Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Are you getting enough vitamin B12? Many people don’t, and that deficiency can cause some serious problems. Vitamin B12 does a lot of things for your body. It helps make your DNA and your red blood cells, for example.
Since your body doesn't make vitamin B12, you'll need to get it from animal-based foods or from supplements, and it needs to be consumed on a regular basis.  Exactly how much you need and where you should get it from depends on things like your age, the diet you follow, your medical conditions, and in some cases what medications you take.

 Vitamin B12

Causes of Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Vitamin B12 deficiency can happen if you have certain conditions, such as:
  • Atrophic gastritis, in which your stomach lining has thinned
  • Pernicious anemia, which makes it hard for your body to absorb vitamin B12
  • Surgery that removed part of your stomach or small intestine, including weight loss surgery
  • Conditions affecting the small intestine, such as Crohn's disease, celiac disease, bacterial growth, or a parasite
  • Heavy drinking
  • Immune system disorders, such as Graves' disease or lupus
  • Long-term use of acid-reducing drugs. Stomach acids help break down animal proteins that have vitamin B12.
You can also get vitamin B12 deficiency if you're a vegan (meaning you don't eat any animal products, including meat, milk, cheese, and eggs) or a vegetarian who doesn't eat enough eggs or dairy products to meet your vitamin B12 needs.

Babies born to mothers who are vegetarians may also not get enough vitamin B12. Vegans can take supplements containing vitamin B12 or eat vitamin B12-fortified grains.
The risk of B12 deficiency also increases with age.

Mild B12 Deficiency

Homocysteine is a by-product of protein metabolism. Elevated homocysteine levels are linked with increased risks of heart disease and stroke. From 1999 to 2003, there were many studies comparing the homocysteine levels of vegans and vegetarians who do not supplement their diet with vitamin B12 to those of non-vegetarians (more info). In every study, the vegans or vegetarians had higher homocysteine levels than the meat-eaters and in the range associated with heart disease and stroke.

In contrast, one study compared vegans who supplemented with vitamin B12 (an average of 5.6 mcg/day) and their homocysteine levels were well within the healthy range.
If you have been a typical meat eater for most of your life, your body should have stored enough B12 to prevent overt deficiency for a number of years. However, B12 stores cannot be relied on to keep homocysteine levels in check for very long

"Best product for baby's, vitamin B12 from FAST ESCROW REFILLS."

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