The Lack of Vitamin B12: How to Treat It
We have heard about vitamin B12, but we don’t know exactly what it does to our body or how our body reacts when we don’t have enough of it. We know that it is important to eat foods that contain vitamins, but how can the lack of one vitamin affect our body? We will explain you everything about vitamin B12 and how to treat its deficiency in our bodies.
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How vitamin B12 helps us
Vitamin B12 is helping our body to create nerve cells and red blood cells. We can say that it is indispensable for our health because without it, the red blood cells would have an irregular shape and they wouldn’t function properly, which means that we will have trouble with the level of oxygen in our body. If the red blood cells don’t function properly, the oxygen won’t be sent in the right amount to our brain, tissues and organs.
How to know if you have vitamin B12 deficiency
When you have vitamin B12 deficiency, you start noticing symptoms such as fatigue, skin and hair problems, muscle aches and lack of concentration. A serious lack of vitamin B12 causes major nervous problems that will affect your body and the way you’re thinking.
The weakness that you are feeling, the loss of appetite, the hard heart pounding or the fatigue are the symptoms telling you that your body needs vitamin B12. If you start experiencing paralysis or changes in your behavior, then the deficiency is serious. Every day that passes by can be very dangerous for your body and your memory, and if it is not treated, B12 deficiency can lead to serious diseases such as Alzheimer’s or heart attacks.
Vitamin B12 sources
Luckily for us, the treatment can be found in the food that we are consuming. Nature is saving us again. A balanced diet will restore the vitamin B12 in the body and will prevent the occurrence of any diseases. To solve the B12 deficiency, eat animal products, like pork, beef liver, muscles or heart, fish and eggs. They represent a great source of vitamin B12 and will help you restore the vitamins and proteins in your body.
For the ones who don’t consume animal products, there are other sources of vitamin B12, such as grains, soy beans, hazelnut, seaweed or sesame. The lactic acid in sauerkraut is a good source for energy and vitamins that will make your body healthy again.
What is the normal dosage?
For every age, there is a different dosage. Being very important in the creation of DNA or myelin, we have to know how to use it properly. Below, you can discover how to use vitamin B12 according to your age:
- 9 mcg for babies (1-3 years)
- 2 mcg for children (4-8 years)
- 8 mcg for children (9-13 years)
- 4 mcg for children older than 14 years
- 6 mcg for pregnant women
- 3 mcg for adults
Vitamin B12 benefits
Vitamin B12 helps your body create red blood cells, an indispensable factor for the proper functioning of our body. It gives you energy, prevents anemia, treats many nervous disorders and increases your appetite.
As you have seen, vitamin B12 is indispensable for us. It takes care of our body and keeps it healthy. So, make sure to consume products that are rich in vitamin B12 on a daily basis.
