What Does Vitamin B12 & Folic Acid Do & Should You Be Taking A Supplement? · Quest For Longevity - Improve Your Health, Slow Aging and Live a Long Life · Radar

What folate and B12 do1:27 – 3:36

1:27

So what are folic acid and vitamin B12? These two often get mentioned in the same breath, so it's important, I think, to separate them out and look at what each one does in turn.

1:39

Let's look at folic acid first.

1:41

Folic acid is the manmade version of a B vitamin called folate, also known as vitamin B9.

1:48

Natural folate comes from food, so leafy greens, beans, legumes, lentils, and citrus fruit being the main ones.

1:57

Folic acid is the synthetic form you'll find in supplements and also added in fortified foods like bread and breakfast cereal.

2:07

And it plays a very important role in your body.

2:10

Folate is essential for creating new cells in our body, a process known as cell division, including the production of red blood cells.

2:20

All organisms use cell division to grow larger, to repair damaged tissues and to reproduce.

2:26

It is absolutely fundamental to life.

2:29

Folate is absolutely essential for cell division.

2:33

Without it, cells cannot duplicate their genetic material or split properly.

2:38

Now let's look at vitamin B12.

2:40

So B12 does some of the same work as folate, which is why the two are often spoken about in the same breath.

2:47

But B12 also has its own separate job, and it's also a really important one.

2:53

It's essential for your nervous system and it helps maintain the protective coating around your nerves that allow nerve signals to travel throughout your body.

3:04

It's important to understand that B12 is only found naturally in animal products.

3:09

So meat, fish, eggs and dairy.

3:12

It is not naturally present in fruits, vegetables or grains.

3:16

So if you're vegan or eat largely a plant based diet, this is a vitamin that you may not be getting sufficient amounts of because your diet on its own simply isn't going to supply it.

3:28

So now you know what each one actually does, let's dig a little deeper into why it is important to ensure you're getting enough of them.

What folate and B12 do1:27 – 3:36

1:27

So what are folic acid and vitamin B12? These two often get mentioned in the same breath, so it's important, I think, to separate them out and look at what each one does in turn.

1:39

Let's look at folic acid first.

1:41

Folic acid is the manmade version of a B vitamin called folate, also known as vitamin B9.

1:48

Natural folate comes from food, so leafy greens, beans, legumes, lentils, and citrus fruit being the main ones.

1:57

Folic acid is the synthetic form you'll find in supplements and also added in fortified foods like bread and breakfast cereal.

2:07

And it plays a very important role in your body.

2:10

Folate is essential for creating new cells in our body, a process known as cell division, including the production of red blood cells.

2:20

All organisms use cell division to grow larger, to repair damaged tissues and to reproduce.

2:26

It is absolutely fundamental to life.

2:29

Folate is absolutely essential for cell division.

2:33

Without it, cells cannot duplicate their genetic material or split properly.

2:38

Now let's look at vitamin B12.

2:40

So B12 does some of the same work as folate, which is why the two are often spoken about in the same breath.

2:47

But B12 also has its own separate job, and it's also a really important one.

2:53

It's essential for your nervous system and it helps maintain the protective coating around your nerves that allow nerve signals to travel throughout your body.

3:04

It's important to understand that B12 is only found naturally in animal products.

3:09

So meat, fish, eggs and dairy.

3:12

It is not naturally present in fruits, vegetables or grains.

3:16

So if you're vegan or eat largely a plant based diet, this is a vitamin that you may not be getting sufficient amounts of because your diet on its own simply isn't going to supply it.

3:28

So now you know what each one actually does, let's dig a little deeper into why it is important to ensure you're getting enough of them.