Health Benefits of Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is an essential nutrient that helps the body create DNA, nourishes the brain and nervous system, and assists with the formation of healthy red blood cells. The nutrient occurs naturally in meat, fish, and dairy products, and can be created in a laboratory.

Health Benefits

Depression Prevention and Treatment: Vitamin B12 plays a role in serotonin production, so a deficiency may be connected with clinical depression. In addition, high levels of vitamin B12 have been associated with better chances of recovery from major depressive disorder.

Reduced Risk of Macular Degeneration: Supplementing with vitamin B12 is believed to lower homocysteine in the bloodstream, which may help prevent age-related macular degeneration, an eye disease that can cause blindness in older adults.

Pregnancy Health: If a woman has a vitamin B12 deficiency in the early stages of pregnancy, her child is at an increased risk of neural tube birth defects and low birthweight. Mothers with low B12 levels are also more likely to miscarry or give birth prematurely. Women with low levels of vitamin B12 are three times more likely to have a child with birth defects.

Brain Health: Vitamin B12 is an essential nutrient for the neurons in the brain. Brain atrophy, which refers to the loss of neurons in the brain, is associated with memory loss and dementia.

Heart and blood vessel disease. Researchers had previously believed that vitamin B-12, when combined with folic acid (vitamin B-9) and vitamin B-6, might prevent diseases of the heart and blood vessels by reducing the levels of an amino acid in the blood (homocysteine). However, studies show that the combination of these vitamins doesn’t seem to reduce the risk or severity of cardiovascular disease and stroke.

Prevent Anemia : Vitamin B12 is involved in red blood cell formation. When vitamin B12 levels are too low, the production of red blood cells is altered, causing megaloblastic anemia.

Vitamin B12 may play a vital role in your bone health. Low blood levels of this vitamin have been associated with an increased risk of osteoporosis.

Maintaining adequate levels of vitamin B12 decreases homocysteine levels in your blood. This may help prevent the development of age-related macular degeneration.

Vitamin B12 is involved in energy production in your body. Taking a supplement may improve your energy level, but only if you’re deficient in this vitamin.

Healthy vitamin B12 levels are important for your hair, skin and nails. However, taking a supplement probably won’t improve your health in these areas if your levels are already sufficient.