The supplement that can help with brain fog
If you’re battling brain fog and struggling to concentrate at work, or simply feel flat-out exhausted, the chances are you’ll reach for a caffeine fix or sugary snack. But before you do, consider this: it could be time to reach for a lesser known, healthier pick-me-up. Vitamin B12 is an often-overlooked vitamin which is essential to keep our brains sharp and our nervous system firing on all cylinders. It is also key to healthy blood cell formation.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) have recently alerted doctors to the risk of vitamin B12 deficiency in people taking metformin, a widely used treatment for type 2 diabetes, which affects how efficiently the vitamin is absorbed by the body. In a drug safety update, it suggested that patients with risk factors for B12 deficiency should be monitored. But what about the rest of us: could low levels of vitamin B12 be to blame for our waning powers of concentration?
Recent estimates from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) suggest that B12 deficiency affects 11% of vegans. Older people are also more at risk. Overall, B12 deficiency affects about 6% of people under 60, and 20% of those over 60. When we get older our appetites dwindle, so we may consume less food containing vitamin B12. We are also less able to absorb it effectively. Other at-risk groups include those who have had abdominal or bowel surgery, and anyone who takes long-term antacid drugs for heartburn.
Early symptoms of a deficiency include tiredness, fatigue and mood changes. But if a vitamin B12 deficiency is left unchecked, things could get more serious. In extreme cases vitamin B12 deficiency has also been linked to nerve damage and cardiovascular disease.
Meat, eggs, fish and dairy products are the primary dietary sources of vitamin B12. If you don’t eat meat or dairy and you follow a vegan or vegetarian diet, you certainly need to be aware of the risk of a deficiency. Fortunately, even if you’re vegan, or just prefer to eat less meat and dairy, there are still plenty of ways you can bolster your vitamin B12. “Plant based milks, like almond and soya, are often fortified with B12 and Marmite is also high in vitamin B12. But what about supplements? If we’re in an at-risk group, should we be popping a pill? Although it is possible to get enough vitamin B12 through diet alone, whether you’re plant-based or not, supplements are also a great way to ensure you get the recommended daily amount, whether in spray, powder or tablet form.
B12 is a water-soluble vitamin, so the kidneys process them and any excess is flushed from the body in the urine. So, you don’t need to worry too much about exceeding the recommended daily intake. Daily diet and supplements aside, you’ll need a healthy gut and a good volume of stomach acid to efficiently absorb the nutrient. Aside from the diabetes drug metformin, which hinders absorption of vitamin B12 in the bowel, other medications like omeprazole, which depletes stomach acid and is widely used to treat indigestion, heartburn, acid reflux and stomach ulcers, can put you at risk of deficiency. If you are concerned, ask your doctor for a blood test to determine if you are deficient.
Extracts taken from Madeleine Howell from www.telegraph.co.uk