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vivianstelle
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« on: May 17, 2010, 06:36:19 PM » |
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Vitamin B12 is an essential vitamin that is not produced in the human body and has to be ingested from external sources. However, it plays a number of very important roles in the body, including taking an active role in the creation and regulation of cells, the replication of DNA, the metabolizing of fatty acids as well as the production of energy. Although the vitamin itself, as well as the body's method of absorbing it is extremely complex, the body only needs a small amount of Vitamin B12 to meets its basic needs. Further, the liver also stores excess B12, often enough to keep the body healthy for several years, so going without daily intake rarely results in a deficiency or other problems.
According to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the standard Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of B12 is 2.4 micrograms per day for a person over the age of fourteen years old. This number is slightly increased to 2.6 mcg and 2.8 mcg for pregnant women and lactating women respectively. Most well nourished people receive this minimum dosage of Vitamin B12 naturally through the consumption of animal products (meat, fish, eggs, dairy) on a regular basis. Other people that have medical conditions that prevent their bodies from properly absorbing B12 are able to take it as a supplement in several different ways in order to avoid having a deficiency.
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