Vitamin B12 And Your Health
Vitamin B12 is now famed for its energy-boosting effects, without the nervousness tied to caffeine. Truth is it participates in the metabolic processes of every single cell of the human body, the reason why it produces noticeable feelings of vitality when absorbed at adequate levels. Plus, you get all the benefits of an essential nutrient. Unfortunately, we do not possess a metabolic pathway that controls the synthesis of endogenous vitamin B12, neither do animals. Only bacteria have the enzymes needed to manufacture this vitamin, and there have been no mentions that plants do. The sources of this essential nutrient can be found in our foods, but limited to animal products, inasmuch as animals are host to these bacteria.
Regulates Erythrocyte Formation
Cobalamin is the chemical name of vitamin B12, and comes in many forms. Cyanocobalamin is the most widespread in supplements because it is the easiest to synthesize, and, at the same time, the human body is able to convert it into a usable form. Given that it passes the intestinal walls and enters the circulatory system, vitamin B12 is known to stimulate the activities of folic acid, or vitamin B9. In fact, deficiencies in folate have often been tied to deficiencies in cobalamin. Folate levels in the body are known to augment the production of erythrocytes, or red blood cells, and the use of cobalamin in treating patients diagnosed with pernicious anemia works in this principle. What we refer to as the energy produced by intake of vitamin B12 is due to a modulated circulation and an enhanced metabolism of fatty acids.
Vitamin B12 and Brain Function
Improves Cognitive Function
Vitamin B12 has also exhibited properties that protect nerve cells and promote brain function. While studies remain inconclusive, it is now an established fact that depleting levels of this vitamin has a correlation with decreasing neuronal activities. To top it off, new studies point to an important observation: those with low availability of vitamin B12 among the elderly who participated have shown considerable volume loss in the brain, which we refer to as brain shrinkage. Not surprisingly, there is an increased mental clarity as soon as cobalamin is converted into its active form. When metabolites of vitamin B12 reach the brain, it is postulated that they display neuroprotective activities, bringing about an energized mood.
Stabilizes Circadian Rhythm
There is very strong scientific evidence that the presence of vitamin B12 in the body has an effect on melatonin releases, thereby inducing a circadian rhythm to be responsive to outside stimuli. Anomalies in melatonin secretions do interfere with your body clock by creating feelings of tiredness or sleepiness in the day and a pronounced wakefulness at night. If this continues, not only will you be sleep-deprived, but your body will also become unresponsive the day after, bringing on symptoms of chronic stress in long periods of time. Getting your daily dose of vitamin B12 keeps melatonin at bay when you have to stay awake and regulates their release when you need to sleep at night.