What is vitamin B12 and should you be supplementing it?

Suffering with tiredness and brain fog? You might be deficient in B12

Vitamin B12 plays a vital role in supporting key body functions (The Independent / iStock)

As we enter the colder and darker months, it’s common to feel more tired and sluggish, especially if you suffer with the symptoms of SAD. At this time of year, it’s more important than ever to make sure your body isn’t deficient in any vitamins linked to your energy levels. Deficiency can make symptoms like tiredness and low mood worse, especially when it comes to essential nutrients like B12.

B12 isn’t stored by the body, so it’s something you need to ensure you’re getting enough of every single day. Found in meat, fish, poultry, eggs and dairy products, it’s not too hard to consume the daily recommended amount of 2.4mg if you’re an omnivore – one tin of tuna provides more than your daily needs and two boiled eggs gives you 50 per cent of your daily B12 target.

But if you don’t get enough B12, symptoms can include extreme tiredness, pins and needles and nausea. Vegetarians and those following a plant-based diet might find it much harder to get the recommended daily amount of B12, and this can mean you’ll feel much worse during winter months. But B12 deficiency can also be a concern for children and elderly people, making it hard to focus, impacting growth and muscle development and affecting memory and cognition too.

Read on to find out more about the role of Vitamin B12 in the body and why a supplement might be useful for certain people.

What is vitamin B12?

Vitamin B12 is involved in the metabolism of every cell in the body, particularly DNA synthesis and fatty acid and amino acid metabolism.

One of the key benefits of B12 is its impact on energy levels. It helps convert carbohydrates into glucose, which the body uses as energy. Low levels of B12 can lead to reduced energy production, causing fatigue and weakness. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that vitamin B12 deficiency can result in significant fatigue and cognitive impairment.

B12 deficiency can also lead to anemia, a condition where the body doesn’t have enough healthy red blood cells to carry adequate oxygen to tissues, resulting in tiredness and weakness. A review in Nutrients highlighted that vitamin B12 supplementation can alleviate symptoms of fatigue in individuals that are deficient.

Moreover, B12 is essential for neurological health. Deficiency can cause neurological symptoms such as numbness, tingling, and even mood disturbances like depression and memory problems. This can be worsened during winter months when we’re less likely to get the Vitamin D we need from sun exposure and issues like seasonal affective disorder become more prevalent.

Who is at high risk of vitamin B12 deficiency?

Since vitamin B12 is primarily found in animal products like meat, dairy, and eggs, individuals who follow a strict vegetarian or vegan diet may not get enough from their daily meals alone. Fortified foods and supplements are often necessary to top up the body’s stores of B12 so that you have enough energy to go about your day.

A supplement can be even more useful if you’re someone who uses a lot of energy. There are plenty of vegan bodybuilders out there, however, people who train hard or are particularly athletic when following a plant-based diet often supplement vital nutrients like B12 to ensure their muscles can grow and recover adequately and they have enough energy to train.

Vitamin B12 also helps regulate reproductive hormones, so a deficiency can lead to irregular menstrual cycles or even amenorrhea – the absence of a period. Some studies also suggest that heavy periods can affect B12 levels and many people who struggle with menstrual cramps and heavy periods also experience anemia. Taking a supplement to support your health throughout your cycle, regulate periods and top up nutrient stores could help you to feel better if you struggle with menstrual health issues.

There is also evidence that the elderly could benefit from B12 supplementation. As people age, their ability to absorb Vitamin B12 decreases due to reduced stomach acid production, which is necessary to separate B12 from food. Taking a supplement can ensure that more B12 reaches the body alongside the levels provided from your diet that might not be absorbed as effectively.

The Vitamin B12 supplements to buy

Myvitamins B12 supplement, 60 capsules: £3.05, Myprotein.com

(Myprotein)

Each of these Myvitamins B12 capsules contains 1000µg of vitamin B12, providing a potent dose to support energy levels and overall health. With just one capsule a day, these capsules provide an easy and effective way to maintain optimal levels in groups most at risk of a deficiency, including vegetarians, vegans, and older adults who may struggle to get adequate B12 from their diet alone.

This particular supplement contains vitamin B12 from cyanocobalamin which is easily absorbed by the body. Once ingested, cyanocobalamin is converted into active forms of B12—methylcobalamin and adenosylcobalamin—that the body can use for essential functions, such as red blood cell production and maintaining healthy nerve cells. Several studies have proved that cyanocobalamin is effective in raising B12 levels in people with a deficiency.

At £3.05 for 60 servings, this is a low cost way to prevent unpleasant side effects from a vitamin B12 deficiency and avoid symptoms such as tiredness, weakness and cognitive impairment, especially during the months where these symptoms might hit you harder.

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