Vitamin B12

(Cobalamin)
Group 3:
Giselle Garces
Kristen Kohn
Ryan Malloney

Vitamins- organic molecules required only

in trace amounts that must be obtained
through diet. Vitamins are a dietary
necessity for humans because we do not
have the ability to synthesize them.
( source: our favorite textbook)

Vitamin B12
Part of the complex of B vitamins, vitamin
B12 is one of the most intricate vitamins.
It is water soluble!
Vitamin B12 is bound to the protein in
foods. During digestion, HCl releases the
B12 from the protein and it combines with
Intrinsic Factor before being absorbed into
the bloodstream.

What Does Vitamin B12 Look Like?

Where You Can Get Some Vitamin B12!

Mostly animal products:
Meat
Fish
Eggs
Milk and Milk products like yogurt

Some foods that are not natural sources are

fortified with Vitamin B12:
Breakfast Cereals
Bread

So, This Thanksgiving

Turkey
Mashed Potatoes
Cranberry Sauce
Deviled Eggs
Pumpkin Pie
****Which of these
will provide you with
plenty of vitamin
B12?

*** Given the sources, who

do you think might be at the
greatest risk for Vitamin B12
deficiency?

 Vegetarians (especially
Vegans)

Elderly
People with gastrointestinal damage

Fun Fact #1!

Vitamin B12 is excreted in bile, but the body is
able to reabsorb a large percentage. People who
consume diets very low in B12 may actually be
reabsorbing more than they absorb from diet.
This is why it can take up to 20 years to show
symptoms of deficiency in people who have
recently changed to low-B12 diets. If there is a
complete absorption failure, however, deficiency
symptoms can occur in 3 years.

Fun Fact #2!

A study done of a group
of Iranian vegetarians
revealed that they
consume adequate
dietary B12 from
unwashed fruits and
vegetables fertilized with
human manure. Human
feces contain significant
amounts of vitamin B12.

To use B12, our body requires 5 peptides

to deliver it to appropriate tissues and 4
enzymes to reduce it to a form where it
can be functional. Therefore, it is
necessary to get sufficient B12 from the
diet to prevent deficiency.

So.should we raise the RDI???

Should We Raise the RDI?

Many researchers recommend raising the current RDI
for B12 in order to prevent developmental abnormalities
and diseases of old age.
Another argument for raising the RDI comes from
recent evidence that B12 may help prevent cancer:

There is evidence that common SNP alter proteins responsible for

absorption, transport, and metabolism of B12 and folate to their active
forms. Decreased efficiency requires more B12 to meet bodys needs.
B12 also has been shown to prevent chromosomal damage, therefore
leading to increased genomic stability and decreased cancer risk,
regardless of exposure to carcinogens.

Current RDIs
Life
Stage

Men

Women

19+

2.4 mcg

2.4 mcg

All Ages

Pregnant Lactating

2.6 mcg

2.8 mcg

Results of two national surveys, the National Health and Nutrition Examination
Survey (NHANES III-1988-91) (8) and the Continuing Survey of Food Intakes
by Individuals (CSFII 1994-96) (7) found that most adult men and women
consume recommended amounts of vitamin B12 (6-8).

B12 Deficiency
Macrocytic Anemia
Neuropsychiatric Symptoms (esp. in

Elderly)
Chromosome Damage

Fun Fact #3!

Folate (Folic Acid) can mask signs of B12 deficiency
because it can correct macrocytic anemia, which
is often the first symptom experienced in B12
deficiency. The folate wont correct the
deficiency, however, and because it goes
undetected severe nerve damage can occur.

Macrocytic Anemia
-Macrocytic means red blood cells that are
larger than normal
-Macrocytic Anemia is caused by retarded DNA
synthesis, which is the result of B12 deficiency
because B12 is required for thymidylate and
purine synthesis.
-B12 Toxicity can lead to polycythemia, or
overproduction of red blood cells. This is
indicated by a hematocrit over 50.

Neurological Effects

B12 is important in the synthesis of fatty

acids that are required for formation of the
protein Myelin. Myelin is the biggest
component of the Myelin Sheath (yes, hence
the name) which surrounds and serves as
insulation for nerve fibers. (disintegration of
these sheaths is also responsible for Multiple
Sclerosis)

Fun Fact #4!

Exposure to Nitrous Oxide can cause B12
deficiency in cases of abuse, anesthesia usage
during surgery, or occupational exposure for
hospital workers.
NO actually inactivates B12, so while those
affected have enough in their system, they are
effectively B12 deficient.

Chromosome Damage

There is evidence that vitamin B12

deficiency damages the chromosomes in
white blood cells, leading to reduced
numbers of white blood cells which in
turn causes immune system problems.

So, In Conclusion
Eat lots of turkey and egg or dairy products this
Thanksgiving (I suppose eggnog counts)
Make sure your grandparents do the same
Corner any vegans or vegetarians present and tell
them to stock up on fortified foods and look into
dietary supplements. Tell them scary results of
deficiency that you learned in biochem.
Offer to help fertilize their fruits and veggies if they
dont seem inspired to follow your advice.

References

http://www.vegsoc.org/info/b12.html

This goes to the Vegetarian Societys

B12 info sheet.

http://www.ce.udel.edu/~pei/b12.html - This is where

we got the structure of B12 pic.

http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/b12.htm info from the Vegetarian Resource Group

http://www.cc.nih.gov/ccc/supplements/vitb12.html Facts About Vitamin B12 from the National Institutes

of Health

General B12

References

Petchkrua, Wannapha et al., Prevelance of Vitamin B12 Deficiency

in Spinal Cord injury Archives of Physical Medicine and
Rehabilitation Vol. 84 Issue 11. 1675-1679

Fenech, Michael. The Role of Folic Acid and Vitamin B12 in the
Genomic Stability of Human Cells. Research Fundamentals and
Molecular Mutagenesis, Vol 475, Issue 1-2. 57-67