Feel Better with B12!
My young niece was once told that complex B vitamins would help put her mother in a good mood. She promptly pointed out, to the amusement of the whole family, that she should take more. B12 is definitely said to help some sleep better at night (when the most restful sleep is possible) without the need to stay up late and sleep through the mornings. (That sounds like a lot of teenagers I know!)
Vitamin B12 is important for converting carbohydrates, fats and proteins from food to energy. Also B12 helps keep the red blood cells healthy, preventing heart disease, in addition to keeping your immune system functioning at its maximum level. B12 is essential in creating the protective covering of all nerve cells in the body.
The B12 vitamin is essential in maintaining a healthy body. B12 is available in liver, fish, shellfish, meat and dairy products, and typically most non vegetarians eat enough of these to store to maintain a healthy level. Most vegetarians also consume enough fortified foods to maintain a reasonable level of B12 in their system to not become overtly deficient.
Your body doesn't need large amounts of B12, but it does need it regularly. Your body doesn't absorb B12 readily, but the stomach does produce intrinsic factor which allows more of the B12 to absorb. As B12 is found only in animal foods, most people on a non vegetarian diet consume far more than the daily recommended value of B12, but the body can only absorb about half. The body will, however, store some of the excess B12 not used by the body, to cut down on the impact of a B12 deficiency. Strict vegetarians or vegans should consider B12 supplements as they don't eat animal products.
A B12 deficiency can result in anaemia, as there is not enough B12 to produce healthy red blood cells. Anaemia is also caused by the body not ceating enough intrinsic factor to help absorb the B12 that is consumed. As you age, the body produces less intrinsic factor, and at about age 50 this will lead to inadequate absorption of B12, and supplements may be required then. Children who don't consume enough food rich in B12, or pregnant women (the baby absorbs B12 to properly develop and will rob the mother's supply) may need supplements of B12. Interestingly enough, B12 is considered safe and non-toxic, and there are no adverse effects associated with large intakes of vitamin B12 from food or supplements in healthy people.
