Vitamin B12

Vitamin b12 also called cyanocobalamin is a vitamin in the vitamin b group. It is just like all the other b vitamins water soluble. Its name was derived from the fact that vitamin b 12 contains cobalt. Vitamin b12 benefits for the body include synthesis of DNA and production of red bloods cells. These tasks are a combined effort of folic acid and vitamin b12. Vitamin b12 also plays an important role in maintaining the normal functioning of the brain and nervous system. In children vitamin b12 is responsible for growth and development and any vitamin b12 deficienciy in children can therefore stunt there growthand development. The b12 vitamin is a very slow soluble vitamin and therefore it is hard for the body to transfer vitamin b12 into the blood stream. In contrast to most other water soluble vitamins it can be stored in the fatty tissue of the liver.

Natural food sources for vitmain b12 include meats, eggs and dairy products. Reasearch shows that some plants also contain a form of vitamin b12. This vitamin b12 found in plants is not readily available to the human body since it cannot be transformed by the intestinal tract. As with so many other vitamins vitmain b12 also exists as a supplement in different shapes and forms. Vitamin b12 injections, vitmain b12 pills, vitamin b12 liquid and even a vitamin b12 patch are available for the consumer.

Vitamin b12 deficiency symptons are of several different forms and a severe deficiency can have serious repocussions. Cobalamin deficiency can cause pernicious anema, cognitive problems and memory loss. Other symptoms of vitamin b12 deficiency include shortness of breath, severe fatigue, sore tongue, nausea loss of appetite, weight loss, confusion, poor memory, dementia, depression and headaches. Vitamin b12 deficiency is more often found in old people, since their body is no longer efficient enough to transfer the proper amount needed. In very rare cases a severe b12 deficiency can lead to paralysis. Another result of longtime vitamin b12 deficiency can be an enlarged spleen and liver.

The problem in discovering B12 deficienies in elderly pople lies in its similarity with diseseases like dementia and Alzheimer's. A recommended treatment for elderly people and often widely used by doctors is the vitamin b12 shot. Vitamin b12 shots are then given on a monthly bases to keep replenishing the vitamin. The vitamin b12 injections dosage depends on the age of the person to not induce an overdose of vitmin b12 in the patients body. For people that do absolutely not feel like getting a vitamin b12 injection technology has invented the vitamin b12 patch. With the vitamin b12 patch, a small patch gets applied to the skin once per week for up to 24 hours.

Vitamin B12 is considered safe and non-toxic. No toxic or adverse effects have been associated with large intakes of vitamin B12 from food or supplements in healthy people. But if taken in the form of cyanocobalamin and overdosed over long periods of time it can lead to cyanide poisoning as well as impaired vision.