Vitamin B12, commonly found in vitamin supplements and some animal products, is vital to your body’s primary functions. The vitamin is also called cobalamin, and it primarily helps your central nervous system function and has many roles related to your red blood cells. Notably, despite your body needing it for optimal health, you can’t produce vitamin B12 on your own.
Today we’re looking at some of the biggest ways vitamin B12 impacts your health. You may be surprised at how wide-ranging the effects of B12 are on your body. The vitamin plays critical roles in many of your body’s systems, helping to regulate things from blood cell production to serotonin synthesis. Doctors recommend that the average adult get 2.4 mcg of vitamin B12 per day, meaning you might need to get a B12 supplement to stay healthy.
Vitamin B12
Macular Degeneration
Macular degeneration is a disease of the eye that can be more likely to occur in people with low amounts of vitamin B12. Macular degeneration primarily affects your central vision and is typically related to aging. The presence of homocysteine, a type of amino acid, in the bloodstream can lead to a higher risk of developing macular degeneration. This amino acid can be lowered with proper amounts of vitamin B12, however.
Macular degeneration is a disease which older persons are at a higher risk for. This disease can cause lessened clarity of vision, more eye fatigue and other negative muscular effects. This makes B12 an important supplement for those worried about their ongoing eye health as well as their muscular health.
Anemia
People who get the proper amount of vitamin B12, which is around 2.4 mcg per day, are at a lower risk for developing anemia. That’s because the vitamin is an important factor in creating healthy red blood cells. Small, round red blood cells are healthy, and in the absence of B12, blood cells develop larger and more oval shapes, making them less effective at carrying oxygen throughout your body.
If you develop anemia, it means that your blood cells aren’t able to carry enough oxygen to your organs and muscles. This results in symptoms like fatigue, weakness, drowsiness and lethargy. As such, it’s important that you get the right amount of B12 in your diet to maintain good blood vessel health.
Bone Health
People familiar with the body’s various systems will find it unsurprising that, since B12 plays a role in blood cell production, it also plays a role in healthy bones. Bones play a major role in the production of blood cells, as well as giving support and protection to your organs.
People with B12 deficiencies tend to have lower bone density and less strength present in their bones. Low mineral density means that bones are weaker and can be broken more easily. Your bones are vital for more than just giving shape to your body, however, as their health is directly tied to diseases like osteoporosis.
Depression
There have been numerous studies that have linked depression and the lack of the right vitamins in one’s diet. Vitamin B12 is no different in this case. That’s because vitamin B12 plays a major role in helping the body to process serotonin, the chemical that produces calm and positive emotions.
Likewise, a lack of vitamin B12 makes it so your body produces less serotonin. Unsurprisingly, this means that a lack of the right amounts of vitamin B12 can lead to significantly worse symptoms of depression. Studies have shown that patients with depression responded more positively to regiments that included both antidepressants and B12 supplements than patients who got only antidepressants.