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While vitamin B12 may not be like calcium or the household buzz that is immediately recognized, such as vitamin C or D, it is just as important to your health, especially your brain health.
This water-soluble vitamin plays a role in a large number of processes in the body, helping to produce DNA, red blood cells, and energy. But new research shows that we may not get enough B12, which may actually increase your risk of dementia in the future.
This is what a neurologist and nutritionist want you to know about vitamin B12 and its potential impact on your current and future brain health.
Meet the experts: Amit Sachdev, MD, Medical Director, Department of Neurology, Michigan State University; Jessica Cording, Lu, Author A game-changing book; Clifford Segil, DO, Neurologist at St. John’s Health Center in Providence, Santa Monica, CA
What has the research discovered?
The study was held in February Neurology Chroniclesthe researchers recruited 231 healthy elderly people without dementia or mild cognitive impairment (this is considered a pioneer of dementia). The average B12 level in the blood of all participants was 414.8 pmol/l, which was significantly higher than the determined minimum level of 148 pmol/l (the study argued that this was considered “undersuitable” anything, the study explained).
The researchers studied the data to focus on the biologically active ingredients of vitamin B12, which suggests that the body can actually use the amount of B12. They found that participants with active level B12 had slower processing and were slower to respond to visual stimuli, suggesting that their visual processing was slower and that the electrical pulses in the brain were slower. These effects became more pronounced among older participants.
During participants’ MRI, the researchers found that people with lower B12 levels had more lesions to the brain’s white matter, which may be associated with dementia and decreased cognitive ability.
The study concluded that these findings should “challenge” the current B12 recommendation.
What are the current B12 suggestions?
Current B12 recommended intake varies by age, depending on whether you are pregnant or breastfeeding. However, most adults aged 19 and over are targeting 2.4 micrograms of B12 per day, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). (If you are pregnant, increase it to 2.6 micrograms, while breastfeeding increases it to 2.8 micrograms.)
But as research points out, this may not actually be enough to protect brain health.
What is the ideal B12 range?
This study does not state any recommended B12 levels should It’s just that some people may not be able to get enough time and more research is needed in this area to find the best.
Currently, the best way to know if you are physically reaching a good B12 range is to have a blood test. A game-changing book.
According to NIH, cutoffs between normal vitamin B12 blood levels vary by laboratory, but anything below 200 or 250 pg/mL is usually considered defective. However, there are other markers that can imply that you are lower in B12, so it is better to discuss your results with your healthcare provider if you have been tested.
Cording notes that even if you are at the low end of the “normal” range, some healthcare providers will say you are at a good level. “I like to see people in the middle of the range of the B12 lab,” she said. “There is ‘normal’ and then there is ‘best.'”
Someone in the “normal” B12 limit may take B12 in a multivitamin, Cording said. “If they have famous deficiency, I might put them on a higher dose (500 micrograms or 1000 micrograms) and see how they feel.”
How does B12 help brain function?
B12 does something different in the brain. First, it helps turn sugar into energy.
“Our brains run with sugar. Vitamin B12 is important for adding sugar to energy,” explains Amit Sachdev, medical director of the Department of Neurology at Michigan State University. “Low B12 levels can cause mental fog.”
The rope points out that optimal cellular function and erythrocyte formation also require B12. “All of these things affect cognition,” she added.
Cording said that if they are more normal, tired or frustrated, they don’t know why, she usually recommends patients to test their B12 levels.
Symptoms of low B12 levels may also mimic signs of dementia. “I checked my B12 levels in all patients with memory loss,” said Clifford Segil, a neurologist at St. John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California. Segil also said that the B12 is “very suitable for general health, which really helps to give people energy.”
More research is needed, but supports new discoveries, Segil said. “Interventions involving better nutrition are something every neurologist wants to focus on,” he said.
Can I get B12 from my regular diet?
Yes, you can get B12 in your diet. According to NIH, these foods have a higher B12:
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Beef liver, 70.7 μg
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Nutritious Yeast, 8.3 to 24 μg
Dairy and some breakfast cereals also contain B12, but “mainly in animal products,” Cording said.
What kind of B12 supplement is the best?
If you are considering a B12 supplement, it is best to contact your healthcare provider first. “Laboratory testing is always a good starting point because then you know how high the dose should be.”
Most people have capsules that do well, but you can also get B12 in a tablet dissolved under your tongue, she says. If it’s hard for you to absorb B12, you may need to have an infusion through IV.
But again, if you suspect that low levels of B12 are a problem, talk to your healthcare provider. They can do a thorough examination to see what’s behind your symptoms and figure out what’s next from there.
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