Vitamin B12 - Benefits, Deficiency Symptoms And Food Sources

Vitamin B12, is known as cyanocobalamin and Vitamin B12 is an especially important vitamin for maintaining healthy nerve cells and it aids in the production of DNA and RNA, the body's genetic material. Although vitamin B12, is not found in plant foods, good sources of this supplement include meats, fish, eggs, and dairy products. Vitamin B12 also works closely together with vitamin B9 (folate) to regulate the formation of red blood cells and to help iron function better in the body.

Functions and benefits of Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 has a number of important functions and benefits. For example it:

• It health to maintain nervous system such as brain cells
• protects nerves
• key nutrient for new growth
• It helps in the formation of red blood cells
• It is needed for building proteins in the body

Recommended Dosage for Vitamin B12

• For adults, the usual dose of Vitamin B12 is 2 mcg.
• For Pregnant women, the usual dose of Vitamin B12 is 2.2 mcg.

Food sources of Vitamin B12

• dairy products
• eggs
• fish
• meats
• muscle
• dulse
• kelp
• kombu
• nori
• soybeans
• soy products
• alfalfa
• bladderwrack
• hops

Deficiency Symptoms of Vitamin B12

• nausea
• depression
• loss of appetite
• memory loss
• sore mouth
• confusion
• loss of sensation in hands and feet
• diarrhea
• abnormal gait
• Anemia
• constipation
• depression
• dizziness
• fatigue
• intestinal disturbances
• irritability