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Vitamin B12, also known as cobalamin, is a water-soluble nutrient that cannot be stored in the body for long periods. It is mainly found in animal products, making strict vegetarians at risk of deficiency. Intrinsic factor is necessary for its absorption, and deficiency can lead to pernicious anemia. Cobalamin is essential for the proper functioning of the nervous system, red blood cell production, and metabolism. It can also treat nerve damage and is available in pill and sublingual form.
Cobalamin is the scientific name for vitamin B12, one of the B-complex vitamins that was synthesized in 1948. Crystals of this nutrient, also known as cyanocobalamin, are bright red, which is why it is sometimes referred to as the red vitamin. . It is water soluble, so it cannot be stored in the body as long as it contains fat-soluble nutrients, so it is necessary to receive it daily. However, most of the cobalamin found in the body is stored in the liver. Children cannot store this nutrient while adults do.
Unlike the other B vitamins, the natural form of cobalamin is not present in plants commonly eaten as foods. Alfalfa and the Chinese herb dong quai, however, supply the vitamin in very small amounts. Strict vegetarians, also called vegans, are at risk of developing a cobalamin deficiency because meat and dairy are the only foods that supply it. People who choose to follow a strict vegetarian diet are recommended to take a cobalamin supplement. Vitamin B12 is generally sold in the United States in pill form to be taken with a liquid, preferably at mealtimes, and in sublingual form, both of which are available at health food stores and pharmacies.
Sublingual tablets are usually very small and are held under the tongue until completely dissolved rather than chewed or swallowed with a liquid like a traditional pill. Other people who could develop a cobalamin deficiency, even if they eat meat, are those who are deficient in what is known as intrinsic factor, a special protein found in gastric juice. Between 30 and 70 percent of cobalamin is absorbed from food when intrinsic factor is sufficient. When it is deficient, a condition known as pernicious anemia inevitably develops.
The proper functioning of the nervous system, including the brain; the production of red blood cells; and the metabolism of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates require sufficient intake and absorption of cobalamin. Some types of nerve damage can be treated with this vitamin, and it may be prescribed for people who have had part of their gastrointestinal tract surgically removed, because such a procedure can greatly interfere with the absorption of any nutrient. This nutrient is widespread in animal products, particularly sardines, sole, herring, snapper, milk, and dairy products such as cheese. Speculated but unproven health benefits of vitamin B12 include treatment of mental and nervous disorders, stimulation of height growth, and increased energy.
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