B12 is one of eight B-complex vitamins that does a lot of work for your body, like producing red blood cells, boosting your immune system, and protecting your nervous system. It also helps you metabolize the food you eat into glucose, which gives you energy.
B12 turns the foods we eat into usable energy by breaking down the glucose in carbohydrates into ATP, a molecule which fuels our cells with energy. So, it's not the actual vitamin that gives you energy, but rather it's that the vitamin releases energy for your body to use.
It may take a few weeks before your vitamin B12 levels and symptoms (such as extreme tiredness or lack of energy) start to improve. If you have hydroxocobalamin injections to boost your vitamin B12 levels at the start of treatment, the cyanocobalamin tablets may start to work within a few days.
Since B vitamins are crucial for the production of neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, you may see a reduction symptoms of anxiety, and feeling overall in a better mood.
B vitamins = natural mood boosters
An increasing amount of evidence shows how vitamin B benefits our bodies when it comes to tackling stress – they can help boost your brain chemistry and balance out neurotransmitters for optimum brain function.
Vitamin B12 is often used to improve cognitive function, depressive symptoms, and fatigue.
While B12 doesn't directly provide energy, it does give the body the tools it needs to convert food molecules into energy. Getting the recommended daily amount of B12 can therefore help ensure that the body is able to make the energy it needs to do everything you need it to do.
Stage 1 is decreased levels of vitamin B12 in the blood. Stage 2 is low concentration of vitamin B12 in the cell and metabolic abnormalities. Stage 3 is increased levels of homocysteine and MMA and decreased DNA synthesis resulting in neuropsychiatric symptoms. Stage 4 is macrocytic anemia.
Vitamins B9 and B12 are both thought to treat symptoms of anxiety. Folic acid has many uses in the body, and B9 deficiency has been linked to higher levels of anxiety and depression. When taken in conjunction with B12, these B super-vitamins help metabolize serotonin, which is important for mood regulation.
extreme tiredness (fatigue) lack of energy (lethargy) breathlessness. feeling faint.
However, what is interesting is how B12 is beneficial in so many patients with fatigue, including those suffering with CFS, and this suggests that there is a common mechanism of chronic fatigue which B12 is effective at alleviating, regardless of the cause of the fatigue.
B12 acts as a cofactor in synthesis of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine, thus B12 deficiency affects mood, emotions and sleeping and can lead to psychiatric disorders. Psychiatric manifestations of B12 deficiency are varied. They seldom precede anemia.
Current vitamin B12 status
Health professionals recommend a full blood count and reticulocyte count 7-10 after starting treatment, and eight weeks to confirm normal blood levels. If homocysteine or methylmalonic acid levels are abnormal, they should normalize during the first week of treatment.
The symptoms may include agitation, irritability, negativism, confusion, disorientation, amnesia, impaired concentration and attention and insomnia; while psychiatric disorders that may be diagnosed in patients having vitamin B12 deficiency include depression, bipolar disorder, panic disorder, psychosis, phobias and ...
In that same vein, adding vitamin B12 supplementation, like dietary supplements, to your routine won't suddenly make hair grow back. However, vitamin B12 may give you the appearance of fuller and thicker hair because the increase in oxygen to hair follicles can help stimulate the replacement of lost strands.
“Take water-soluble vitamins on an empty stomach with a glass of water,” recommends Dr. Perez-Gallardo. And since it can be energizing, Dr. Perez-Gallardo says that the best time to take vitamin B12 is in the morning, so it won't affect your sleep.
B Vitamins For Brain Fog
Sufficient levels of vitamin B12 are necessary to optimize nerve function, memory, and quick thinking. If you don't eat adequate amounts of shellfish, poultry, and dairy products, vitamin B12 supplements can help improve cognitive decline, poor memory, as well as muddled thinking.
Possible culprit: A vitamin or mineral deficiency
One possible reason for feeling tired, anxious, and weak is having low levels of iron, vitamin D, or B12. Many experts believe that a significant percentage of the U.S. population is deficient in vitamin D.