Vitamin B-12 Treats Pernicious Anemia & Alzheimer's - Vegetarians Read This! Many Uses!
Written: May 27 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Treats Alzheimer's, anemia and helps with growth.
Cons: As always, read the warnings
The Bottom Line: B-12 is one of the most amazing vitamins to me, as it has so many uses and also so many possible uses.
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| jro26's Full Review: Vitamin B-12 (Cobalamin) |
Vitamin B-12 is also called cyanocobalamin and is available from natural and synthetic sources. Here are the ways that Vitamin B-12 is available and how you should use them. Remember, add “unless otherwise directed by your doctor“ after each statement as I am not a doctor.
~Oral and Injectable forms~ Oral forms are used only as a diet supplement. Only people with portions of the gastrointestinal tract surgically removed or those with pernicious anemia require injections. Injectable forms are administered or should be administered by a doctor or nurse.
~Tablets~ Swallow tablets whole with a full glass of liquid, do not chew or crush the tablet. Try to take within 1 hour of eating.
~Extended Release Tablets or Caplets~ Swallow whole, do not crush or chew. Take with a full glass of water and with food or immediately after eating to avoid stomach irritation.
**Note: For high doses or injectable forms a prescription is required.
First, Get It Naturally
As always, if you can get enough of a vitamin naturally, it is much better then taking supplements. These foods are rich in Vitamin B-12:
Beef and Beef Liver
Blue Cheese
Clams
Dairy Products
Eggs
Flounder
Herring
Liverwurst
Mackerel
Milk
Oysters
Sardines
Snapper
Swiss Cheese
Notice that none of these foods are plants, that is because Vitamin B-12 is not found in plant foods.
Proven Benefits and Possible Benefits
As with almost all vitamins and minerals they are still researching to find new benefits and some are possible, but not proven. The proven benefits of Vitamin B-12 are:
*Promotes normal growth and development
*Treats some types of nerve damage
*Treats pernicious anemia
*Treats and prevents vitamin B-12 deficiencies in people who have had a portion of the stomach or gastrointestinal tract surgically removed. The reason for this is that in order for your body to absorb the B-12, cells in the stomach lining must produce a protein called intrinsic factor and without this or enough of this, in the gastric juices, the intestines cannot absorb Vitamin B-12. That is when a deficiency may occur.
*Prevents vitamin-B-12 deficiency in vegan vegetarians, persons with absorptions disease and elderly with achlorhydria
*Treats Alzheimer’s disease
Here are the possible additional benefits, note that these are not proven!
**Potential help to those with nervous disorders
**Possibly improves the resistance to infection and disease
**May improve memory and the ability to learn
**May increase energy
If you are like me, and really interested in what vitamins and minerals do, you are wishing that they would prove some of these benefits to be true. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a vitamin that can really improve our memories and our ability to learn?
~What This Vitamin Does~
Vitamin B-12 acts as a coenzyme for normal DNA synthesis, promotes regular fat and carbohydrate metabolism as well as protein syntheses. Promotes growth, cell development, blood-cell development, manufactures nerve cell coverings, maintenance of normal nervous system function. Vitamin B-12 is an ingredient of many multivitamin/mineral preparations, so check to see if your daily vitamin contains B-12 and how much.
~Why I Take A Supplement and if You Should~
I take supplements of Vitamin B-12 because I don’t eat meat. I am not a strict vegetarian but I won’t touch red meat, beef things like that. On the occasion I will eat chicken, but that’s about it. You don’t necessarily need to take a supplement if you are a vegetarian; there are ways around it. If you drink milk or eat eggs, even though I know if you are a true vegetarian you won’t, but you can get your B-12 from those foods and the others I have listed. But vegetarians aren’t the only people who may need additional amounts of vitamin B-12. If you are one of the following, you may want to consider supplements or getting additional B-12 in your diet.
-Strict vegetarian
-If you have inadequate caloric or nutritional dietary intake or have increased nutritional requirements
-If you abuse alcohol or other drugs
-If you have a chronic wasting illness, such as AIDS or chronic fever
-If you are under excess stress for long periods of time (whoa did I see a lot of hands go up!)
-If you have had a portion of the gastrointestinal tract surgically removed
-If you have recently undergone surgery
-If you have recent severe burns or injuries
-If you have pancreas or bowel malignancy
Symptoms of a Deficiency
Pernicious anemia, with the following symptoms:
~Fatigue
~Weakness-mostly in arms and legs
~Irreversible nerve damage
~Sore tongue
~Nausea-appetite loss and/or weight loss
~Numbness and tingling in hands and feet
~Unable to or having difficulty in maintaining balance
~Shortness of breath
~Bruising
~Poor memory
~Pale lips, tongue and gums
~Depression
~Confusion and dementia/disorientation
If you think you have a deficiency there are lab tests to detect it. Ask your doctor about the Schilling test which is a serum vitamin B-12, a radioactive study usually performed with serum-folic-acid test. Another way to detect is a Reticulocyte count.
S-T-O-P!
Warnings and precautions are also just as important, remember to always read up on warnings before taking anything.
Do not take if you are: Allergic to B-12 given by injection. Allergies to injections produce itching, redness, swelling and, rarely, a blood pressure drop with loss of consciousness.
Do not take if you have Leber’s disease. (Leber's Hereditary Optic Neuropathy is a rare condition, which can cause loss of central vision. It usually affects men, most commonly in the late twenties or early thirties, but the symptoms can happen at any age, to men or women.)
Consult your doctor if you have anemia of unknown etiology. Folate supplements can disguise B-12 deficiency.
If you are over 55, your B-12 absorption decreases with achlorhydria, which is a decrease in hydrochloric acid in stomach.
If you are pregnant no problems are expected but do not take doses larger than the DRI. Same goes with breast feeding.
Tell your doctor if you are taking supplements of B-12 or have had excessive amounts of B-12 as it can have effects on certain lab tests. Tests for serum potassium may show a steep drop within 48 hours after beginning treatment for anemia.
Overdose and Toxicity Warnings
If taken with large doses of Vitamin C, Vitamin B-12 may cause nosebleeds, ear bleeding or dry mouth. If you do experience symptoms of an overdose stop taking vitamin and consult doctor. For an accidental overdose, such as your child gulping a whole bottle, call 911 or the nearest Poison Control Center. There are 2 other rare effects of vitamin B-12 and those are diarrhea and itching of skin after injections. With diarrhea, consult your doctor and stop taking and with the itching of the skin, seek emergency treatment ASAP.
My Thoughts on All of This
I myself, take a multivitamin almost everyday. If I feel I need a supplement of a vitamin that isn’t included in the daily vitamin, I research and decide whether or not I would benefit from a supplement. Make sure to decide if the cons outweigh the pros. I see this with many vitamins, and risking your life to get better hair and nails really isn’t worth it to me. Popping a few vitamins may seem like nothing to some, but the results could be dangerous and possibly fatal. Ask questions, research-do anything you possibly can to gain intelligence on a vitamin or mineral before taking a supplement.
*****Don’t forget to consult your doctor before taking any supplements!*****
Vitamin B-12 Optimal Daily Intake Information:
Daily Value (DV): 6mcg
Recommended Dietary Allowance: 2mcg 60mg
Dietary Reference Intake: 2.4mcg 60mg
Probably Optimal Intake for Disease: 2.4-10mcgC 150-1,000mg
Recommended:
Yes
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