Do you know the importance of vitamin B12 compared to other vitamins? This vitamin is water soluble and can make nerve cells in your body to be healthy.
Vitamin B12 is an essential nutrient that is responsible for the smooth process of different body functions. If your body is deficient in vitamin B12, usually marked with a body that is easily tired.
There are several categories of people who need vitamin B12 to survive. Like, heavy drinkers, smokers, nursing mothers, pregnant women and the elderly.
And here are seven reasons why vitamin B12 is important for your body.
1. Reduce fatigue.
Vitamin B12 is needed to convert carbohydrates into glucose in the body, resulting in energy and reduce fatigue. In addition, vitamin B12 helps produce red blood cells. Several studies have shown that vitamin B12 supplementation is proven effective to help combat fatigue.
2. Improving mental health.
In this function, vitamin B12 can help regulate the nervous system to stay healthy, reduce stress, depression and brain shrinkage. The role of vitamin B12 in cognitive enhancement has been found in several studies.
3. Improving digestive health.
It is necessary for the maintenance of the digestive system. Vitamin B12 may protect the heart against dangerous diseases that threaten life, with increasing levels of unhealthy cholesterol and protect against high blood pressure and stroke.
4. Prevent cancer.
Vitamin B12 may protect you from cancer of the breast, lung, colon and prostate. This vitamin plays a role in DNA synthesis and repair process, which has a close relationship with cancer. A study has found that high intake of vitamin B12 which is coupled with vitamin B6 and folate, can reduce the risk of colon cancer by 30-40 percent, this is done in participants who had a cancer gene in it.
5. Keeping skin healthy.
Vitamin B12 supplements can help maintain healthy skin, hair and nails. In addition, this vitamin also helps in cell reproduction and renew skin cells die.
6. Reduce the risk of birth defects.
As already mentioned above that, vitamin B12 can help in the process of DNA synthesis of cells. Therefore, vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to defects in DNA. Several studies have linked vitamin B12 deficiency with neural tube defects and a higher risk of Down syndrome in children. The importance of vitamin B12 can be seen clearly when there are defects in the DNA.
7. Helps to treat hepatitis C.
Vitamin B12 is known for his roles to boost immunity. This function is reinforced by a study published in the Gournal Gut, which assess the role of vitamin B12 supplementation in patients with hepatitis C. Of the 94 patients suffering from HCV infection, they take vitamin B12 supplements along with the treatment of hepatitis C and showed an increase in response to virus after treatment is completed.
(various sources)
