What Is Vitamin B12 Taken For?

We all know what vitamins C and D are for, for example, but... what about the others? What is vitamin B12 taken for? We explain it in today’s post.

What is vitamin B12?

Vitamin B12 is found in foods of animal origin and in certain foods fortified with added vitamin B12, so to obtain the recommended amounts you need to eat a varied diet including foods such as:

• Beef liver and clams.
• Fish, meat, poultry, eggs, milk and other dairy products.
• Certain breakfast cereals, nutritional yeasts and other fortified food products.

What is vitamin B12 for?

Vitamin B12 is a nutrient that helps maintain the health of nerve cells and blood. It also contributes to the formation of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), the genetic material present in all cells.

It also helps prevent megaloblastic anaemia, a blood disorder that causes tiredness and weakness.

It is very important when it comes to metabolising proteins, like the rest of the B-complex vitamins. In this way, it helps maintain the central nervous system as well as the formation of red blood cells.

Benefits of vitamin B12

Among the many advantages and benefits this vitamin offers, we can highlight the following:

• Improves the texture of the skin, nails and hair. This is because it contributes to the regeneration of cells in the dermis and epidermis.
• Improves the functioning of the immune system. It boosts the body’s defences against virulent agents and bacterial microorganisms, thanks to the increased presence of folic acid in the body.
• Regenerates muscles. Its positive influence on them is due to its contribution in converting fatty acids into energy.
• Prevents anaemia. Not only because it is involved in the formation of red blood cells, but also because it helps synthesise the haemoglobin contained in the blood.
• Helps prevent fatigue. Its role is essential in transforming carbohydrates into glucose, an activity that produces energy to keep the body full of vitality and strength.

How is vitamin B12 taken?

Vitamin B12 should be taken through supplements whenever there is a nutritional deficiency. Although it is not very common, there are people who either have difficulty absorbing this vitamin or do not find it in the foods they eat:

• Older adults, who do not have enough hydrochloric acid in the stomach to absorb the vitamin B12 naturally present in food. What happens? People over 50 must obtain most of their vitamin B12 from fortified foods or dietary supplements.
• People who suffer from pernicious anaemia, whose body does not produce the intrinsic factor needed to absorb vitamin B12, who receive medical treatment through injections of this vitamin.
• Those who have undergone gastrointestinal surgery or suffer from digestive disorders that can reduce the amount of vitamin B12 the body is able to absorb.
• Vegans who follow a strictly plant-based diet and do not consume eggs or dairy products may require supplements of this vitamin. In addition, when pregnant or breastfeeding women are vegetarian or vegan, their children may also not consume enough vitamin B12.

Where to buy vitamin B12?

Fortunately, both in physical pharmacies and in online pharmacies, you can buy vitamin B12 without a medical prescription.

Thanks to the different food supplements that include this vitamin in their composition, they can help us face the day with more strength and vitality, especially during those times when we need an extra boost of energy.

Among the different supplements with vitamin B12 that can be found on the market, we highlight the following:

Solgar Methylcobalamin

These are supplements in chewable tablet format with a high amount of vitamin B12, indicated for situations in which an extra effort is required from the body, as it helps reduce tiredness, release energy and increase vitality.

But... how is this vitamin B12 taken? It is very simple: just place it under the tongue and it dissolves quickly and easily. If you want more information about Solgar Methylcobalamin with vitamin B12 tablets, click here.

Botanicapharma Vitamin B12 tablets

This food supplement in tablet format provides the nutrients of vitamin B12 or Cyanocobalamin. In this case, it is also very effective against anaemia and megaloblastic anaemia.

In addition to activating the body, the Botanicapharma B12 tablets act on memory, improving it and eliminating depressive symptoms or tiredness. Everything you need to know about Botanicapharma vitamin B12 by clicking here.

Contraindications

As with any other nutrient, a deficiency or excess of vitamin B12 in the body can lead to different health problems:

Vitamin B12 deficiency

Vitamin B12 deficiency can, in certain cases, lead to muscular sensitivity, tingling, tiredness, weakness, memory loss and, in extreme cases, neurological damage and megaloblastic anaemia.

Among the symptoms produced by the lack of vitamin B12 we find dizziness, weight loss, weakness when walking, abnormal heartbeat (tachycardia).

Excess of vitamin B12

Having high vitamin B12 can also cause health problems, such as the following:

• Fatigue or weakness
• Headache
• Diarrhoea
• Nausea and vomiting
• Tingling sensation in hands and feet

What is the relationship between vitamin B12 and alcohol?

On social media we often come across questions such as: does vitamin B12 work for a hangover?, is there any kind of relationship between vitamin B12 and alcohol?, can I take vitamin B12 before going out partying?, etc.

Well, indeed, vitamin B12 and alcohol have a direct relationship, since alcohol consumption causes our body to suffer a vitamin B12 deficiency.

But it is not the only B-group vitamin where a deficiency is suffered. We would also have to add others such as B1 or B6. Normally, when a person suffers alcohol intoxication, one of the first actions is to provide these B-complex vitamins intravenously to the patient, which may be why vitamin B12 is effective against hangovers.

In conclusion, we can state that vitamin B12 can help reduce the symptoms caused by a hangover, but it will not make the symptoms of discomfort disappear completely.

Vitamin B12 and B6: how do they differ?

Both are vitamins known as the B-complex, but independently, each of them provides different benefits to our body.

In the case of vitamin B6, its main function is to produce antibodies in the body to help fight infections or transport oxygen. All of this helps muscle capacity to increase and people can carry out activities with more energy.

By contrast, vitamin B12 is responsible for the correct functioning of the nervous system. Its main function is the correct use of proteins and the formation of red blood cells.

Benadon: medicine with vitamin B6

An example of a food supplement with vitamin B6 is Benadon. It is a medicine indicated for the treatment of vitamin B6 deficiency, a water-soluble vitamin that plays an important role in the synthesis of the body’s natural defences, haemoglobin production and in most metabolic processes of the body.

The recommended dose and method of use are:

• Adults and adolescents from the age of 14 can take half a tablet a day, although it should not be taken for more than two weeks.
• In addition, the product may cause drowsiness, so its use should be avoided if you have to drive.
• Patients with renal or hepatic insufficiency should not take this medicine.
• It should be taken with plenty of water and with food, if desired.

Would you like more information about Benadon tablets? Click here.