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Posted by Jennifer Murray May 25, 2008 |
When I'm feeling a little down in the dumps, I usually take a vitamin B supplement since B vitamins are known to help with depression. Since I do have 2 or 3 cups of caffeinated coffee per day, it would not be surprising that I would be deficient in vitamin B since caffeine is one thing that destroys B vitamins in the body. In addition to all the many benefits of B vitamins, new research has found that taking a vitamin B12 supplement can help with memory. Researchers at the University of Oxford in the U.K. found those who are deficient in vitamin B12 experience a faster decline in memory over a 10-year span than those with higher levels of B12, and that supplementing with vitamin B12 can slow down mental decline by one-third.
Of course, it's always best to try and get what the body needs from food. Some good food sources of vitamin B12 include:
- ground beef
- beef and chicken livers
- steamed clams
- light tuna in water
- cottage cheese
- low-fat yogurt
The recommended daily dose of vitamin B12 is 2.4 mcg. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding need a little more, 2.8 mcg.
The recent research is good news to those of us who are extremely forgetful. Since I seem to be having a bit of trouble remembering things lately without sticking a post-it note on my computer screen, maybe I will try taking a B12 supplement every day instead of waiting for a case of the blues to strike.