Vitamin B12 is one of the B complex vitamins, and it does not naturally occur in your body. It can only be synthesized through bacteria found in the intestines of animals.
This means that for you to have sufficient levels of the vitamin, you have to get it through animal sources. However, your diet may not provide your body with sufficient levels of the vitamin, or you may be affected with medical conditions that affect your ability to absorb it.
Not having sufficient levels of it can affect your overall health, so supplementation of the vitamin can spell the difference between your being healthy and unhealthy.
One way that taking a Vitamin B12 supplement helps you stay healthy is that the vitamin is needed for the conversion of food to energy.
Thus, if you do not have sufficient levels of it, you may experience weakness or fatigue. Having enough levels of the vitamin can also help maintain your nervous system because it is needed for the building of myelin sheaths, which protect your nerves from damage.
As the vitamin contributes to the production of healthy red blood cells, it may also protect your from anemia.
As mentioned, animal foods are the main source of the vitamin. But, your diet may not have enough of it, especially if you are vegetarian or vegan.
This means that supplementation of it can help protect you from conditions associated with its deficiency. Moreover, even if your diet includes a good amount of animal foods, your ability to absorb it may be affected by your age or drugs you are taking, such as acid-reflux drugs.
As the vitamin is bound to a protein, you need sufficient amounts of stomach acid for it be released and absorbed. In this case, taking it as a supplement can provide you with enough amounts of the vitamin for you to stay healthy.
A Vitamin B12 supplement may be taken through injections or liquid drops, although the latter is the more practical one.
You can just carry it around with you, and all you need to do is place one full dropper of the supplement under your tongue and hold it for twenty seconds before swallowing it.