Various mental health conditions could have adverse effects on your lifestyle. Among them is depression, a condition that is associated with a lack of some vitamins. It affects people of all ages, races, socioeconomic backgrounds, and ethnicities.
BENEFITS OF VITAMIN B 12
Vitamin B12, also known as cobalamin, is an essential vitamin that your body needs but cannot produce.
1. Helps with Red Blood Cell Formation and Anemia Prevention
Vitamin B12 plays a vital role in helping your body produce red blood cells. Low vitamin B12 levels cause a reduction in red blood cell formation and prevent them from developing properly.
2. May Prevent Major Birth Defects
Adequate vitamin B12 levels are crucial to a healthy pregnancy. Studies show that a fetus’s brain and nervous system require sufficient B12 levels from the mother to develop properly. Vitamin B12 deficiency in the beginning stages of pregnancy may increase the risk of birth defects, such as neural tube defects.
3. Improves Mood and Symptoms of Depression
Vitamin B12 plays a vital role in synthesizing and metabolizing serotonin, a chemical responsible for regulating mood. Therefore, vitamin B12 deficiency may lead to decreased serotonin production, which may cause a depressed mood.
4. May Benefit Your Brain by Preventing the Loss of Neurons
Vitamin B12 deficiency has been associated with memory loss, especially in older adults. The vitamin may play a role in preventing brain atrophy, which is the loss of neurons in the brain and is often associated with memory loss or dementia.
5. Energy Booster
Vitamin B12 supplements have long been touted as the go-to product for a surge of energy. All B vitamins play an important role in your body’s energy production.
6. Improves Heart Health by Decreasing Homocysteine
High blood levels of the common amino acid homocysteine have been linked to an increased risk of heart disease. If you’re significantly deficient in vitamin B12, your homocysteine levels become elevated.
7. Supports Healthy Hair, Skin, and Nails
Given vitamin B12’s role in cell production, adequate levels of this vitamin are needed to promote healthy hair, skin, and nails. In fact, low vitamin B12 levels can cause various dermatologic symptoms, including hyperpigmentation, nail discolouration, hair changes, and angular stomatitis.
SOURCES OF VITAMIN B-12
Good dietary sources of vitamin B-12 include:
- Beef
- Pork
- Ham
- Poultry
- Lamb
- Fish, especially haddock and tuna
- Dairy products, such as milk, cheese, and yogurt
- Some nutritional yeast products
- Eggs
