Vitamin B12 is a water soluble vitamin which performs a variety of tasks within the body, promoting growth when we’re young and maintaining a healthy nervous system and normal red blood cell formation.

It helps keep your nerves healthy by playing a vital role in the formation and maintenance of the myelin sheath, a protective layer around each nerve, which allows for the quick transmission of nerve impulses.

It also helps promote a healthy appetite when you’re young, ensures normal growth and assists in the production of red blood cells.

The current recommended dietary allowance/adequate intake (RDA/AI) is 2.4 microgram per day for both men and women.

Click here to view a complete list of RDA/AI values for this vitamin.

Yeast extracts such as Marmite, as well as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, unrefined carbohydrates, dairy products and fortified cereals.

Eczema, dermatitis, fatigue, poor hair condition, poor memory or concentration, anaemia, anxiety, irritability and tension, and tender or sore muscles.

The safe upper limit is 3 000mcg per day.

Vitamin B12 seems to help repair the nerve damage suffered by diabetics.

Vitamin B12 seems to play a vital role in the production of brain transmitters such as the “feel good” substances dopamine and serotonin. These chemicals help control our moods and sleep patterns, so it seems B12 really does play a role in keeping a positive mental outlook.