29 July 2020
It is estimated that 50% of people in the US have a vitamin B12 deficiency or suboptimal levels. Vitamin B12 is a very important vitamin that is responsible for energy production and metabolism.
Vitamin B12 deficiency is often due to malabsorption in the gastrointestinal tract. You might be consuming B12 in your diet or through supplements, but not absorbing it. A much better way to take B12 is via a vitamin B12 shot. Here you bypass the gastrointestinal tract and allow for 100% absorption straight into the cells, which is where B12 has its action.
One of the most common symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency is a lack of energy or increased fatigue. Vitamin B12 (along with other B vitamins) is required for proper energy production in the mitochondria, that produce energy for the body in the form of a molecule called ATP.
Vitamin B12 can increase the basal metabolic rate or metabolism, which is important in determining your weight. Your metabolism represents the number of calories that you burn while at rest and represents around 90-95% of all calories that you burn in any given day. Obviously with a metabolism that slow it will be very difficult to lose any weight.
Another important benefit of vitamin B12 (methylcobalamin and not cyanocobalamin), is that it affects the circadian rhythm, which helps regulate the quality and depth of your sleep.
Low levels of Vitamin B12 can lead to a low mood and depression. It has been shown that vitamin B12 can help increase your mood, fight off depression and increase concentration.
Vitamin B12 also plays a critical role in your immune system. The exact mechanism of how B12 interacts with the immune system isn’t well understood but it has been shown that low levels impact the body’s ability to fight off various infections.
Vitamin B12, ferritin and hemoglobin are important for proper hair growth. Low levels of vitamin B12 might be contributing to hair loss and thinning.
BENEFITS OF VITAMIN B12:
- Improve energy levels
- Help with weight loss
- Improve sleep
- Better mood and concentration
- Boost immune system
- Assist hair growth