Vitamin B12: What Doctors Aren't Telling You, But Should!

In my early days of practicing medicine, people used to go to their doctor to get a shot of vitamin B12, and they felt dramatically better. In fact, people used to beg me for the shot. The reason it worked is that many people are walking around with a vitamin B12 deficit.

Yet, even today, most doctors fail to test for vitamin B12. As a result, many patients are walking around with a deficit of this critical vitamin.

Here are 5 must-have facts about vitamin B12:

1. You can’t have a healthy heart without it. Your body needs vitamin B12 to neutralize harmful homocysteine, a widely-recognized risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

2. Low B12 can cause Alzheimer’s. A British study shows that patients with Alzheimer’s had lower levels of B12. That’s because it helps to support nerve function and offset high levels of homocysteine, which cause free radical damage to endothelial cells lining the blood vessels.

3. Vitamin B12 protects your prostate. That’s because it helps to minimize chromosomal breakage, reducing the risk of prostate cancer.
 
4. Microwave ovens break down vitamin B12 into inactive substances.

5. Your ability to absorb vitamin B12 diminishes with age. Many of us beyond our 40s and 50s gradually lose intrinsic factor. That is, as we age, the amount of vitamins we can actually absorb from food declines as hydrochloric acid secretion diminishes over time. I can tell you that doctors in the know take vitamin B12.

6. Statins deplete your body’s supply of Vitamin B12—so if you’re on a statin, supplementing with B12 is critical.

How much vitamin B12 do you need? I recommend taking 200 mcg of B12 daily.
 
Now it’s your turn: Do you take vitamin B12?

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• B-Vitamins Can Save Your Heart and Your Life
• Nutrients that Protect Your Prostate