Vitamin B12's primary functions are in the formation of red blood cells and the maintenance of a healthy nervous system. B12 is necessary for the rapid synthesis of DNA during cell division. This is especially important in tissues where cells are dividing rapidly, particularly the bone marrow tissues responsible for red blood cell formation. If B12 deficiency occurs, DNA production is disrupted and abnormal cells called megaloblasts occur. This results in anemia. Symptoms include excessive tiredness, breathlessness, listlessness, pallor, and poor resistance to infection. Other symptoms can include a smooth, sore tongue and menstrual disorders. Anemia may also be due to folic acid deficiency, folic acid also being necessary for DNA synthesis.

Sublingual B-12 gives your body the vitamin B-12 nutrients it needs to naturally give you:

• Increased energy
• Restored mental clarity, and help with memory loss
• Reduced daily stress and irritability
• And many other great health benefits

Doctors know the health benefits of the B vitamin family and have administered vitamin B-12 shots to patients for years—patients who were feeling sluggish, tired, down, or forgetful—and they've seen remarkable results.

B12 is also important in maintaining the nervous system. Nerves are surrounded by an insulating fatty sheath comprised of a complex protein called myelin. B12 plays a vital role in the metabolism of fatty acids essential for the maintenance of myelin. Prolonged B12 deficiency can lead to nerve degeneration and irreversible neurological damage.

Some people have a medical problem called pernicious anemia in which vitamin B 12 is not absorbed from the intestine. Others may have a badly diseased intestine or have had a large part of their stomach or intestine removed, so that vitamin B 12 cannot be absorbed. These people need to receive vitamin B 12 by injection.

Some conditions may increase your need for vitamin B 12. These include:

• Alcoholism
• Anemia, hemolytic
• Fever (continuing)
• Genetic disorders such as homocystinuria and/or methylmalonic aciduria
• Intestine diseases
• Infections (continuing or chronic)
• Kidney disease
• Liver disease
• Pancreas disease
• Stomach disease
• Stress (continuing)
• Thyroid disease
• Worm infections
• In addition, persons that are strict vegetarians or have macrobiotic diets may need vitamin B 12 supplements.
• Increased need for vitamin B 12 should be determined by your health care professional.
• Lack of vitamin B 12 may lead to anemia (weak blood), stomach problems, and nerve damage.
  

We’ve all heard it—get plenty of rest, exercise regularly, eat healthy, and you’ll have energy to burn. True? False! In fact, many adults who live healthy lifestyles are still frustrated by the lack of energy they feel. That’s because many adults are missing an important but simple solution to having more energy—vitamin B-12.

This simple vitamin, common to everyday foods and multivitamins, is crucial to ENERGY. BUT, the question you must ask yourself is:

“Is my body getting the B-12 it needs for energy?”

Medical science has answered this question. And the experts agree that as you get older, your ability to absorb B-12 through digestion (food) continually decreases. In fact, many adults are unable to absorb B-12 into their body at all! Even more, a depletion of vitamin B-12 can be detrimental to your health. Why? Because B-12 plays a key role in the production of chemicals that help regulate sleep, mood, appetite, and ENERGY!

Doctor’s and Scientists worldwide have conducted important studies with regard to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. They gave these patients high doses of B-12 injections. The B-12 shots dramatically increased ENERGY in 80% of the participants and helped them sleep better. Now, doctors everywhere are administering B-12 shots to help their patients have more ENERGY. Yet, the shots are often painful and expensive. So is there another way? A simple, affordable, and less painful way? Yes. LifeSource’s B 12 Complex Sublingual is the way!
When deficiency occurs, it is more commonly linked to a failure to effectively absorb B12 from the intestine rather than a dietary deficiency. Absorption of B12 requires the secretion from the cells lining the stomach of a glycoprotein, known as intrinsic factor. The B12-intrinsic factor complex is then absorbed in the ileum (part of the small intestine) in the presence of calcium. Certain people are unable to produce intrinsic factor and the subsequent pernicious anaemia is treated with injections of B12.

Vitamin B12 can be stored in small amounts by the body. Total body store is 2-5mg in adults. Around 80% of this is stored in the liver.

Vitamin B12 is excreted in the bile and is effectively reabsorbed. This is known as enterohepatic circulation. The amount of B12 excreted in the bile can vary from 1 to 10ug (micrograms) a day. People on diets low in B12, including vegans and some vegetarians, may be obtaining more B12 from reabsorption than from dietary sources. Reabsorption is the reason it can take over 20 years for deficiency disease to develop in people changing to diets absent in B12. In comparison, if B12 deficiency is due to a failure in absorption it can take only 3 years for deficiency disease to occur.

What is B-12?

Vitamin B12 is a member of the vitamin B complex. It contains cobalt, and so is also known as cobalamin. It is exclusively synthesized by bacteria and is found primarily in meat, eggs and dairy products. There has been considerable research into proposed plant sources of vitamin B12. Fermented Soya products, seaweeds, and algae such as spirulina have all been suggested as containing significant B12. However, the present consensus is that any B12 present in plant foods is likely to be unavailable to humans and so these foods should not be relied upon as safe sources. Many vegan foods are supplemented with B12. Vitamin B12 is necessary for the synthesis of red blood cells, the maintenance of the nervous system, and growth and development in children. Deficiency can cause anaemia. Vitamin B12 neuropathy, involving the degeneration of nerve fibers and irreversible neurological damage, can also occur.

The amount of vitamin B12 actually needed by the body is very small, probably only about 2 micrograms or 2 millionth of a gram/day. Unfortunately, vitamin B12 is not absorbed very well so much larger amounts need to be supplied through the diet or supplementation. The richest dietary sources of vitamin B12 are liver, especially lamb's liver, and kidneys. Eggs, cheese and some species of fish also supply small amounts, but vegetables and fruits are very poor sources. Several surveys have shown that most strict, long-term vegetarians are vitamin B12 deficient. Many elderly people are also deficient because their production of the intrinsic factor needed to absorb the vitamin from the small intestine decline rapidly with age.

Fortunately, oral supplementation with vitamin B12 is safe, efficient and inexpensive. Lifesource’s B-12 provides the necessary amount of the vitamin to help from becoming B-12 deficient.