VITAMIN B12
Anisha Amirthan
What is Vitamin B12?
- A type of vitamin found in a variety of meat products (1)
- Is a key role in the digestion of proteins, fats and carbohydrates (10)
- Helps function the nervous system and formation of red blood cells (10)
- Also referred to as Cobalamin (1)
Physical and Chemical Properties
- Melting point 165-167°C (7)
- Boiling Point 290-295°C (7)
- Soluble in water, ethanol and methanol (7)
- Red in colour (1)
Production and Cost
- $1,800-2,500 per kg (9)
- Supplements produced in the USA, Canada and China (8)
- 15 million Canadians use vitamin supplements (8)
- No exact number for the amount of Vitamin B12 produced. Based on the world's population, we can infer that at least 70% of the population take a form of B12 everyday for 365 days. Thus the amount produced per year is almost infinite.
Safety
- Store at 4°C (7)
- General dose per day is 1-2.5 micrograms (3)
- Use before best before date
- Having alcohol and sleeping pills in your system does not allow for vitamin B12 to work effectively (4)
- Store pill supplements in a cool and dark area as light can affect the degree of how well the supplement will work (8)
- When disposing of vitamin B12, take container to a local pharmacy (7)
Economic Importance
- B12 is required for the proper function and development of the brain, nerves, blood cells, DNA and many other parts of the body (6)
- Strengths all immune systems to reduce overall risk of disease
- Protects from nutrient deficiencies commonly found in vegans and vegetarians (10)
- Ex. Reduces risk of getting conditions like Anemia and Alzheimer's (10)
Ecological/Environmental Implications
- When you are pregnant or breast feeding, it is important to only take a certain amount of B12. Not following this can cause serious side effects. (8)
- Having too much B12 in your body can effect your body negatively. It causes your body to have a high number of red blood cells, also known as Polycythemia Vera. (8)
- If you have the eye disease Leber's disease DO NOT take vitamin B12, it can lead to someone going completely blind. (8)
- Although B12 is used to treat anemia, if you have abnormal blood cells, taking vitamin B12 can cause very strong as serious side effects. (8)
- Other side effects of vitamin B12 include: diarrhea, blood clots, itching, serious allergic reactions etc.
Health/Societal
- Vitamin B12 contributes to several factors of your human body working effectively such as: the nervous system, DNA synthesis and the regulation of red blood cells (7)
- Ex. A study was done on a vegetarian women, she stated that a few months ago, her fingers and does started tingling. She went for blood tests and doctors appointments but nothing was found to be the cause of the problem. Then, a nurse asked her if she was taking vitamin B12. Turns out that she had stopped taking vitamin B12 supplements a few months ago just when the pain began. She then went back on the supplement and within weeks she was back to feeling normal. (5)
- Vitamin B12 can be taken in the form of a tablet, injection or nasal spray (6)
- Vitamin B12 reduces the risk and simulates many diseases such as (8):
- Alzheimer's
- Anemia
- Diabetes
- AIDS
- Cancers
- Allergies
- Depression
- Concentration
Works Cited
1. Adams, Casey. "Vitamin B12." Vitamin B12. N.p., 2012. Web. 18 Sept. 2014.
2. Percentage of Vitamin B-12 sufficiency by age, group and sex. Digital image. Statistics Canada. Health Canada, 11 Feb. 2013. Web. 19 Sept. 2014.
3. Dietitians of Canada. "Dietitians of Canada - Food Sources of Vitamin B12." Dietitians.
Dietitians of Canada, 6 May 2014. Web. 21 Sept. 2014.
4. Evert, Alison. "Vitamin B12: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia." U.S National Library of
Medicine. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 18 Feb. 2013. Web. 21 Sept. 2014.
5. Graedon, Joe, and Teresa Graedon. The People's Pharmacy Quick & Handy Home Remedies.
Washington, DC: National Geographic, 2011. Print.
6. Griffith, H. Winter, and Stephen W. Moore. Complete Guide to Prescription & Nonprescription Drugs: Over 6000 Brand Names, over 1000 Generic Names. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.
7. MP Biomedical. "Vitamin B12, 0.1% in Mannitol." Mpbio. MP Biomedical, 2014. Web. 17
Sept. 2014.
8. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. "Vitamin B12." WebMD. WebMD, 2014. Web.
21 Sept. 2014.
9. "Vitamin B12/Cobalamin." Www.alibaba.com. N.p., 2007. Web. 17 Sept. 2014.
10. Wait, Marianne. Food Cures: Breakthrough Nutritional Prescriptions for Everything
from Colds to Cancer. Pleasantville, NY: Reader's Digest, 2007. Print.