Vitamin B12 is necessary for optimal brain and neurological function. It is also needed to maintain the outer coating on the nerves, which is called the myelin sheath.
The myelin sheath covers all nerve tissue — both in the brain and throughout the peripheral nervous system. This fatty, protective covering insulates the nerve fiber and helps to send electrical impulses down the fiber.
If the myelin sheath is damaged, the nerve tissue cannot properly send its signal. Such damage to the myelin sheath is referred to as demyelination.
Demyelination occurs with a variety of diseases, including Guillain-Barre syndrome, multiple sclerosis, and transverse myelitis. This can lead to a condition called neuropathy, the symptoms of which include:
• Bladder control problems
• Burning or tingling anywhere in the body
• Cognitive decline
• Fatigue
• Unsteady balance
• Vision abnormalities
It is impossible to make myelin without adequate amounts of vitamin B12.
Unfortunately, if B12 deficiency is not corrected at an early stage, serious demyelinating disorders may not be reversed with B12 therapy. That said, I have found that vitamin B12 therapy helps many cases of neuropathy.
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