What are the benefits of taking Vitamin B12?
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"What are the benefits of taking Vitamin B12?"
Vitamin B12 is a vital nutrient that plays a critical role in maintaining overall health. It supports red blood cell production, protects the nervous system, aids in DNA synthesis, and helps convert food into energy. Deficiency in this essential vitamin can lead to fatigue, anemia, neurological issues, and even cognitive decline. People who get on an effective B12 regiment frequently report:
- Reduced occurrence of rash
- Improved bowel movements
- Increased energy
- Increased concentration and memory
- Improved mood
- Improved sleep
This is due to the diverse roles B12 plays in mitochondrial health. The benefits listed above are reported by a large number of the general population who correct a B12 deficiency.
The Link Between Autism and Vitamin B12
Emerging research suggests a connection between Vitamin B12 deficiency and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Studies have found that children with autism often display lower levels of B12 and higher levels of homocysteine, indicating impaired methylation processes. Methyl B12 supplementation, particularly through injections, has shown promise in improving certain symptoms in some children with autism by enhancing DNA methylation. Addressing B12 deficiency is often one of the most valuable steps that families managing ASD can take. The benefits reported by parents in the autism community are staggering.
Vitamin B12 has been used as a treatment of autism for over 20 years, and much of what we have learned about the vitamin and the metabolic processes it governs comes from studying its use in that context. Two decades of observation by thousands of parents around the world have reported many similar effects. The benefits I am about to list just happen to be the most common. This does not mean every child has experienced all of these (or any of these) or that these are the only benefits that can be attributed to this treatment. Those commonly reported benefits of vitamin B12 treatment include:
- Improved cognition
- Reduced fatigue
- Increased affection
- Increased alertness
- Improved mood
- Increased appetite
- More assertive
- Increased desire to communicate verbally
- Improved verbal expression, putting more words and/or ideas together
- Improved receptive language
- More age-appropriate behavior
- More appropriate play
- Better eye contact
- Improved motor skills
- Improved bowel function
- Reduced anxiety
- Understanding of cause and effect
- Less rigid about routine
- Less clumsy
- Increased compliance
- Improved comprehension
- Reduced compulsive behavior
- Increased concentration
- More conversational or back-and-forth interaction
- Improved allergy symptoms (such as dark circles under the eyes)
- Better at following directions
- Understanding choices
- Reduction in appearance of skin rashes, including eczema
- More engaged with others and less in their own world
- Begin to have rational fears and begin to let go of irrational fears
- Understanding of feelings
- Calmer and less easily frustrated
- May begin to sing for the first time, or increased interest in singing
- Growth spurt
- Ability to generalize is improved
- Improved gesturing
- Enjoying humor and begining to understand humor better
- More imaginative and creative
- Improved imitation skills
- Improved immune system
- Improved independence
- Initiation of play or interaction with others
- More inquisitive
- Broader interests (less restricted to a singular obsession)
- Learning with reduced requirement for prompts
- Improved memory
- Open to trying new things
- Improved quality of sleep
- Increased formation of opinions
- Pays more attention to people
- Improved reading skills
- Makes more requests
- Quicker response time (less time required to process)
- Improved ability to retain what is learned and build upon previous knowledge
- Less fidgety
- Improved time, place, and space awareness
- Improved prosody or tone inflection (speech is less monotone or robotic sounding)
- Increased answering of questions, including yes and no questions
- Increased asking of questions such as “what, where, who, when, and why” or answers with "because"
Here I have listed 58 commonly reported benefits of correcting a functional vitamin B12 deficiency in children with autism. If you are following the B12 Protocol in that context, please do not expect your child to demonstrate all 58 benefits in the first couple months of starting. But in five years, should you stick it out, I would be willing to bet that you will look back on where your child was when they began this therapy and where they are now, and can say that most if not ALL of the 58 listed benefits will be witnessed to varying degrees in your child.
If you are an adult living with a functional vitamin B12 deficiency condition, you likewise should feel many of the relevant symptoms gradually resolve as time unfolds.
Improving neurological development with the B12 Protocol is a long-term process, and many good things will be witnessed by those who are patient enough to continue through the seemingly uneventful developmental plateaus. Rest assured, change is happening during those dull periods, perhaps only at the metabolic level, waiting to manifest physically at the appropriate time.
The Problem with Oral Supplements
Oral Vitamin B12 supplements are widely available, but their absorption is limited. This is because the body requires intrinsic factor—a protein produced in the stomach—for effective absorption of B12 in the intestines. Many individuals lack sufficient intrinsic factor due to conditions like pernicious anemia or gastrointestinal disorders, making oral supplementation ineffective for reversing functional deficiencies. Even high-dose oral supplements rely on passive diffusion, which absorbs only a small percentage of the dose.
Why Transdermal Delivery is Superior
For those unable to absorb adequate B12 orally, alternatives like intramuscular injections or transdermal delivery are necessary. While injections are effective, they can be inconvenient, painful, and expensive. Transdermal delivery, such as Spectrum Sciences Activated B12 Oil, offers a cost-effective, non-invasive and highly effective solution. This method bypasses gastrointestinal absorption entirely by delivering B12 directly through the skin into the bloodstream. It provides consistent absorption without the need for medical visits or high-dose oral supplements that may not work. What’s more is that the entire B12 Protocol is designed to increase the efficacy of every bit of B12 that makes its way into the cell.
Conclusion
Vitamin B12 is essential for health, yet many people struggle with absorption issues that oral supplements cannot solve. For individuals with autism or those experiencing functional deficiencies, transdermal delivery stands out as a convenient and effective alternative. Products like Activated B12 Oil from Spectrum Sciences offer an innovative way to ensure optimal B12 levels without the drawbacks of traditional methods.