Getting the proper amount of B vitamins is an essential part of your overall health, and Vitamin B12 is one that has particular benefits to multiple systems in your body.
Vitamin B12, also known as cobalamin, is a water-soluble vitamin that plays a crucial role in various bodily functions. While it is well-known for its importance in red blood cell formation and neurological health, the benefits of vitamin B12 extend beyond these commonly recognized functions.
In this article, we will explore some surprising and lesser-known advantages of incorporating an adequate amount of vitamin B12 into your diet.
Unveiling the Surprising Benefits of Vitamin B12
1. Protects Against Certain Cancers
Vitamin B12 helps specifically with certain cancers, both preventing them from occurring and helping to treat it if it’s already there. The cancers it has been associated with helping include prostate, lung, breast, and colon cancer among others.
These are some of the most common and most deadly cancers out there, so it’s worth checking out all of your vitamin levels, including Vitamin B12 to see where you stand and what you’re lacking in.
2. Protects Against Heart Disease
Overall, heart diseases of all types is the number on killer of Americans, so it’s definitely worth taking the time to make sure that your Vitamin B12 levels are in proper order.
They have been shown to help the cardiovascular system in general, and a deficiency is often seen in those with heart problems.
Since your heart is one of your most vital organs, it’s important to take good care of it, and while one specific vitamin won’t be a miracle answer, it can help in a comprehensive approach.
3. Helps Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease
Vitamin B-12 has been specifically credited for helping to treat and also prevent the occurrence of Alzheimer’s disease. If you have a family history of Alzheimer’s or are worried about coming down with it in your later years, it’s a great idea to start eating more foods that contain ample amounts of this B vitamin.
Try not to rely on a multivitamin or synthetic sources, an all natural strategy is best for the body and mind.
4. Boosts Energy Levels
If you’ve been dragging lately it could be that you’re not getting enough Vitamin B12. Along with the other B Vitamins, B12 is known for it’s ability to keep you alert and feeling energized.
That’s why some energy drinks include this in your ingredients. But it’s better to eat foods that contain it than it is to get it from unnatural sources.
Luckily it’s somewhat rare to run a shortage on this vitamin, so in all likelihood you’re good.
5. Reduces Depression
Many vitamins including Vitamin D have been said to help with depression, and Vitamin B-12 is no different. This is such an important reason to make sure that all of your vitamins are at optimal levels.
Only your doctor can let you know for sure, and it’s a relatively quick and easy process to have done. That way you’ll know exactly which vitamins you need more of, and which ones you’re OK on, instead of playing the guessing game.
6. Helps Metabolize Proteins
One of the main features of Vitamin B-12 is that it plays an active role in protein metabolism, which trickles over into several areas of the body.
You might not notice these benefits when you are fine on your levels of B12, and you may not even be able to perceive a decline if you start to run low.
For while these processes are important, they don’t show visible signs of depletion until after several years.
7. Good for Brain Health
In addition to helping stave off and treat Alzheimer’s, Vitamin B12 also provides healthy benefits for the brain, and helps prevent what is known as “brain shrinkage” which can lead to conditions like dementia when you’re older.
Vitamin B12 is crucial for the maintenance of the nervous system and the formation of myelin, a protective layer around nerve fibers. Studies suggest that B12 deficiency may contribute to cognitive decline and an increased risk of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease.
Regular intake of vitamin B12 can support cognitive function, enhance memory, and promote overall brain health.
8. Good for the Digestive System
Vitamin B-12 assists the digestive system in its proper functioning, and you’ll notice that if you don’t get enough of it you are more prone to constipation and a sluggish digestive system.
Since backed up digestion can lead to general toxicity in the body, it’s important to keep things moving at a steady pace.
That’s why you’ll want to eat foods that are both high in fiber and that also contain the right mix of vitamins.
9. Promotes Healthy Skin
Vitamin B-12 provides great benefit to the skin, helping to repair skin cells and keep your skin looking its best. Getting the right mix of B vitamins can help conditions ranging from dryness and redness to acne and other blemishes.
It’s simply something you don’t want to run low on if you want your skin to be radiate and clear.
10. Makes Hair Healthier
Vitamin B12 is often added to hair products because of its ability to add shine and a healthy look. But what’s even better is to start meeting your needs through the foods you eat.
That way your hair will naturally grow out as if you had used a topical treatment containing Vitamin B-12. Try eating more eggs, chicken, and various seafood as a way to have higher levels of B12, without having to buy expensive hair products.
11. Good for the Nails
In addition to being good for the skin and hair, you may also notice an improvement in your nail health. This is especially true if you’ve been running low on Vitamin B-12.
If you haven’t then you might not notice any difference. But if you’ve been complaining about the way your nails look, or that they’re not strong enough, you might benefit from checking your B12 intake and see if it could be improved.
12. Helps with Cholesterol
By helping to keep your cholesterol levels down, Vitamin B12 may be able to reduce your need for cholesterol lowering drugs.
If your doctor has told you that you’re low on this nutrient, they may have also given you a list of foods that contain extra amounts of B12 for you to start eating more of.
If they didn’t, we’ve got you covered with our own list of Vitamin B12-rich foods.
13. Helps Maintain Healthy Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is one of the most common ailments for baby boomers, and is one that often requires medication in order to treat. This is because it’s somewhat hard to control your blood pressure just by willing yourself to do so.
But having the right amounts of Vitamin B-12 can get your body to start responding on a physiological level, so you don’t have to think about lowering your blood pressure, it just happens naturally because your body has what it needs.
14. Helps Prevent Strokes
By helping to keep your arteries clear of excess cholesterol, Vitamin B-12 will help you to avoid getting a stroke. If your family has a history of strokes, this is one vitamin you don’t want to miss out on.
It also provides general benefits to the entire cardiovascular system, so it’s great for overall heart health. Consider eating more foods with Vitamin B-12 and also don’t neglect your other essential vitamins like D, A, and C.
At The End
It’s always good to treat your vitamins as a collective, and make sure that you have all of your bases covered. It might sound overwhelming since there are so many essential vitamins, and you may be tempted to just pop a multivitamin like Centrum and think that you’re fine.
But the best way to know that all of your levels are where they should be is to eat a healthy balanced diet of foods that are nutrient dense.
It’s not as hard as it sounds, you just simply start replacing low-nutrient foods for high ones, one by one, and soon you’ll have transitioned to this new way of eating.
