Vitamin B12 is an essential nutrient that the body absorbs through eating certain foods. Chief among its primary functions is to keep the body’s nerve and blood cells healthy and help make DNA, the genetic material in all cells. In some people, dietary intake of B12 is impeded, however. When a person lacks in the essential vitamin a difficulty with losing weight may occur.
When a person undergoes exercise, fat loss is accelerated with the body relying strongly upon its respiratory and circulatory system.
Both of these are hindered when a person has low B12 levels.
In that case, exercise may produce fewer results when trying to lose weight and fatigue means sufferers will be incapable of prolonged exercise.
A vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to long-term weight control problems, according to health experts.
When the body’s natural balance is disrupted, it typically responds by slowing down the metabolism, conserving fat stores, and burning fewer calories throughout the day.
This all results in the weight scales not moving down despite all your efforts.
What the studies say
In a study published in the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, association of vitamin B12 with obesity, overweight, insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome were investigated.
The study noted: “The study enrolled 976 patients (obesity: 414, overweight: 212, and control: 351).
“Vitamin B12 level was significantly lower in patients with obesity and overweight than healthy individuals.”
The study concluded that low vitamin B12 level was associated with obesity and overweight, but not with insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and gender.
“Vitamin B12 was negatively correlated only with body mass index.
A recent study on US population shows that high serum vitamin B12 levels are inversely proportional to body weight, but the underlying mechanism needs further investigation.
A study in New York states that long-term supplementation with vitamin B12 can lead to less weight gain.
However, more studies are required to arrive at a conclusion.
It has been noted though that low vitamin B12 levels are observed among people with obesity issues.
To absorb vitamin B12 effectively, your body requires an intact stomach and gut, a well-functioning pancreas, and sufficiently high levels of intrinsic factor, a protein that binds to vitamin B12 in the stomach
Adult women require 2.4 mcg of vitamin B12 per day.
This requirement increases to 2.8 mcg per day during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Adult men can meet their needs by consuming 2.6 mcg of vitamin B12 per day.
Extra vitamin B12 can be stored in the liver, and only small amounts are lost through your urine, sweat, or stools each day.
Because of this and the small daily requirements, it can take a year or longer of insufficient vitamin B12 intake to develop an overt deficiency.
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