Vital vitamin: What is vitamin B12 and why do you need it?

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“You have a vitamin B12 deficiency” – many people have heard this phrase from their doctor. However, patients often do not even know what this vitamin is good for or why they need it. This much can already be revealed: You absolutely need it, because it is vital!

Vitamin B12 plays a role in various processes in the body. It is especially important for the nervous system, the formation of red blood cells and genetic material, cell growth and cell division, and the absorption of folic acid into cells. Vitamin B12 therefore has a strong effect on performance and metabolism.

The deficiency becomes noticeable in people affected by sleep disorders, dizziness, depression, difficulty concentrating, muscle weakness with cramps, and even memory loss. This can seriously affect energy and concentration.

The vitamin is not produced by the body itself and is therefore most easily consumed by consuming meat and fish. Foods such as eggs and dairy products provide moderate content, while plant-based foods contain no vitamin B12. The only exception: algae such as Spirulina or Chlorella.

If you’re on a predominantly plant-based diet, you should always pay attention to your vitamin B12 content. But you can also get vitamin B12 through supplements or certain toothpastes.

The daily intake recommendation is 2.5 to 6 micrograms. The following foods contain about 3 micrograms of vitamin B12:

• 40g salmon
• 100 g Emmental cheese
• 200g salami
• 200 g eggs
• 300g of quarks
• 300g mozzarella

Fortunately, vitamin B12 is one of the few vitamins that the body can store. Supplies last about three to five years. However, there may be impairment in the absorption or use of vitamin B12, thus increasing the risk of deficiency. An intestinal disease may also be the cause of the deficiency.

If you have any concerns, a simple blood test from your doctor is enough to determine whether you have a deficiency. If this is truly the case, the deficiency can be corrected with vitamin B12 injections or tablets.

Source : Blick