Vitamin B12

Review of Vitamin B12, Cyanocobalamin. What it does, where it comes from, and why our bodies need it.

Our bodies use Vitamin B12 to process carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.  It also uses it to help make all of the blood cells found inside our bodies.  Vitamin B12 in addition is required for maintenance of our nerve sheaths.  It also acts in the synthesis and repair of DNA as a coenzyme.Our body cannot absorb or use Vitamin B12 until it’s combined with a mucoprotein made in our stomach — called instrinsic factor.  Once B12 becomes bound to this intrinsic factor, it’s able to pass into the small intestine and be absorbed and used by our body.  Those that are deficient of Vitamin B12 include those that have the inability to absorb the vitamin and those vegetarians that do not take a supplement.

Vitamin B12 cannot be found in any plant food sources and is produced primarily by bacteria, like streptomyces griseus.  Sources that have a bountiful amount of Vitamin B12 include meat, egg yolk, liver, poultry, and milk.

April 14th, 2008