Vitamin B12 has a significant impact on red blood cells, the nervous system and child development.
Vitamin B12 complex (cobalamin) is water soluble and naturally occurs in fish, shellfish, meat and dairy products. Vitamin B12 is also available as a supplement and is used to enrich some processed foods. B12 is one of eight B vitamins that together have an effect on the metabolism of all cells in the body. These vitamins significantly affect DNA synthesis (production) and regulation (control). Vitamin B12 has a number of benefits including maintaining healthy cells and a healthy nervous system and supporting growth and development in children.
Maintaining Healthy Cells
One of the primary functions of vitamin B12 is the creation of red blood cells. Red blood cells are the body's way of taking oxygen from the lungs and carrying it to all of the other cells in the body. This process is completed via the body's circulatory system. The oxygen transmitted by the red blood cells to other cells in the body provides these cells with the oxygen, or energy, they need to perform their jobs efficiently and effectively. Red blood cells also effect the color of the skin and lips.
Central Nervous System
Vitamin B12 serves an important function in the health of the nervous system. The nervous system is responsible for monitoring organs and constructing and processing information received from the senses. Each nerve in the body is surrounded by a fatty casing or sheath that protects it. This covering is made up of a protein known as myelin. B12 plays a critical role in the chemical reactions (metabolism) that are essential for keeping the myelin healthy and functional. When there is a deficiency in the level of B12 in the body, there can be serious and irreversible neurological damage.
Child Growth & Development
Vitamin B12 plays a significant role in healthy growth and development during the period before conception (periconceptional period) and early pregnancy. Women who have appropriate levels of B12 in their bodies prior to conception and during are statistically less likely to deliver a child with a neural tube defect. Neural tube defects refer to the spinal column and typically have a negative impact on the brain development of the fetus. Appropriate levels of B12 during the preconception period and throughout a pregnancy has a positive effect on infant growth related to cognition (learning and thinking) and social development.
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