Vitamin B12 makes better nerve cells - tips for healty life

Posted by bumeral

September 10, 2008

Scientists and nutritionists known as the “cobalamin.” The last official member of the “B complex, vitamin B12, is one of the most important. Its main function: produce healthy red blood cells.

All cells in the body, not just red blood cells cobalamin need to grow and divide properly. But in addition, the B12 is involved in the production of the protective coating of nerve cells. How it works in combination with other vitamins (especially B6 and folic acid) helps convert carbohydrates, fats and proteins in foods into energy for cells, not to mention its role on the immune system.

Am I weak?

Sometimes, when they require small amounts of an element, we think we can easily achieve adequate food. As we have seen in previous articles, based on age, health or interference by other medicines, we are not always able to absorb nutrients in the quantity and quality that the agency needed at certain stages. And the problems begin.

In the case of cobalamin, it can only be achieved through foods of animal origin such as liver, eggs, fish and meat. But even despite it takes very little (2.4 MCGS in the case of adults), the body must be able to absorb it properly. Our stomach produces a substance, intrinsic factor, which helps the absorption of B12.

The most obvious symptom of vitamin B12 deficiency anemia is.

Who is at risk?

There are very distinctive groups:

– The strict vegetarians, because we saw that the B12 appears only in foods of animal origin, so are advised to take supplements to prevent deficiencies;

– Adults over 50: as we age our body produces less intrinsic factor, so it absorbs less cobalamin. In some cases no longer produce it.

– Breastfeeding mothers: the child consumed the best of the mother. It recommended vitamin supplements or find much food cobalamin.

– If you’ve suffered stomach operations where it has removed part of it: it can not be producing enough intrinsic factor in the party’s left. Consult your doctor taking vitamin supplements.

– If you smoke or if you take drugs to treat severe ulcers or gastritis.

B12 deficiency may not appear immediately on the results of a blood count. Before the doctor can detect it, you may be experiencing symptoms and not know it. In the case of seniors, the first symptoms appear to affect the nervous system and begin to feel “puncture” or numbness in hands and feet, depression and mood swings, difficulty sleeping, memory loss and balance. Recent studies have linked deficiency of cobalamin with cases of severe depression in older women.

At least adults, the symptoms are slow to appear, but are obvious: get sick more often, presents cases of diarrhoea, loss of appetite and vomiting. The features of anemia are easily identifiable: extreme fatigue and weakness, paleness, shortness of breath, brittle nails, etc.. Treatment should be immediate and tend to disappear symptoms to receive enough vitamin B12.

Seeing where you get this beautiful vitamin, known as housewife that I am the prices of meat and fish, I wonder… Is not this a country of anemic?

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