BIO - Dr. Isabel Lopez MD
Vitamin B 12 is one of the most vital nutrients for the body. I would even dare to say that it is the mother of all supplements! Egg yolks, meat, liver, and oily fish are the main dietary sources of vitamin B12. It is such a special nutrient it requires a certain protein called Intrinsic Factor to carry it from the stomach into the small intestine, where it is absorbed. No or low Intrinsic Factor effects your body’s ability to absorb this vital nutrient. So there is a two-part problem here. Part one is that most of us are not eating a diet with enough egg yolks, meat, liver and oily fish (only because we have been erroneously informed that fat equals high cholesterol, and that is a whole other topic!). Part two is that most of us are not producing enough Intrinsic Factor due to chronic stress, alcohol intake, excess caffeine, sugar, antibiotics, gastritis, medications (antacids, proton pump inhibitors, metformin, etc) or any type of weight loss surgery. So not only are we not eating enough Vitamin B12 rich foods, but we are also absorbing less than we used to because of the way we live! The result is sub-optimal B12 levels that can lead to sluggishness, mental fatigue, high homocysteine levels, sleeping difficulty, numbness and tingling, depression…I could go on and on because Vitamin B12 is normally involved in the metabolism of EVERY CELL of the human body, especially affecting DNA synthesis and regulation, the production of ATP, fatty acid metabolism and amino acid metabolism. Basically every single inner machination of the human cell requires B12! It is also a vital component to our body’s methylation process. Methylation is a key biochemical process that is essential for the proper function of almost all of your body’s systems. It occurs billions of times every second; it helps REPAIR your DNA on a daily basis; it CONTROLS homocysteine (an unhealthy compound that can damage blood vessels); it helps RECYCLE molecules needed for detoxification; and it helps MAINTAIN mood and keep inflammation in check. Without enough B Vitamins, methylation breaks down, i.e we can't REPAIR, CONTROL, RECYCLE or MAINTAIN.......not good!
The normal lab values for B12 range from 200-1100. That is a very wide range, but most patients will have symptoms once the level gets below 400, specifically fatigue. So now what? If you have your Vitamin B 12 level checked and you are below 400, I suggest supplementing. If you have a problem with absorbing your B12 due to poor intrinsic factor (which I believe we all have low levels of because of our crazy lives), then increasing your intake of B12 rich foods alone may not make a difference, because you will not absorb it. By supplementing, I mean adding a daily sublingual (under the tongue) B12 or getting B12 injections, both forms directly absorb B12 into your bloodstream and do not require Intrinsic Factor.
To B or not to B, that is the question. You can continue to ignore the vague signs and write them off to a busy life, or you can listen to your body and get your levels checked!"
Call (817)-328-0331 to learn more about the benefits of B12.
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This article appeared in the December issue of Society Life Magazine Pg 68. It was written by our own Dr. Ana Isabel Lopez.
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