The body needs many different kinds of nutrients to make sure that you’re always healthy. One of which is vitamin B12, also known as cobalamin. Vitamin B12 is commonly found in animal products such as fish, meat, cheese, and milk. Sometimes, food manufacturers add it to their products to increase the amount of B12 your body can get. Here are some of the benefits you’ll get from vitamin B12:
Prevent Imbalanced Motor Skills
Have you ever experienced tingling or numbness on your legs? Most of the time, you’ll brush it off, but if the lack of vitamin B12 is causing it, then it might be a cause for concern. Tingling or numbness can be a sign of nerve damage.
Vitamin B12 is essential to keep your nerves healthy. If you feel those pins and needles on your feet and legs, it could mean that you have a vitamin B12 deficiency. If you don’t get the nutrients that you need, it could further damage your nerves, which could make it difficult for you to walk.
Better Heart Health
Homocysteine is a compound linked to heart disease. The homocysteine protein can damage the arterial walls by building up in the blood. When the amount gets too high, then it could lead to a heart attack and other heart diseases.
Vitamin B12, along with other B-vitamins can help reduce the production of the harmful protein. So, taking in vitamin B12 may help reduce the likelihood of overproduction of homocysteine which then reduces its chances of causing heart diseases.
Improve Mood
Serotonin is a chemical that helps regulate your mood. It helps with feelings of being happy and well. The lack of serotonin can dampen your mood which could then lead to depression.
Vitamin B12 synthesizes and metabolizes serotonin. If you have vitamin B12 deficiency, then it could mean that there’s also a decrease in the production of the chemical that helps keep you happy.
Boost Energy
You have megaloblastic anemia if there’s DNA inhibition during red blood cell production. This type of anemia can cause you to feel weak and tired. So, if you feel so sluggish even if you didn’t do anything strenuous, megaloblastic anemia might be the cause of it.
Vitamin B12 helps boost your energy by reducing your risk of having megaloblastic anemia. The vitamin helps in red blood cell production. However, your body can’t store it because it’s water-soluble, so you need the recommended intake to prevent your energy levels from dropping.
Better Eye Health
As mentioned, vitamin B12 can help reduce the likelihood of nerve damage. It can also help keep your eyes healthy because it keeps the optic nerves connected to your eyes healthy.
Another way vitamin B12 helps your eyes is by reducing the amount of homocysteine in your blood. The compound also contributes to age-related macular degeneration. Since vitamin B12 reduces the production of the harmful compound, it also decreases the chances of eye damage.
May Reduce Risk Of Dementia
Another unfortunate effect of homocysteine on the human body is dementia. People who grow old with high amounts of the chemical in their blood, have a high risk of developing dementia.
Vitamin B12 deficiency can increase your risk of having dementia because you may not have the nutrients you need to reduce the factor that causes it.
Keep Your Baby Healthy During Pregnancy
Pregnant women have special dietary needs because they’re carrying a developing human being inside their bodies. Vitamin B12 is one of the essential things an expecting mother should sufficiently have.
Vitamin B12 is crucial for the baby’s brain and nervous system development. The vitamin is also vital for the mothers, so they’re not at high risk of having a miscarriage or premature birth. Since there’ll be diet restrictions, the mother may need to take supplements to make sure she gets the right amount of vitamin B12.
Improve Skin Tone
Everybody wants to have a healthy complexion, but if you have a vitamin B12 deficiency, then it may be hard to achieve that. Your skin may look pale or have a light yellow tinge which makes you look like you have jaundice.
If there are any problems in your red blood cell production, your skin tone may look sickly. Cells that are too big will cause paleness because they won’t be able to travel smoothly in your body. If it easily breaks, it’ll give you an orange or yellowish tint because of an increase in bilirubin.
Final Thoughts
Your body needs to have a balance of all things good to even out or fight the bad. You need the right vitamins and minerals to keep your body in a healthy state. Vitamin B12 is one of those that you don’t want to lack because it can cause problems if you don’t have enough of it. So make sure to eat the proper food or supplements to get your daily dose of nutrients.
