What is vitamin b12? What effect? In which foods?

What role does vitamin B12 play in health?

For adults

According to Vinmec International General Hospital, Vitamin B12 helps improve concentration, supports the treatment of neurological diseases such as sciatica, wrist nerve …

Plays a key role in the treatment and prevention of pernicious anemia.

Vitamin B12 plays an important role in the formation of red blood cells, deficiency of vitamin B12 will lead to megaloblastic anemia.

Vitamin B12 also has the effect of enhancing and improving memory in the elderly, preventing brain atrophy.

For pregnant women

Vitamin B12 deficiency will reduce the use of folic acid, easily leading to neural tube defects, spina bifida in the fetus.

Supplementing with vitamin B12 helps babies in the womb less fussy. In addition, it also limits the nausea caused by morning sickness of pregnant women.

The content of vitamin B12 pregnant women should supplement each day is about 2.6 mcg.

For children

Vitamin B12 participates in the activity of the nervous system, affecting the intelligence, memory, ability to use language of children.

Especially in children, vitamin B12 deficiency easily causes children to have problems with communication, apathy or irritability. Symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency in children are relatively similar to those of autism.

The amount of vitamin B12 children need depends on their age. Children 1 to 12 years old need about 2 mcg per day, and 13 to 19 years old need about 3 mcg.

Signs of vitamin B12 deficiency in the body

Gradual Fatigue: According to Health and Life, this is the first manifestation of a vitamin B12 deficiency. No matter how much you sleep, you still feel tired and lack of vitality.

Itching and numbness of hands and feet: Vitamin B12 deficiency reduces the amount of myelin in the nerves, leading to nerve damage, causing itching and numbness in the palms and feet.

Yellow or pale, pale skin: Eyes, fingernails, and skin may turn pale yellow with vitamin B12 deficiency.

Memory impairment: As mentioned above, it can be seen that memory loss or memory impairment is a manifestation of the body’s lack of vitamin B12.

Smooth and red tongue: Half of people with vitamin B12 deficiency have this sign. The tongue is smooth, there are no papillae at the edge of the tongue, causing loss of appetite, leading to weight loss. In addition, the tongue may feel a burning sensation and pain under the tongue.

Vitamin B12 deficiency causes what disease?

According to the Health and Life newspaper, if the body is deficient in vitamin B12 at a mild level, there will be almost no symptoms and pathology. However, if it is severe and not taken in time, it can cause you to have some health problems such as:

Fatigue, frequent dizziness: When the body is deficient in vitamin B12, it will cause the body to produce fewer red blood cells needed for oxygen transport, causing anemia, weakness, fatigue, exhausted, sleepy…

Nerve damage: Vitamin B12 plays an important role in the formation of myelin, which surrounds nerve fibers and speeds up the transmission of nerve impulses, a deficiency of this substance often causes weakness and nerve damage. and symptoms of numbness in the limbs.

Other complications: Symptoms of red blood cell anemia with a large tongue, loss of tongue spines, .. are signs that the body is deficient in vitamin B12, severe anemia can also cause heart failure, dangerous to life patient network.

Vision loss: Vitamin B12 plays an important role in supporting the function of nerves as well as the nervous system. Vitamin B12 deficiency will affect the activity and function of the optic nerve, causing vision impairment.

Digestive disorders: Vitamin B12 deficiency is one of the causes of many digestive problems such as diarrhea, constipation, flatulence, etc.

Vitamin B12 is found in what foods?

The richest food source of vitamin B12 is animal liver such as beef liver, pork liver, etc. Other foods such as fish, pork, poultry also contain a lot of vitamin B12.

In addition, vitamin B12 with sufficient content, not too much, is found in foods such as eggs, cereals, seafood…

For children, if they have difficulty feeding these foods, formula milk is the best source of vitamin B12 for babies. Milk powder supplement not only vitamin B12 but also many other nutrients. Not only children, but adults should also use powdered milk!

Notes when supplementing with vitamin B12

Subjects often deficient in vitamin B12 include: the elderly, vegetarians, people with gastrointestinal inflammation , removal of part of the stomach or small intestine.

Absolutely do not supplement vitamin B12 for cancer patients, people who are allergic to vitamin B12.

Care should be taken in the processing process not to use too high a temperature, which can easily change or lose not only vitamin B12 but also other B vitamins.

Using vitamin B12 in the form of a drug is easy to experience side effects such as nausea, headache, joint pain… Therefore, vitamin B12 should be supplemented with food, unless prescribed by a doctor.

Sciatica is a disease that causes discomfort to patients, making life activities lose comfort. Learn more effective home remedies for sciatica!

Thus, vitamin B12 has many uses for the nervous system and brain. It is important to note to fully supplement vitamin B12!

See also: What is Biotin (Vitamin H or Vitamin B7)?

Reference information from: suckhoedoisong.vn