Is vitamin b12 good for liver disease?

Liver disease isn’t something that people like to talk about, but it’s becoming increasingly common in our society. It can be caused by a variety of factors such as unhealthy lifestyle choices, genetics, and even prescription medications. One all-natural remedy that has been touted as a potential cure for liver disease is vitamin B12. In this article we’ll explore the benefits of vitamin B12 when it comes to liver health and uncover some surprising facts along the way.

What is Vitamin B12?

Vitamin B12 is one of eight important vitamins in the B-complex group. It plays an essential role in keeping your body functioning properly and supports multiple systems including red blood cell formation, nerve function regulation and DNA synthesis.

On top of that, it helps regulate your metabolism so that you can take control over those mid-day cravings (we’re looking at you vending machine).

The Types of Liver Disease

This buzz-worthy nutrient may have major benefits for those with liver diseases – Photo Credit Pexels.com
To understand why having enough vitamin B-12 might help prevent or reverse damage from liver disease; let’s first look at what types of ailments fall under “liver disease.” According to experts there are two main forms:

  • Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
  • Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

These conditions often develop due to other risk factors such as obesity or catching another illness besides drinking too much alcohol – but chronic alcohol consumption remains a hugely common cause regardless.

While more research needs to be conducted around the relationship between elevated levels {actually hyperhomocysteinemia}of homocysteine (a protein building block produced during methionine breakdown) exacerbating fatty-liver related issues — Expanding your intake of vitamin B-12 may help prevent complications tied to liver diseases.

The mechanism by which this might work is still under discussion. Nonetheless, there are a few things we know for sure about B vitamins: they regulate gene expression and excess homocysteine (more on that in the next section) can have unplanned negative effects on various organs and vascular tissue systems.

Homocysteine Accumulation

Without enough vitamin B12 present in the bloodstream homocysteine molecules tend to accumulate, if left unchecked it could lead to serious chronic conditions – Photo Credit Pexels.com
If our body isn’t getting enough Vitamin B12 it will start accumulating too much of a protein called ‘homocysteine.’ Homocysteine normally breaks down into methionine with the availability of Folic Acid & Vitamin B12; when those aren’t available then cumulative levels pile up in the blood triggering an array of symptoms depending on how severe accumulation gets.

Homocystinuria is caused by rare genetic mutations galvanizing large amounts (> 10x normal) production — But even small increases above baseline end up being toxic over time since there’s no clear “off-switch” or immediate excretion path back out to solve elevated stores.

Moreover, heightened homocystiene molecules tend toward increasing oxidative stress, arterial disruption, endothelial dysfunction {when vessels don’t dilate anymore} all while promoting scarring/fibrosis within liver cells themselves resulting in inflammation processes surfacing inside/outside

PIggybacking off what we know about these factors a lack of beneficial compounds like vitamin-B(YES!)2 highlight potential issues — Fortunately enough supplementary sources are easily available over-the-counter!

Preparing food guide using dietary choices high in healthy nutrients such as : Omega3s (salmon), Proteins (chicken breast), Iron (dark, leafy greens), or sources high in vitamins like vitamin B12 will keep Liver cells healthy – Pexels
So you’re convinced by the possibility that Vitamin B12 may help out with liver disease; now here’s how to ensure you can get enough in your diet. Luckily for us carnivores there are a plethora of delicious meat products available to meet daily needs such as chicken, fish, beef & pork among others. Take heart vegans and vegetarians — we’ve compiled a fantastic list to add into your dietary plan:

  • Breakfast cereals with 100% of the recommended daily intake (RDI)
  • Fortified plant-based milk {such as soy/almond/cashew}
  • Nutritional yeast
  • Above average amounts found inside shell-fish {clams specifically have been shown particularly rich stores}

Supplements

for people who don’t consume animal byproducts getting an elevated amount or at least hitting their minimum RDI suggests taking another route: even more sustainable brands searching beyond synthetic pills exist allowing a whole host of natural options sharing similar beneficial cocktail profiles from alternative bacteria fermentations

The benefits of vitamin B12 extend far beyond just preventing deficiency associated illnesses. As one looks further down the medical industry chain directly linked precisely towards liver-specific diseases epidemiology—the combination effects across different levels seems staggering sometimes:

‘Homocystenemia is a well-established marker predicting chronic kidney disease progression’

‘Carpal Tunnel Syndrome patients had significantly higher mean homocysteine concentrations’

In conclusion researchers need to continue investigating if increased levels overtime could exacerbate harmful fatty-liver related issues but b-vitamins can help regulate gene expression and appear essential for keeping oxidative stress management under control.

Whether you’re consuming it through food sources or supplementation, making sure you’re meeting Vitamin B-12 daily guidelines {900 mcg for males, 700 mcg for females} is a smart move no matter your health status!

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