Vitamin B12 is essential for good health. Some of the potential benefits of vitamin B12 include improved blood pressure, cholesterol levels and cardiovascular health; reduced stress; and healthier skin and fingernails. Vitamin B12 also is important for maintaining a healthy immune system and central nervous system. It is required by the body for a number of metabolic processes, one of the most important of which is the rapid DNA synthesis that occurs during cell division. This vitamin therefore is particularly important in maintaining healthy red blood cells and white blood cells, because these cell types divide rapidly.
In addition to the known health benefits of vitamin B12, there are many health benefits that are suspected, rather than conclusively proven. For example, vitamin B12 deficiency has been linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease and cardiovascular disease, or a worsening of the symptoms of these diseases. This link has been theorized because of studies that have noted that many people with these diseases are deficient in vitamin B12. Ensuring an adequate intake of vitamin B12 might therefore help reduce the risk of these diseases occurring or might reduce the severity of symptoms.
These unproven benefits of vitamin B12 have been linked to the relationship between B12 and an amino acid called homocysteine. An increased blood level of homocysteine is a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and vitamin B12 plays an essential role in homocysteine metabolism. When vitamin B12 is deficient, homocysteine levels increase because metabolism of this amino acid is reduced. It is believed that a similar mechanism might be responsible for the link between Alzheimer’s disease and vitamin B12 deficiency.
There are many health benefits of vitamin B12, but there also are potentially serious consequences that can result from a deficiency in this essential vitamin. A deficiency in vitamin B12 can lead to a condition called megaloblastic anemia, in which red blood cells are of abnormal size and are dysfunctional. This leads to fatigue, weakness, breathing difficulty and reduced concentration. Other symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency can include muscle weakness and spasticity, incontinence, low blood pressure, vision disturbances, mood changes and even psychosis.
The benefits of vitamin B12 can be gained by ensuring that this vitamin is consumed regularly as part of a balanced diet. The richest sources of vitamin B12 are meat, dairy products and eggs. Some plants do contain stores of this vitamin, but it is not in a form that can be used by the human body. People who follow a vegan diet, which entirely excludes animal products, often find it difficult to gain an adequate supply of vitamin B12. They must therefore increase their intake by consuming fortified foods or supplements.
