By George Hollis
By most statistics, maybe as many as 80% of aging baby boomers intend to work past the age of 65. It is not that most will not have the money they need to retire, most will, some more comfortably than others of course. The real question is will we be able to maintain the health needed to carry on at such a pace that we are accustomed to.
So as baby boomers intend to push on in the work place and other areas of life, supplements such as vitamin B12 will play a big part in our lives. This particular vitamin will help in many areas of our health that we used to take for granted when young.
Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble vitamin and is part of the B-complex group. It is found in such foods as meat, dairy products, fish and shellfish and the recommended Daily Value for the vitamin is 6.0 mg/day.
Let's look at some of the benefits.
* It helps to maintain healthy nerve cells.
* It helps to maintain healthy red blood cells.
* It has been linked in helping to prevent heart disease and stroke.
* It helps in the DNA process of our bodies.
Nerve Cells
The vitamin, sometimes called cobalamin because it contains the metal cobalt, is used by the body to maintain healthy nerve cells. As pertaining to the nervous system, vitamin B12 is essential to fatty acid metabolism. The nerves are protected by a sheath, called the myelin sheath. It is maintained by the fatty acid and when improper synthesis occurs there is resulting damage and neuropathy.
This is usually a long process and is normally caused by a lack of absorption of the vitamin in the intestines. It is somewhat common with aging baby boomers and some of the more pronounced symptoms are cognitive impairment and physical symptoms such as numbness and tingling in the feet and hands. As stated above this is caused by the literal breakdown of the insulating effects of the myelin sheath.
Red Blood Cells
Red blood cells are primarily produced within the body's bone marrow. Vitamin B12 aids in the production of DNA which in return helps the bone marrow to produce healthy red blood cells.
In 1959 a doctor by the name of Max Perutz discovered that red blood cells have a component called hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is the agent in the cells that is responsible for delivering oxygen to the tissues of the body.
If the red blood cells are not healthy, then the tissues and organs of the body began to suffer in this deficiency. Broken down to the bare minimum, one could say that the body lives because of one fact. Oxygen is delivered to the tissues of the body for combustion and carbon dioxide, as the waste product, is carried back to the lungs and expelled.
Red blood cells and hemoglobin also play a role concerning anemia. Anemia is the result of the body not producing enough red blood cells and/or hemoglobin. One form of anemia, called pernicious anemia, is caused by the lack of vitamin B12. The deficiency of the vitamin in some cases was caused by the gastric cells not secreting a glycoprotein, called intrinsic factor, that aids in the absorption of the vitamin.
Homocysteine Metabolism
Homocysteine is one of those good and bad boys of life. It is an amino acid and is necessary in the metabolism of methionine, another amino acid. Methionine and homocysteine will be covered in more detail in other pages.
Briefly, methionine has been shown to be helpful in such areas as depression, liver disorders and osteoarthritis. On the other hand, higher levels of homocysteine have been related to heart disease, stroke and bone weakness. All of these are of great importance to aging baby boomers.
Vitamin B12 is one of the B-group vitamins that is essential in helping to regulate the level of homocysteine. Sometimes there is a problem in the absorption of the vitamin which consequently results in irregular levels of the amino acid. The malabsorption of the vitamin in aging baby boomers may very well be because of a lack of gastric juices produced by the body. Adequate absorption is usually accomplished when taken in the form of a dietary supplement.
Other areas of interest include the fact that people with low blood levels of vitamin B12 have been associated with Alzheimer's disease and bouts of depression. There have been studies that also suggest that colon and breast cancer may be associated with people having suboptimal levels of the B-complex vitamins.
Specific to the Baby Boomers
Nervous System - The nervous system is supported by it's neurotransmitters being protected and strengthened by vitamin B12 dependent enzymes.
Red Blood Cells - Red blood cell metabolism is aided. This includes the production of hemoglobin, the oxygen carrying agent in the red blood cells.
Amino Acids Metabolism - Homocysteine for instance, an amino acid, is kept in check by the B complex vitamins. Over production may be linked to dementia, heart disease and stroke.
NOTE - Older adults that have gastrointestinal problems may also have malabsorption difficulties with the vitamin, therefore should be taken as a supplement.
RECOMMENDATION - The Institute of Medicine recommends that adults older than 50 years get most of their vitamin B12 in the form of a supplement.
By most statistics, maybe as many as 80% of aging baby boomers intend to work past the age of 65. It is not that most will not have the money they need to retire, most will, some more comfortably than others of course. The real question is will we be able to maintain the health needed to carry on at such a pace that we are accustomed to.
So as baby boomers intend to push on in the work place and other areas of life, supplements such as vitamin B12 will play a big part in our lives. This particular vitamin will help in many areas of our health that we used to take for granted when young.
Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble vitamin and is part of the B-complex group. It is found in such foods as meat, dairy products, fish and shellfish and the recommended Daily Value for the vitamin is 6.0 mg/day.
Let's look at some of the benefits.
* It helps to maintain healthy nerve cells.
* It helps to maintain healthy red blood cells.
* It has been linked in helping to prevent heart disease and stroke.
* It helps in the DNA process of our bodies.
Nerve Cells
The vitamin, sometimes called cobalamin because it contains the metal cobalt, is used by the body to maintain healthy nerve cells. As pertaining to the nervous system, vitamin B12 is essential to fatty acid metabolism. The nerves are protected by a sheath, called the myelin sheath. It is maintained by the fatty acid and when improper synthesis occurs there is resulting damage and neuropathy.
This is usually a long process and is normally caused by a lack of absorption of the vitamin in the intestines. It is somewhat common with aging baby boomers and some of the more pronounced symptoms are cognitive impairment and physical symptoms such as numbness and tingling in the feet and hands. As stated above this is caused by the literal breakdown of the insulating effects of the myelin sheath.
Red Blood Cells
Red blood cells are primarily produced within the body's bone marrow. Vitamin B12 aids in the production of DNA which in return helps the bone marrow to produce healthy red blood cells.
In 1959 a doctor by the name of Max Perutz discovered that red blood cells have a component called hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is the agent in the cells that is responsible for delivering oxygen to the tissues of the body.
If the red blood cells are not healthy, then the tissues and organs of the body began to suffer in this deficiency. Broken down to the bare minimum, one could say that the body lives because of one fact. Oxygen is delivered to the tissues of the body for combustion and carbon dioxide, as the waste product, is carried back to the lungs and expelled.
Red blood cells and hemoglobin also play a role concerning anemia. Anemia is the result of the body not producing enough red blood cells and/or hemoglobin. One form of anemia, called pernicious anemia, is caused by the lack of vitamin B12. The deficiency of the vitamin in some cases was caused by the gastric cells not secreting a glycoprotein, called intrinsic factor, that aids in the absorption of the vitamin.
Homocysteine Metabolism
Homocysteine is one of those good and bad boys of life. It is an amino acid and is necessary in the metabolism of methionine, another amino acid. Methionine and homocysteine will be covered in more detail in other pages.
Briefly, methionine has been shown to be helpful in such areas as depression, liver disorders and osteoarthritis. On the other hand, higher levels of homocysteine have been related to heart disease, stroke and bone weakness. All of these are of great importance to aging baby boomers.
Vitamin B12 is one of the B-group vitamins that is essential in helping to regulate the level of homocysteine. Sometimes there is a problem in the absorption of the vitamin which consequently results in irregular levels of the amino acid. The malabsorption of the vitamin in aging baby boomers may very well be because of a lack of gastric juices produced by the body. Adequate absorption is usually accomplished when taken in the form of a dietary supplement.
Other areas of interest include the fact that people with low blood levels of vitamin B12 have been associated with Alzheimer's disease and bouts of depression. There have been studies that also suggest that colon and breast cancer may be associated with people having suboptimal levels of the B-complex vitamins.
Specific to the Baby Boomers
Nervous System - The nervous system is supported by it's neurotransmitters being protected and strengthened by vitamin B12 dependent enzymes.
Red Blood Cells - Red blood cell metabolism is aided. This includes the production of hemoglobin, the oxygen carrying agent in the red blood cells.
Amino Acids Metabolism - Homocysteine for instance, an amino acid, is kept in check by the B complex vitamins. Over production may be linked to dementia, heart disease and stroke.
NOTE - Older adults that have gastrointestinal problems may also have malabsorption difficulties with the vitamin, therefore should be taken as a supplement.
RECOMMENDATION - The Institute of Medicine recommends that adults older than 50 years get most of their vitamin B12 in the form of a supplement.
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