Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12, or cobalamin, is an essential micronutrient required in DNA synthesis and red blood cell maturation, among other metabolic functions. Its deficiency leads to a spectrum of disease. It is important to trace its absorption in order to understand how a person can become deficient.

Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Vitamin B12, also known as cobalamin, has many diverse functions in the human body. For this reason, its deficiency produces a spectrum of clinical manifestations. About 15 percent of adults above 65 years have subclinical deficiency, probably contributed to by the use of H2-receptor blockers for hyperacidity treatment, since these also reduce cobalamine levels.

Symptoms of Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Causes of Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Managing Vitamin B12 Deficiency

How is Vitamin-B12 Related to Anemia?

Why is B12 Difficult to Absorb and Do Oral B12 Sprays Work?

How to Reduce Red Meat Intake Without Losing Valuable Nutrients

Latest Vitamin B12 News and Research

Balancing diets: study reveals plant protein's impact on nutrient levels in Americans

Study examines how increasing plant protein intake affects nutritional adequacy in Americans, revealing shifts in vitamin and mineral sufficiency across age groups as plant-based diets become more prevalent.

15 Apr 2024

Link between nutrient intake and multimorbidity risk reported in recent study, more research is needed

In a recent study published in BMC Public Health, researchers explored potential associations between nutrient intake and multimorbidities.

8 Mar 2024

Study urges caution and guidelines as more kids go green with diets

Researchers highlight the rise in plant-based diets among children in high-income countries, exploring health outcomes and urging for harmonized dietary guidelines to mitigate risks like nutritional deficiencies and growth concerns.

4 Mar 2024

Plant-based diets trigger remission in Sjögren's syndrome and lupus cases

Three case studies show women with autoimmune diseases achieving symptom remission through plant-based diets, suggesting potential for dietary interventions in chronic disease management.

28 Feb 2024

How can food influence the severity of menopausal hot flashes?

Mechanisms and nutrients related to menopause hot flashes.

28 Feb 2024

Body mass index found to mediate causal associations between Helicobacter pylori infections and coronary artery disease risk

Coronary heart disease (CHD) and H. Pylori.

23 Jan 2024

Plant-based protein emerges as champion for healthy aging in women

Women who consume higher amounts of protein, especially protein from plant-based sources, develop fewer chronic diseases and are more likely to be healthier overall as they age, according to a study led by researchers at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) at Tufts University and published Jan. 17 in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

17 Jan 2024

Imbalances in folic acid and vitamin B12 can alter brain development in mice

Folate is a B vitamin and a necessary nutrient to prevent neural tube defects, such as spina bifida. Folic acid, a synthetic form of folate, has been added to vitamins, breakfast cereals and other products in the U.S. and more than 80 other countries to ensure pregnant women get adequate amounts.

4 Jan 2024

Novel molecular link between vitamin B12 and multiple sclerosis revealed in astrocytes

For decades, scientists have noted an intriguing similarity between a deficiency in vitamin B12 – an essential nutrient that supports healthy development and functioning of the central nervous system (CNS) – and multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic disease in which the body's immune system attacks the CNS and which can produce neurodegeneration.

11 Dec 2023

The influence of vitamin supplementation on longitudinal patterns of maternal vitamin status from preconception to post-delivery

Researchers secondary analyzed the NiPPeR randomized clinical trial (RCT) data to assess maternal vitamin levels pre-conception, during pregnancy, and post-delivery and also explored the impact of vitamin supplementation before and during gestation.

11 Dec 2023

Vegan diet outperforms omnivorous in cardiometabolic health, twin study reveals

In a JAMA Network Open study, researchers found that an eight-week vegan diet intervention in adult identical twins led to significant improvements in cardiometabolic health, including reduced LDL cholesterol and fasting insulin levels, compared to an omnivorous diet.

4 Dec 2023