Vit B12: How to Prevent Vit B12 Deficiency
Why is it a viable choice to prevent Vit B12 deficiency? Vitamin B12 is one of the top 5 important nutrients in the body. Our body needs vitamin B-12 to produce red blood cells and prevent anemia.
Animal products like eggs, cheese and milk are were you will find B12 primarily. Vegans can supplement with foods enriched with vitamin B12, including soy and enriched cereals.
How do you know if you are deficient in Vit B12?
If you aren’t eating any of the above mentioned foods and feel weakness, shortness of breath, dizziness, fatigue, numbness, heart palpitations, bleeding gums, mouth sores, nausea, poor appetite and diarrhea, you might be vitamin B12 deficient.
Symptoms may present themselves after years of b12 deficiency, and usually don’t manifest until years later. A deficiency of B12 can produce pernicious anemia, which can lead to Alzheimers, memory loss, confusion and even dementia.
Seniors absorb the supplement better in the sublingual form. Malabsorption of the vitamin is another reason for the deficiency. Example, to receive optimal benefits from supplementing with vitamin B12 you would combine with folic acid and vitamin c, which will assist the absorption.
How do you know what the optimal amount is to prevent a deficiency in vitamin B12?
I was pondering the same thing and after researching several reputable sites like National Institute of Health, I was able to come up with this.
-.4 mcg- 0-6 months
-.5 mcg- 7-12 months
-.9 mcg- 1-3 years
-1.2mcg- 4-8 years
-1.8mcg- 9-13 years
-2.4mcg- age 14- older
-2.6mcg- pregnant adolescent females
-2.8mcg- lactating females
-25-100mcg-Adults over 50 (excluding those eating fortified foods)
Dosages may vary slightly from experts in the field, but two parts were clear: Our bodies were built to absorb low levels of vitamin B12 at dosages between .1mcg-1mcg per meal.
Vitamin B12 absorption can be affected by environmental factors and respond to the toxic invasion. Consuming chlorinated water regularly, for instance is one example of an environmental factor that can lower or diminish absorption of the vitamin.
We also have to take into consideration the pesticides and toxins that our plants and animals are consuming and figure out if that is also causing Vit B12 deficiency.
