencies in vitamin B12 originate from a condition called pernicious anemia, inflammation of the intestinal lining, Crohn’s disease, Graves’ disease, an infection of the stomach, a decrease or lack of stomach acids, a strict vegetarian diet, or long term alcohol consumption. Vitamin B12 is unique in its in origins in that it is the only vitamin we cannot obtain from a plant or sunlight. It is produced in an animal’s gut. Plants do not need vitamin B12 so they do not store it. There is not one plant that is capable of constructing vitamin B12; therefore, the amount of B12 in the plant food depends on the interaction of the plant with the soil and microorganisms on the root level. Watch out for foods that say they contain B12 because usually they are cheap copy cats that are not exactly the same thing.
Get your vitamin B12:
- Beef liver
- Oysters
- Fish
- Eggs
- Lamb
- Mussels
- Clams
- Supplementation (especially if your diet is mostly vegetarian).