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.