Vitamin B12 is an essential nutrient that helps keep the body working properly. It plays an important role in making red blood cells, keeping the nervous system healthy, and helping the body produce DNA, the genetic material found in every cell.
Although many people know that too little vitamin B12 can cause tiredness, anemia, memory problems, and nerve damage, scientists are continuing to discover new ways this important vitamin affects our health.
A study has now found another possible benefit of vitamin B12. Researchers discovered that people with higher levels of vitamin B12 tend to have lower levels of chronic inflammation, a long-lasting form of inflammation that has been linked to many serious diseases. Their findings were published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture.
Inflammation is the body’s natural defense against infection and injury. When you cut your finger or catch a cold, inflammation helps your immune system fight germs and repair damaged tissue.
However, when inflammation continues for months or even years without a clear reason, it becomes chronic inflammation. This ongoing inflammation can slowly damage healthy tissues and increase the risk of diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, some brain disorders, and other long-term health conditions.
Scientists have suspected for some time that vitamin B12 may help reduce inflammation, but the connection was not fully understood. To investigate this question, the research team studied both people and laboratory mice.
They focused on two important substances in the body that doctors use to measure inflammation: interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP). Higher levels of these markers usually mean that inflammation is present somewhere in the body.
The researchers analyzed information from participants in the PREDIMED study in Spain. This large clinical trial originally examined how the Mediterranean diet affects heart health. Using blood samples from the participants, the scientists compared vitamin B12 levels with levels of IL-6 and CRP.
The results showed a clear pattern. People with higher vitamin B12 levels generally had lower levels of these inflammatory markers. In other words, having enough vitamin B12 was associated with less chronic inflammation.
Although the study did not focus only on people who were deficient in vitamin B12, the findings suggest that maintaining healthy B12 levels may be another way to support overall health. The research also offers a possible explanation for some symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency that have not been fully understood before.
Vitamin B12 deficiency is relatively common, especially in older adults, people who follow strict vegan diets without supplements, and those with digestive disorders that reduce vitamin absorption.
Because the body cannot make vitamin B12 on its own, it must come from foods such as meat, fish, eggs, milk, and other dairy products, or from fortified foods and supplements when needed.
The scientists say there is still much to learn. Future studies will include more participants and examine whether the relationship between vitamin B12 and inflammation differs between men and women.
They also want to investigate how obesity, infections, irritable bowel syndrome, and other health conditions may affect this connection. The researchers also observed interesting differences between humans and mice, suggesting that animal studies may help scientists better understand why older adults are more likely to develop vitamin B12 deficiency.
While this research does not prove that vitamin B12 directly reduces inflammation, it provides strong evidence that the two are closely linked. More studies will be needed to determine whether improving vitamin B12 levels can help prevent or treat chronic inflammatory diseases.
The findings highlight the important role that good nutrition plays in protecting long-term health. Ensuring that you get enough vitamin B12 through a balanced diet or supplements when recommended by your healthcare provider may help support not only your nerves and blood cells but also your body’s ability to control harmful inflammation.
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The study was published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture.
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