It's about time for B₁₂

By Tamela Thomas, Wellness Manager

I must apologize to you for not having thought to run an article about Vitamin B₁₂ shots through our Naturopathic Doctors (NDs) here at the Wellness Center—a service that has been in high demand. During these last two years we have received many inquiries about both the potential benefits of taking B₁₂ shots and their appropriateness for various individuals. The inquiries were by offering each person a free 15-minute consult with a ND. One-by-one we have shared the information on B₁₂ with our membership. Given the amount of interest shown about particular service, we'll delay no further in presenting more information about B₁₂ in this column. And if after reading this article you still have some questions about B₁₂, we still offer that 15-minute free consultation with the ND.

Vitamin B₁₂-Is It Right for You?

By Bill Caradonna, RPh, ND

A half-century ago, MDs commonly administered vitamin B₁₂ shots to their patients. As prescription drug development and use increased, vitamin B₁₂ use declined. As naturopathic physicians have re-emerged in the health care picture, so has vitamin B₁₂ use.

Why is vitamin B₁₂ so important?

Vitamin B₁₂ helps maintain healthy nerve cells and red blood cells, and is also needed to make DNA, the genetic material in all cells. While it is well known to prevent pernicious anemia, it can also play an important role in preventing fatigue, insomnia, depression, cardiovascular disease, nerve damage, loss of appetite, soreness of the mouth or tongue, poor memory and senile dementia. It has also been helpful in certain types of arthritis, asthma, infertility, multiple sclerosis, shingles and ringing in the ears.

Some of these symptoms can also result from a variety of medical conditions other than vitamin B₁₂ deficiency. It is important to have a physician evaluate these symptoms so that appropriate medical care can be given.

Why do B₁₂ deficiencies exist?

Vitamin B₁₂ is naturally found in meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, eggs and fortified breakfast cereals. It can be difficult to absorb from animal products, especially in people with certain digestive imbalances. One cause is low hydrochloric acid in the stomach. This can be aggravated by chronic use of prescription and non-prescription acid blockers (like Prilosec). Low HCL is also common in elderly populations. The presence of a bacterium associated with stomach ulcers has also been associated with low B₁₂.

Another cause is certain intestinal conditions or diseases that cause or contribute to malabsorption. Vegetarians are at risk due to the absence of animal foods in their diet, especially if dairy products and eggs are not consumed. Up to 42 percent of people over 65 years of age have been identified as B₁₂ deficient. Surprisingly, another study identified a 26-49 age group as having a similar deficiency percentage.

B₁₂'s impact

B₁₂ shots deliver far more B₁₂ into the system than supplements, and avoid absorption difficulties. B₁₂ is virtually non-toxic and, for most people, the shots are nearly painless. Below are several conditions for which B₁₂ has shown to be valuable.

Fatigue. Fatigue can be present for many reasons. These include lack of sleep, inadequate nutrition, lack of stable blood sugar levels, use of stimulants that cause the body to "crash" a few hours later, and long-term stress. In the absence of diagnosed anemia, many people find that B₁₂ gives them an energy boost, both short- and long-term. Athletes have reported increased endurance as well.

Insomnia. People often report improved sleep with B₁₂ shots. Vitamin B₁₂ influences melatonin secretion, which tells the brain to go to sleep. Winter depression also has been linked to imbalanced melatonin levels.

Depression. Research shows that those who suffer from depression respond better to drug treatment if they have high levels of vitamin B₁₂ in their blood. One theory states vitamin B₁₂ helps plays a role in the manufacture of brain chemicals, a shortage of which is believed to be linked to depression. Another theory is that people diagnosed with depression have low plasma levels of cobalt, the mineral that forms the center of the B₁₂ molecule.

Heart Disease. Homocysteine, a nerve and blood vessel toxin, is produced by imbalanced biochemical processing in our body. It has been associated with higher levels of death by heart disease and stroke. The cause of this production has been tied to deficiencies of several B vitamins, including B₁₂. High levels of Homocysteine have also been predictive of increased incidences of dementia and Alzheimer's Disease.

Deficiency & The Elderly. It is especially important to diagnose B₁₂ deficiency early in the elderly because it can lead to permanent impairment of neurological and mental function if left untreated. Identifying low B₁₂ levels that can result in nerve damage is more difficult to diagnose. Low B₁₂ levels in the tissue, not the blood, can cause this problem. Measuring tissue B₁₂ levels requires a special urine test.