Vitamin B-12 is essential to the very foundation of life itself – it’s one of the building blocks your body uses to produce DNA, and is therefore essential for cell growth and replication, especially in the central nervous system. It is crucial to energy production in our cells mitochondria, the energy our muscles, brain and immune system need to function. But it also helps trigger the release of melatonin to help us sleep at night. It works in conjunction with folate from vegetables to maintain communication between brain cells. Together these control the stress hormone homocysteine to reduce risk for both depression and dementia, prevent pernicious anemia and protect the heart.
Signs of a B-12 deficiency include:
| Low energy and weakness | Memory problems |
| Confusion or “fuzziness” | Irritability and mood swings |
| Persistent sleep problems | Dizziness or lightheadedness |
| Digestive problems | Weak immunity |
| Hearing and vision loss | Tingling in the extremities |
Vitamin B-12 comes primarily from animal products – eggs, milk, meat etc. It does not come from vegetables. Therefore, vegetarian must be careful to make sure they obtain enough of this vital nutrient to meet their biological needs. It can also be created in our gut, if we have enough of the right acids and bacteria. However, as we age we tend to lose the acids and bacteria our stomach needs to extract B-12 from meat or create B-12 in our gut. Moreover, anyone who takes any type of antacid, like Prilosec or Zantac® is vulnerable to low B-12, as these reduce the acids needs for B-12 absorption.
If you feel you may be low in B-12, there is a test you can request from your doctor to check B-12 levels in your blood. It cost’s about $35. Or you can simply go to any health food store and buy a sublingual B-12 (preferably methylcobalamine) that you simply dissolve in your mouth. Just put 1 or 2 of those under your tongue each day for a couple of weeks. If you notice an improvement in your energy, mood or memory you were likely low. If not, that may not be an issue. That little experiment should not cost more than $10. In fact you can obtain a 30-60 day trial supply on our new supplement support site (click here) for less than $8.
For an extra quick boost there are also B-12 shots available at almost any health clinic. Those are not expensive either. Shots can then be followed by B-12 dots (sublinguals) to maintain optimal levels. All of the brain formulas my clients use also contain B-12 plus folate (or SAMe which these create) as well as other brain healthy nutrients. (Go here and arrow down to Perceptiv)
If you would like to attend a class on how to maintain a healthy brain and live in Utah click here for Upcoming Events or Contact Us to schedule one.
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