Several people think that Vitamin B12 deficiency causes weight gain. But is this true? Well, if this question disturbs you too, you've come to the right place. In this blog, we’re going to talk about the symptoms of Vitamin B12 deficiency and food items that help prevent the same. Let’s begin!
What is Vitamin B12?
Also known as cobalamin, Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble vitamin involved in several important bodily processes. For example, Vitamin B12 helps your body:
- Create new RBCs
- Make DNA
- Produce energy
- Regulate mood
- Manage the brain and nervous system.
With that said, you can understand how important Vitamin B12 is and how its deficiency can affect you. Also, some people have reported an unwanted increase in weight as a common side effect of B12 deficiency. Let’s learn more about it below.
Does Vitamin Deficiency Affect Your Weight?
There’s no doubt about the fact that Vitamin B12 plays a vital role in bodily function. However, there’s very little evidence stating Vitamin B12 deficiency causes weight loss or gain. The little evidence comes from some observational studies.
For example, a study observes that people who’re obese have low Vitamin B12 levels as compared to the ones with a normal BMI. Another research showed that people who consumed B12 intentionally put up 2.5-17 fewer pounds over the period of 10 years as compared to the ones who didn’t consume the vitamin.
However, the studies mentioned above cannot confirm whether it was Vitamin B12 behind weight gain. On the contrary, Vitamin B12 deficiency may cause loss of appetite and eventually weight loss.
Because of these contrasting results from various studies, the existing studies or evidence aren’t strong enough to link Vitamin B12 deficiency to potential weight loss or gain.
Effects and Symptoms of Vitamin B12 Deficiency?
Most of the time, a deficiency of Vitamin B12 leads to no serious consequences. However, it can make you feel tired or fatigued throughout the day. Also, as the body stores several times higher amounts of Vitamin B12 than required each day, symptoms might start revealing themselves after years. Here are some symptoms you might notice:
- Jaundiced or pale skin
- Fatigue and weakness
- Sensation of needles and pins
- Mouth ulcers
- Change in mobility
- Disturbed vision
- Dizziness
- Mood Swings
How Much Vitamin B12 Is Required Per Day?
Here’s an age-wise breakdown of Vitamin B12 daily requirements:
- Infants in the 0–6-month age group need 0.4 mcg
- Kids in the 7–12-month age group need 0.5 mcg
- Kids in the 1–3-year age group need 0.9 mcg
- Kids in the 4–8-year age group need 1.2 mcg
- Kids in the 9–13-year age group need 1.8 mcg
- Teens in the 14–18-year age group need 2.4 mcg
- Adults need 2.4 mcg
- Pregnant women and teens need 2.6 mcg
- Breastfeeding women and teens need 2.8 mcg
How Can You Ensure Ample Vitamin B12 Intake?
Now, this is simple. To ensure ample Vitamin B12 intake, make sure to consume the below food items:
- Chicken and meat, preferably red meat and organic meat.
- Seafood and fish like salmon, trout, sardines, tuna, etc.
- Fortified food products such as nutritional yeast, cereals, plant milk, etc.
- Eggs: prefer yolk.
- Vitamin B12 supplements.
Are Vitamin B12 Supplements a Good Source of Vitamin B12?
You should know that your body needs to have the proteins required to enhance nutrient absorption. After all, if your body isn’t able to absorb nutrients from food, eating Vitamin B12-rich food won’t work.
And this is where Vitamin B12 supplements like melts® Vegan Vitamin B12 from Wellbeing Nutrition come into the picture. Let’s learn what this supplement is capable of.
What is Melts® Vegan Vitamin B12?
Melts® Vegan Vitamin B12, as the name suggests, is a Vitamin B12-rich supplement. They are nano Vitamin B12 strips that dissolve quickly when placed on your tongue. Here are the ingredients of Melts Vegan Vitamin B12 that make it special:
The above ingredients help:
- Promote cognitive health.
- Provide the required energy for the day.
- Improve nerve function.
- Reduce fatigue.
- Promote heart health.
With a tiny strip of Melts Vegan Vitamin B12, you can fight Vitamin B12 deficiency and promote your overall health. So, get your pack of Melts Vegan Vitamin B12 supplement now.
Wrapping Up
There is not enough evidence for or against the impact of Vitamin B12 deficiency on your weight. So, drawing a conclusion won’t be a smart move. However, vitamin B12 is essential for your bodily functions, and its deficiency can make you feel exhausted, tired, and stressed, among other things. So, make sure you consume Vitamin B12-rich foods like red meat, seafood, fish, etc.
However, if you’re vegan, want to fight Vitamin B12 deficiency, and want to ensure overall health, try Melts Vegan Vitamin B12 from Wellbeing Nutrition.
References
- Penninx BW, Guralnik JM, Ferrucci L, Fried LP, Allen RH, Stabler SP. Vitamin B(12) deficiency and depression in physically disabled older women: epidemiologic evidence from the Women's Health and Aging Study. Am J Psychiatry. 2000 May;157(5):715-21. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.157.5.715. PMID: 10784463 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10784463/).
- Baltaci D, Kutlucan A, Turker Y, Yilmaz A, Karacam S, Deler H, Ucgun T, Kara IH. Association of vitamin B12 with obesity, overweight, insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome, and body fat composition; primary care-based study. Med Glas (Zenica). 2013 Aug;10(2):203-10. PMID: 23892832. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23892832).
- Nachtigal MC, Patterson RE, Stratton KL, Adams LA, Shattuck AL, White E. Dietary supplements and weight control in a middle-age population. J Altern Complement Med. 2005 Oct;11(5):909-15. doi: 10.1089/acm.2005.11.909. PMID: 16296926. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16296926).
- O'Leary F, Samman S. Vitamin B12 in health and disease. Nutrients. 2010;2(3):299-316. doi:10.3390/nu2030299. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3257642/).
- Vitamin B12 Fact Sheet for Consumers: Taken from: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB12-Consumer/
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