Our body needs a healthy dose of daily vitamins and minerals for various purposes, such as boosting the immune system, supporting normal growth of the body, and helping the body with its various functions.
Among the multiple vitamins needed by the body, an essential component is Vitamin B12 or Cobalamin and there are numerous benefits of vitamin b12.
This vital nutrient plays a significant part in nourishing the brain and nervous system. It also helps in forming healthy red blood cells.
A lack of Vitamin B12 can make you susceptible to several diseases and ill-health and keep you feeling weak and tired throughout the day.
Below we will discuss the various benefits of Vitamin B12 for our body and how a healthy dose of it maintains our general well-being.
The Benefits Of Vitamin B12 Are:
Boosts Brain Health:
Our body needs vitamin B12 for the normal functioning of the brain and nervous system. Vitamin B12 is necessary for the neurons in the brain.
The loss of neurons in the brain, commonly known as Brain Atrophy, is associated with memory loss and dementia.
Vitamin B-12, along with other B vitamins, helps in the production of brain chemicals responsible for mood regulation and other brain functions.
Prevents Depression:
Depression is a severe medical illness that negatively influences how you feel.
One of the major benefits of Vitamin B12 is that it plays an important role in the production of Serotonin, a brain chemical responsible for our mood and behavior stabilization.
Lack of Vitamin B12 commonly causes mild to severe levels of depression as Serotonin production takes a setback.
Balanced doses of this vitamin can uplift your mood and promote recovery from depression.
Helps In The Formation Of RBCs:
RBCs, or red blood cells, are an essential part of our blood that absorbs oxygen for the body.
The body requires the benefits of Vitamin B12 to make red blood cells. A lack of vitamin B12 results in lower production of RBCs.
If our body does not have a healthy production of RBCs, it results in a medical condition called Anaemia.
Healthy vitamin B12 levels assist in red blood cell formation and promote their proper development.
Creates And Regulate DNA:
DNA in cells in our bodies carries the genetic material. DNA contains the instructions needed for a living organism to survive, develop, and reproduce.
There are a lot of benefits of Vitamin B12 and hence it is important for DNA synthesis in our bodies. It ensures a stable structure for chromosomes in the body cells.
Research has shown that a Vitamin B12 deficiency may lead to DNA damage and impair the development of DNA.
Reduces Risk Of Macular Degeneration:
AMD or Age-related macular degeneration is a severe disease of the human eye where the macula, which is a small central portion of the retina, degenerates with age.
It commonly occurs in people over 60 years of age and can even lead to severe vision loss in the affected eye.
High homocysteine levels indicate you have a vitamin deficiency and can lead to several diseases, including AMD.
Vitamin B12 supplements are known to lower homocysteine in the bloodstream, thereby reducing the risk of this eye disease in the long run.
Important For Healthy Pregnancy:
Pregnant women with low levels of Vitamin B12 are more likely to undergo miscarriage or give premature birth.
The deficiency of vitamin b12 in pregnant women causes their child to have an increased risk of low birth weight and even neural tube birth defects.
Expectant mothers are therefore given healthy doses of vitamin B12 to prevent any major birth defects.
Vitamin b12 is critically important for the prevention of brain and spinal cord birth defects in the child.
Supports Bone Health:
Bones in our body need a sufficient intake of minerals of calcium and phosphorus to stay healthy and strong.
If bones suffer from reduced mineral density, they can become fragile over time and more susceptible to even the slightest fractures.
It also increases the risk of osteoporosis. Low levels of vitamin B12 in the blood have been associated with an increased risk of osteoporosis.
Especially in women, there has been sufficient evidence from research that shows how low Vitamin B12 levels are linked to poor bone health.
So, there are a lot of benefits of vitamin b12 and it is necessary to promote bone health.
Vitamin B12 Can Give Energy Boost:
Our bodies require energy to do work and carry out the daily functions in life.
However, various illnesses and ailments in our bodies reduce our energy levels and leave us feeling drained out and fatigued.
All B vitamins contribute to the energy production in the body, although they may not assist in this process directly.
Anyone feeling low on energy levels and B12 deficient when prescribed Vitamin B supplements have reported improvement in their energy levels.
Thus, Vitamin B12 is also an energy boost provider and there are several other benefits of vitamin b12 as well.
Benefits Of Vitamin B12 For The Heart:
It is a known fact that if the common amino acid homocysteine is present in high quantities in your blood, it will intensify your chances of heart disease.
The deficiency of Vitamin B12 increases the homocysteine levels in the bloodstream, thereby putting you at risk for a heart attack.
Vitamin B12 is responsible for reducing homocysteine levels in the blood and maintaining them. So, a healthy dose of this vitamin keeps your heart health in check as well.
Responsible For Healthy Hair And Skin:
Our hair, skin, and nails are necessary organs in our body and need an adequate supply of minerals and vitamins to stay healthy.
Vitamin B12 promotes the development of new cells. Hence it is necessary for the growth of healthy skin, nails, and hair.
In fact, low vitamin B12 levels have been known to cause various diseases related to hair and skin, such as nail discoloration, hyperpigmentation, hair fall, vitiligo, etc.
Conclusion About Benefits Of Vitamin B12:
As there are amazing benefits of Vitamin B12, It is necessary to consume them for the proper and healthy functioning of our body and its vital organs.
Vitamin B12 provides a range of benefits, as discussed above, and many more.
It becomes our responsibility to maintain a healthy intake of this vitamin in our bodies through diet and supplements to keep everything balanced and in order.