6 min
Why Take Vitamin B12? Discover Our Guide
Table of Contents
Among the many vitamins essential for maintaining a healthy body, some letters often come up: vitamin C, vitamin D known as the "sunshine vitamin" 🌞...
One of their colleagues, less known but essential for our well-being, is vitamin B12. This water-soluble vitamin, also known as cobalamin, contributes to the proper functioning of our nervous system, the production of red blood cells, and our overall state of health.
But then, what are its benefits? What exactly is it made of, and where can we find it to benefit from its amazing properties?
That’s what we’re going to look at without further ado: you’re about to discover why taking vitamin B12 can be a potential turning point in your daily life 💪
To start, what is vitamin B12?
Good question!
Vitamin B12, an essential component of the B complex, stands out for its role in maintaining a healthy body, like many other vitamins. Simply because it is involved in various metabolic processes in the body: it is what is called a "cofactor", i.e., a compound that intervenes in different chemical reactions of the body, especially the activity of proteins.
In particular, this water-soluble vitamin B12 actively participates in the formation of red blood cells, the proper functioning of the nervous system, and the immune system. Naturally present in certain animal-derived foods, such as meat, fish, and dairy products, vitamin B12 can also be obtained through dietary supplements to meet nutritional needs.
Vegans particularly need it, because non-animal sources of vitamin B12 are very limited in their diet and have a low degree of absorption by the body – we will come back to this.
Vitamin B12 comes in different forms, the most common being methylcobalamin, hydroxocobalamin, and adenosylcobalamin. Each of these forms plays a specific role in the biological processes of the body.
Besides its role in metabolic processes, vitamin B12 directly influences the state of the nervous system. It participates in the formation of the myelin sheath, a substance that surrounds the nerves and promotes efficient transmission of nerve impulses.
In short, vitamin B12 plays multiple roles in the body, from the formation of red blood cells, to supporting the nervous system, to maintaining a normal energy metabolism. That's why consuming vitamin B12 is essential: as a cofactor of many chemical reactions, its benefits are numerous, and that's what we're going to see right now!
A versatile ally: the benefits of vitamin B12
You will see, the advantages of vitamin B12 are numerous and varied. No doubt you will quickly become a fan in very little time when you discover its multiple benefits!
We recommend
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 in its active and bioavailable form, methylcobalamin.
- ✅ 100% pure methylcobalamin
- ✅ Optimal dosage 1000 μg
- ✅ 4 months of treatment
- ✅ Made in France
Reducing fatigue and energy metabolism
To start, vitamin B12, acting as a natural tonic, plays an important role in reducing fatigue and maintaining a normal energy metabolism. It actively intervenes in the production of energy from the nutrients we consume, leading to our vitality.
As it acts on energy metabolism, vitamin B12 helps to optimize the use of calories, which is a valuable support for those looking to maintain a constant energy level. In other words, it's a vitamin that will delight athletes of all kinds! 🏃♀️
Regulation of psychological functions: stress, sleep, and nervous system
Vitamin B12, an essential actor for balanced psychological functions, plays a role in managing stress, sleep, and optimal functioning of the nervous system. Involved in the synthesis of neurotransmitters, it promotes an adequate response to stress, thus participating in a good emotional balance.
Furthermore, by participating in the production of melatonin, vitamin B12 regulates the sleep cycle, making it an ally of restorative nights. 😴
Participation in the nervous system and immune system
Another advantage of vitamin B12: it supports the efficient transmission of nerve impulses, leading to optimal mental reactivity. Concurrently, it plays a key role in strengthening the immune system, hence the body's natural defenses. By promoting the production of white blood cells, vitamin B12 participates in protecting our body against external aggressions.
Here's another interesting reason explaining why to take vitamin B12! By maintaining the balance between the nervous system and
the immune system, this vitamin ensures a coherent response to external stimuli, which do not always mean well for you.
Support for cardiovascular function and blood circulation
To top it all, vitamin B12 also plays a beneficial role in cardiovascular function, contributing to maintaining heart function and promoting optimal blood circulation. By acting on the metabolism of homocysteine, vitamin B12 helps prevent the accumulation of this substance not beneficial to the cardiovascular system.
In parallel, it contributes to the production of red blood cells, essential for efficient oxygen transport throughout the body. So, by incorporating vitamin B12 into your diet, you actively support your cardiovascular function, thus maintaining a robust and balanced circulatory system!
Support for the cell division process
Lastly, vitamin B12 intervenes in the cell division process, crucial for the growth and repair of tissues, by participating in DNA synthesis. But as we said, it also contributes to hematopoiesis, that is, the production of blood cells.
Its action thus takes place at the heart of your body, in complex but fundamental biological processes, deep within your very cells!
The top foods rich in vitamin B12
Now that you know why to take vitamin B12, there remains a key question, and not the least: how? 🤔
No secret: to maintain an adequate intake, you must incorporate foods rich in this vitamin B12 into your daily diet. As we mentioned, animal sources are particularly rich in vitamin B12.
Liver, whether from beef, lamb, or poultry, tops the list because it offers a high concentration of this vitamin.
More generally, beef, pork, and chicken meat is a nourishing and effective option to ensure a good intake of vitamin B12. This is especially true for offal: kidneys, liver (preferably beef), or brain remain your best options to get all the vitamin B12 you need!
Another option that will delight fish lovers: salmon
, tuna, sardines, or trout, in short fatty fish, are an effective source of vitamin B12. And more broadly, this remains true for other seafood products: shrimp, mussels, oysters will make excellent supplies of B12.
Finally, to a lesser extent, you will also find vitamin B12 in eggs (especially the yolk) and dairy products, with yogurt, parmesan, or cheese leading the way.
Vegans can opt for alternatives like soy-based meat substitutes, fortified cereals, or algae, such as spirulina or sea lettuce. However, be aware that the levels and absorption of B12 in these foods are often much lower than those of animal products, hence the question: 👇
We recommend
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 in its active and bioavailable form, methylcobalamin.
- ✅ 100% pure methylcobalamin
- ✅ Optimal dosage 1000 μg
- ✅ 4 months of treatment
- ✅ Made in France
How to supplement with vitamin B12?
This is an essential issue, especially for vegans!
Those looking to optimize their vitamin B12 intake can turn to supplementation. Dietary supplements are widely available on the market and offer a practical solution to meet vitamin B12 needs, especially for those following vegetarian or vegan diets, where natural intake is limited.
Vitamin B12 supplements come in various forms, including tablets, capsules, drops, or sprays. Capsules offer a convenient and effective alternative: it’s our preferred choice, due to their easy consumption method and because they are easier to dose.
Because that's exactly an important criterion in choosing your vitamin B12 dietary supplement: the dosage, as well as the form of the molecule to favor.
At Novoma, our vitamin B12 is made of methylcobalamin, the most known form of cobalamin, which allows for maximum absorption by the body. Its dosage of 1000 μg per day ensures you cover your needs, especially if you are among the groups more likely to lack it, such as vegans or the elderly.
And that's why take vitamin B12!
That's where this article on why take vitamin B12 comes to an end! 🙂
We hope that thanks to it, you've learned more about this incredible vitamin, rich in sometimes quite complex but nonetheless real benefits, deep within your organism. You now know that for the proper functioning of your cardiovascular, nervous, and immune systems (just that!), vitamin B12 is an indispensable ally.
So don't neglect to consume enough offal, meat, and fatty fish; and if your diet does not allow it, a well-dosed and thought-out B12 supplementation can help you avoid any vitamin B12 deficiency. You know what you have to do to not lack B12 and enjoy all its benefits.
Lucas PINOS
Co-founder of NOVOMA
Passionate and expert in micro-nutrition, Lucas founded Novoma in 2012. With conviction, he develops dietary supplements with effective active ingredients, carefully chosen and 100% clean, to best meet the body's needs.
