B12 injections

What Are the Health Benefits of Vitamin B12?

Vitamin B12 can help boost your body’s energy levels by preventing fatigue, helping you to lose weight and also by lowering the risk of heart disease and other serious health concerns. It’s also essential for the health of your skin, hair and nails.

Its other benefits include boosting your brain by slowing down memory loss, alleviating anxiety and aiding sleep.

Read on to find out more about each benefit of Vitamin B12.

1. Prevents Fatigue

Vitamin B12 is required for the production of red blood cells that carry oxygen and nutrients around the body. Many patients suffering from a B12 deficiency visit their GP complaining of tiredness and fatigue.

2. Gives You an Energy Boost

B12 assists in the process of converting food into glucose, which the body requires for energy production.

3. Improves Brain Power

Vitamin B12 plays a role in supporting mental and cognitive performance.

4. Lowers the Risk of Heart Disease

B12 lowers levels of a compound known as homocysteine that is linked to increased risk of heart attacks and stroke.

5. Slows Down Memory Loss

Vitamin B12 can slow down memory loss – a study published earlier this year in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition compared the use of lower and higher serum vitamin B12 concentrations in ageing patients and found that those who’d had the higher dose performed better in memory tasks.

6. Protects Yourself Against Cancer & Other Diseases

B12 has been found to be key in preventing and combatting a number of serious health concerns, including various types of cancer.

7. Helps You Lose Weight

B12 boosts the metabolism so increasing levels of this vitamin can be an invaluable support if you’re trying to lose weight through diet. It’s energy-giving benefits will also aid your efforts in the gym.

8. Alleviates Anxiety

B12 can help fight mood swings, loss of focus and depression in a number of ways. One way it does this is by synthesising melatonin, dopamine and serotonin, the chemical messengers that influence your moods.

9. Aids Sleep

As well as regulating your mood, melatonin also controls your sleeping patterns and if you’re suffering from a B12 deficiency, a common side effect is being unable to sleep and then feeling tired throughout the day.

10. Helps Improve Your Appearance

B12 is essential for the health of your skin, hair and nails as it plays a role in cell reproduction and therefore the renewal of your skin.

VITAMIN B COMPLEX

vitamin b complex supplement
Vitamin B-complex supplements should include all of the essential B vitamins.

If a product contains the vitamin B complex, it should have some of each of the following:

Vitamin B-1 – thiamin

Vitamin B-1 is vital to the healthy growth and function of organs, including the brain and heart.

Vitamin B-2 – riboflavin

The body needs vitamin B-2 to break down fats and drugs.

Vitamin B-3 – niacin

The body needs niacin to maintain healthy skin, nerves, and digestion. Doctors sometimes prescribe high doses of niacin to help improve cholesterol levels.

Vitamin B-5 – pantothenic acid

Vitamin B-5 is essential for the health of the brain and nervous system.

Vitamin B-6 – pyridoxine

Vitamin B-6 helps the body make new red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout the body. It also helps keep the immune system strong.

Vitamin B-7 – biotin

Biotin is essential for healthy hair, nails, and nerve function.

Vitamin B-9 – folic acid

The body uses folic acid — or folate, its natural form — to make DNA and genetic material. During pregnancy, folic acid may reduce the risk of certain birth defects.

Vitamin B-12 – cobalamin

The body’s nerve and blood cells require vitamin B-12. Adequate levels of B-12 also prevent pernicious anemia, which is a deficiency of this nutrient.

Vitamin B-complex supplements may help with certain health problems. If a person has any of the conditions listed below, they may benefit from taking a supplement that contains B vitamins: