Vitamin B-12 (1000 mcg) with Folic Acid (100 Lozenges)
NOW B12 1000mcg is a Vitamin B-12 supplement – this vitamin plays important roles in nerve sheath and red blood cell formation. It contains:
- Vitamin B12: Aids in the formation of red blood cells, the activation of amino acids during protein formation, as well as in carbohydrate and fat metabolism
- Folic Acid: Also known as Vitamin B9, it is essential for heart health
Why use NOW B12 1000 mcg?
NOW B12 1000mcg is a vegetarian formula Vitamin B-12 supplement that supplies all your daily needs of this essential vitamin. It can help:
- Prevent or reverse pernicious anemia - a condition in which the body can't make enough healthy red blood cells.
- Aid in the production of DNA
- Promote normal growth and development.
Who can benefit from NOW B12 1000 mcg?
NOW B12 1000 mcg is a one a day that ensures that you aren’t deficient in B-12.
Assists with:
- Loss of memory
- Poor concentration
- Increased your energy levels
- Chronic fatigue
Vitamin B12 is one of eight vitamins in the B complex. A water-soluble vitamin, B12 works closely with other B vitamins, particularly folic acid. Vitamin B12 activates the folic acid coenzyme and is also activated as a coenzyme by folic acid.
Vitamin B12 is necessary for the synthesis of DNA and RNA. It is also involved in the synthesis of red blood cells. In addition, Vitamin B12 protects nerve fibers by maintaining the sheath that surrounds them, and it promotes the normal growth of nerve fibers as well.
In foods, Vitamin B12 is attached to proteins. After the food is consumed, hydrochloric acid and pepsin in the stomach release Vitamin B12 from protein so that it can be absorbed into the bloodstream.
Vitamin B12 deficiency is almost always due to poor absorption rather than inadequate intake. Poor absorption of Vitamin B12 may be due to insufficient hydrochloric acid production in the stomach or to lack of “intrinsic factor,” a substance that binds to Vitamin B12 after it is released from protein and enables it to be absorbed into the blood.
When Vitamin B12 deficiency is due to lack of intrinsic factor, it is called pernicious anemia and is characterized by large, malformed red blood cells.
Because Vitamin B12 is involved in the conversion of folic acid into its active form, folic acid deficiency anemia is another possible consequence of inadequate absorption of Vitamin B12.
Symptoms of Vitamin B12 deficiency include neurological problems that may eventually lead to paralysis of the nerves and muscles. Other neurological symptoms include dementia that may appear to be Alzheimer’s disease. Supplementation with Vitamin B12 may reverse these symptoms. Vitamin B12 deficiency may also be connected with a range of other adverse conditions, including depression, asthma, diabetic neuropathy, and tinnitis (ringing in the ears).
The body needs about two micrograms of Vitamin B12 per day, but because it is not absorbed easily, the actual amount that must be consumed is larger. The best food sources of Vitamin B12 are animal proteins, including meat, fish, poultry, milk, cheese, and eggs. Because Vitamin B12 is obtained primarily from animal products, strict vegetarians (vegans) are at risk for Vitamin B12 deficiency.
Also older people may be at risk for deficiency because they produce less of the intrinsic factor needed to absorb Vitamin B12 into the bloodstream. When there is a concern that diet does not supply adequate amounts of Vitamin B12, supplements may be taken.
Most supplements contain cyanocobalamin, a form of Vitamin B12 that must be converted to methylcobalamin or adenosycobolamin before the body can utilize it. Because of this, only about 2 micrograms of Vitamin B12 may be absorbed from a 100-microgram tablet.
Sublingual supplements of methylcobalamin that dissolve under the tongue are considered the most absorbable type of Vitamin B12 supplement. Sublingual supplements are usually taken in 1000 microgram doses, which are sufficient to maintain daily requirements of B12.
Vegetarians and older people may need larger doses. Since Vitamin B12 is water-soluble, excess amounts are excreted in the urine and little potential for toxicity exists.
Folic acid is one of eight vitamins that comprise the B-vitamin complex. The primary role of folic acid is to act as a coenzyme during metabolic activity throughout the body. Single carbon compounds produced by metabolic reactions are handled in part by the folic acid coenzyme.
Processes that require folic acid include the production of red blood cells, DNA synthesis, and control of the amino acid homocysteine, which is implicated in heart disease and other problems when it is present in the bloodstream in high amounts.
Folic acid is also needed for the growth of skin cells, bone health, and nerve function. It works in concert with other members of the B-vitamin complex to protect against fractures associated with osteporosis.
Folic acid is also associated with neurological health, again because of its ability to metabolize homocysteine, which has the potential to destroy brain cells that manufacture neurotransmitters.
Perhaps the most significant role of folic acid in the body is to protect a developing fetus from birth defects, most notably from the condition known as neural tube defect. Folic acid ensures that the neural tube, a structure of the fetus that eventually becomes the baby’s brain, closes properly during development. If the neural tube does not close properly with the help of folic acid, brain damage and spinal problems may result.
For this reason, pregnant women and women who may become pregnant are strongly urged to consume foods that contain folic acid or to take supplements if necessary.
Since folic acid plays an important role in red blood cell development, one of its deficiency symptoms is a type of anemia known as macrocytic (large cell) anemia. Symptoms of folic acid anemia include fatigue, weakness, and “brain fog.” Other symptoms of folic acid deficiency include periodontal disease, cardiovascular problems, bone fractures, depression, and irritability.
Adults need about 400 micrograms of folic acid daily. Dark leafy green vegetables, such as kale, spinach, leaf lettuce, collard greens, and broccoli are excellent sources of folic acid.
Supplements are also available for people concerned about getting enough folic acid through diet alone, particularly pregnant women and women of childbearing years who may become pregnant. The best supplements are those that contain 400 micrograms of folic acid in combination with other B-vitamins, since all of the B-vitamins work in concert and must all be present in adequate amounts for any one of them to function efficiently.
Folic acid supplements appear to be safe in doses as high as 1,000 micrograms. Larger doses may actually produce symptoms similar to those that appropriate doses of folic acid prevent.
