Nowadays, everyone pays relatively high attention to health, and many people take their own vitamin supplements on a daily basis.
Among them, vitamin B12 is a very popular option. It is very cheap, but it has a good conditioning effect on many diseases. What are the specific options?
I. How important is vitamin B12 supplementation?
Vitamin B12 is the only B vitamin containing metal elements My country’s Dietary Guidelines recommend that adults should consume 2.4 μg of vitamin B12 daily .
This amount is very small compared to other common vitamins. But “don’t look at such a small amount, it is also indispensable for health. Lack of vitamin B12 can cause a series of adverse effects”.
In the absence of vitamin B12, it causes the normal production of red blood cells to be affected, thus appearing Dizziness, asthenia And Dyspnoea and other symptoms; and may include slow thinking, decreased judgment, and memory loss Neurological abnormalities Symptoms, severe ones can even lead to dementia; in addition, vitamin B12 deficiency can also cause abnormal increases in homocysteine levels in the body, significantly Increased risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases .
Elderly people are more likely to be deficient in vitamin B12 than younger people , because their gastrointestinal tract absorption function is poor, it is difficult to fully absorb vitamin B12 ingested from food, resulting in physical deficiency.
In particular, people with the following conditions need to pay more attention to vitamin B12 intake.
People with poor gastrointestinal function: The body’s absorption of vitamin B12 requires the participation of gastric acid and intestinal flora. People with poor gastrointestinal function will seriously affect the absorption of vitamin B12.
People who drink heavily for a long time: Drinking alcohol can have an impact on the health of the whole body, and naturally it can also affect the body’s absorption of vitamin B12.
Population taking certain medicines: Taking drugs that inhibit gastric acid secretion, metformin to treat diabetes, and other drugs will affect the normal absorption of vitamin B12. These people should pay more attention to vitamin B12 levels on a daily basis.
People with immune system diseases: Patients suffering from lupus erythematosus and Graves’ disease will directly affect the absorption of vitamin B12. Lack of vitamin B12 will further aggravate the condition, and the two will form a vicious cycle.
2. “Is vitamin B12 and methylcobalamin the same drug?”
First of all, it needs to be made clear that vitamin B12 and methylcobalamin are not the same drug.
Vitamin B12 includes cyanocobalamin, hydroxocobalamin, adenosylcobalamin, and methylcobalamin , and what we often call vitamin B12 refers to cyanocobalamin. After it enters the body orally, it absorbs blood from the small intestine, converts it into methylcobalamin and adenosylcobalamin in the cell, and finally exerts its activity to participate in various biochemical reactions of the body.
The two drugs have different focuses in treatment, vitamin B12 injection is mainly used for subacute combined lesion neurological lesions such as adjuvant treatment of neuritis, megaloblastic anemia caused by internal factor deficiency, and methylcobalamin injection is used for peripheral neuropathy, megaloblastic anemia caused by vitamin B12 deficiency. Methylcobalamin tablets are indicated for peripheral neuropathy.
Compared with vitamin B12, methylcobalamin is more likely to enter into nerve cells to promote neuronal nucleic acid and protein synthesis, and it is more recommended to use methylcobalamin to treat peripheral neuropathy. For example, “If it is used to treat megaloblastic anemia caused by vitamin B12 deficiency, the two effects are equivalent and can replace each other”.
3. Supplement vitamin B12, or improve the four major health problems of the elderly
The elderly in particular need to pay attention to the problem of vitamin B12 deficiency, which, through supplementation, can reduce the risk of several diseases.
1. Reduce the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases
Rising homocysteine levels can have toxic effects on vascular health, causing vascular endothelial damage and increasing the risk of thrombosis, which is directly related to the occurrence of various cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. And “supplementing vitamin B12 can reduce levels and reduce the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases”.
2. Reduce the risk of dementia
Vitamin B12 is also important for brain function, and can even induce dementia once it is lacking in the body, leading to a decline in cognitive function. Because “vitamin B12 deficiency can easily lead to an increase in homocysteine levels, it is also one of the main risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease and the occurrence of dementia”.
3. Prevent nerve damage
Vitamin B12 can be involved in the synthesis and repair of the neuromyelin sheath, and the substance is a protective layer on the outside of the nerve fibers, and whether it is intact or not is very important for nerve signaling. Once the body is deficient in vitamin B12, it causes the integrity of the myelin sheath to be destroyed, increasing the incidence of neuropathy, manifested by numbness, tingling, paresthesia, etc. in the limbs.
4. Relieve fatigue and regulate mood
The energy metabolism of cells is also inseparable from the participation of vitamin B12. The lack of vitamin B12 in the body will lead to a decrease in the body’s nutritional conversion rate into food, which can easily cause the body to continue to fatigue. Moreover, “vitamin B12 is also involved in the synthesis process of amino acids, which will affect the secretion and production of neuroemotional regulatory transmitters such as serotonin and dopamine. When lacking, it can easily make people depressed and increase the risk of depression”.
As mentioned above, the recommended daily intake of vitamin B12 for adults is 2.4 μg By eating more lean meat, dairy products and foods rich in vitamin B12 such as shellfish on a daily basis, you can fully meet your physical needs.
Some people with gastrointestinal digestive problems may need additional supplements to meet their physical needs, but also Pay attention to appropriate supplementation as directed by your doctor , Excessive supplementation can lead to hypokalaemia, eczema, and asthma.
Vitamin B12 is very important for health, especially the elderly must pay more attention to vitamin B12 levels, supplement it in time when deficiencies are found, and do not wait until there are physical problems before intervening.
Disclaimer: All photos used in this blog are generated by artificial intelligence (AI). These images are original creations produced by AI technology and do not depict real people, places, or events. They are provided for illustrative purposes only and cannot be claimed or used as real photographs.
Dr. Ashish Singh is not just a consultant orthopaedic surgeon but a visionary leader in the field. Serving as the Medical Director at Anup Institute of Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation in Patna, Bihar, he holds an illustrious academic background with MBBS, MS Ortho, MCh.Orth. (UK), PG Diploma CAOS (UK), and SICOT Diploma Orth. (Sweden).
