Where Does Vitamin B12 Come From?
Staying on top of your nutrition plan is important, like making sure you're getting enough of the key vitamins and minerals to fuel your swim workouts and subsequent recovery. Vitamin B12, magnesium, and iron, and just a few of the nutrients that are important for swimmers, and are also found in all our Ultima shakes.
Vitamin B12 is important for swimmers and athletes because it helps with important biological processes like protein synthesis, muscle tissue repair, and the production of healthy blood cells. So let's find out more about where this vitamin comes from and how it works with other nutrients in your body to maximize your health and well-being.
What is Vitamin B12?
Vitamin B12 is used by our body to help form red blood cells, which facilitate protein metabolism, and help maintain the key functions of the central nervous system. It's made by anaerobic microorganisms, which are a bacteria that do not require oxygen to live, and are commonly found in the gastrointestinal tract of animals.
How do I get B12?
The best way to get Vitamin B12 into your system is through animal-based proteins. Good choices for protein are meat, poultry, clams, eggs, sardines, salmon, and beef livers. After you've ingested your food sources of this nutrient, the B12 is absorbed by your gastrointestinal tract. Including these in your diet is generally preferable to using a supplement, but if you're eating a plant-based diet, chances are you are B12 deficient and could suffer from anemia.
Are dietary sources enough?
If you're in good or superb health and eating a well-balanced diet that includes animal proteins, healthy carbohydrates, and the right fluids, chances are you won't need to use supplements to get the recommended intake of Vitamin B12.
If you have any issues with your gastrointestinal system that might compromise absorption of this key vitamin, then you might need to supplement your diet. People with Celiac or Crohn's disease should consider taking a supplement, to help manage your health. Swimmers over 50 years old should consider taking a supplement since atrophic gastritis, which is when your body stops producing stomach acid, as this becomes much more common in this age range. Use our Ultima Sports shake to get high quality Vitamin B12 in your diet and avoid the symptoms of a deficiency. These include memory loss, poor balance, tingling in hands and/or feet, or depression.
Ultimately, your nutrition and overall performance is your responsibility and that of your families, so make sure that you're getting enough of this key vitamin, as well as other nutrients to keep healthy and nutritious.
Sources:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/08/130808124052.htm
http://nutritionstudies.org/12-questions-answered-regarding-vitamin-b12/
https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002403.htm
http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/top-10-foods-vitamin-b12/