Vitamin B12: The Energy Vitamin

Vitamin B12: The Energy Vitamin





Vitamin B12, also known as cyanocobamin, cobolamin, or energy vitamin

is often partnered by medical technologists with popular minerals like

iron, and the resulting concoction sold as an energy supplement geared

towards the gym workout lovers. Surprisingly, the body only needs

small amounts of Vitamin B12 for peak performance, as you will see later

in the RDA for this vitamin.





Primarily, Vitamin B12 is needed by the human body to manufacture red

blood cells. The more red blood cells and the more active these little

wonders are, the more energetic your body feels and the bigger your

appetite.



Growing boys and girls thus need Vitamin B12, gym lovers, and add to

the bunch older people who need an energy boost and help with

reversing mental deterioration. And, like the rest of the vitamins in the B

complex family, this vitamin facilitates fat, protein and carbohydrates

metabolism.



Vitamin B12 Deficiency



Do you hear your ears ringing at times? Do you develop frequent mouth

and tongue sores? Are you often tripping and falling? These symptoms

might point to a Vitamin B 12 deficiency.



There’s a fatty sheath of tissue, which insulates your nerves, and lack

of Vitamin B12 diminishes that sheath—picture an electric cord without

any or worn out plastic insulation. That’s how your nerves look inside

when B12 is absent. In fact, research shows that extreme B12

deficiency can trigger the onset of Alzheimer’s disease!





The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) is 3 mcg a day for both

sexes. An overdose usually results in skin problems. Vitamin B12 is not

found in vegetables and fruits so vegetarians will definitely miss this

vitamin in their diet. It is available in liver, organ meat, muscle meat,

shellfish, eggs, cheese, and fish.