Depression and Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Vitamin B12 And Depression
By Christopher Fitch

Feeling a little depressed more than usual is not really that unusual. Depending on the season, weather and daily stress levels, a change in mood is to be expected by most of us. However, serious depression (or clinical depression as it is often termed) represents a true threat to our emotional stability as well as the relationships we have with those who are closest to us. Treating this becomes increasingly important, but if we do not qualify for medication according to our doctor, finding "medical" help might be a challenge.

Something your doctor might mention to you is that your vitamin B12 levels are low. Low B12 levels come with several consequences and depression is one of them. In fact, clinically depressed patients have proven that B12 levels and depression have an inverse relationship. So it may make sense to focus on increasing your daily dosage of vitamin B12. For most of us, that means eating the right foods that are rich in Vitamin B12.

The problem with eating B12-rich foods is that as we age our digestive system has greater difficulty in separating out the B12 and introducing it to our system, a vital process in ensuring that our levels stay positive and, above all else, avoid deficiency. And because the process is a particularly difficult one for our system to execute, no matter how much liver we eat (arguably the food that is richest in B12), we still may witness a drop in B12 levels. In other words, diet alone (no matter how well-intentioned it is) may fail us.

The solution in these cases is to supplements. Often, a One-A-Day vitamin can help us meet our B12 needs on a daily basis and in no time the mild depression that has led us to investigate the issue in the first place will start to ease. Not because of diet, but because we are getting the B12 our systems need.

In some cases (and it seems this is the case more and more often these days) the problem is not necessarily with the foods or supplements, but in the digestive system as a whole. While supplements are frequently easier for our system to process, if the mechanism itself is "broken," then people need to bypass it entirely. And for some people who feel their depression is not getting better but is in fact getting worse, it could be the result of a broken system. This is where B12 injections play a part.

With B12 injections, your medical professional will inject the commercially available B12 supplement straight into your system, bypassing the digestive system as a whole. This is not to say that the dosage will be any different than what you would get from food or supplements, but it will actually reach your system and do its job. This, after all, is the whole point.

So if you are feeling depressed but your mental state is insufficient to warrant heavier, prescribed medication, it is worth asking your medical professional about your B12 levels. If the levels are low, changing your diet to incorporate B12-rich foods and/or taking supplements is usually a wise first step. If that fails, then injections may be your only option.

Learn more about some of the most common Vitamin B12 Deficiency Symptoms that could impact your mood and mental health at B12-Facts.com, a website dedicated to Vitamin B12.

As the editor of B12-Facts.com Christopher Fitch has written about many health related matters, particularly when it comes to sleep health. He has recently taken a keen interest in Vitamin B12 Facts to help prepare for the dreary winter months.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christopher_Fitch
http://EzineArticles.com/?Vitamin-B12-And-Depression&id=6669606

Do Vitamin B12 Shots Help with Weight Loss?

Are vitamin B-12 injections helpful for weight loss?

Answer

from Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.

There's no solid evidence that vitamin B-12 in any form — including vitamin B-12 injections — improves weight loss.

Vitamin B-12 is a water-soluble B complex vitamin found naturally in a variety of foods, including meat, fish and dairy products. Vitamin B-12 can also be made commercially in a lab. Vitamin B-12 is added to some foods and is available as a dietary supplement in tablet form or as an injection. Vitamin B-12 is commonly prescribed to help treat pernicious anemia and B-12 deficiency.

Some weight-loss clinics offer vitamin B-12 injections as part of their weight-loss programs. Proponents of vitamin B-12 injections for weight loss say the shots give you more energy and boost your metabolism, helping you shed unwanted pounds. But unless you have a vitamin B-12 deficiency, vitamin B-12 injections aren't likely to give you an energy boost. Getting large amounts of vitamin B-12 through vitamin B-12 injections isn't likely to harm your health. But vitamin B-12 can interfere with the effectiveness of some medications, so if you receive vitamin B-12 injections, be sure to let your doctor know.

If you're hoping to lose weight, resist the lure of quick and easy solutions. What counts is a healthy lifestyle. Enjoy healthier foods and include physical activity in your daily routine. If you're worried about your vitamin B-12 level, talk to your doctor and consider eating more foods that are rich in vitamin B-12, rather than turning to vitamin B-12 injections.