Building Block to Health

Make sure you're getting enough Vitamin B12. It's important 'cause it's used in making DNA, the building block of genes, and in maintaining healthy nerve and red blood cells. Early signs of deficiency include fatigue and dizziness but over time, the consequences can be more serious...lack of B12 can cause nerve damage, severe anemia and even dementia...and sometimes it's a hidden cause of depression, and heart disease.

The good news is, you can't get enough of a good thing...Our bodies effectively store the vitamin for a couple of years, and it appears that you can't get too much B12. How much you should take, depends on how efficient your body is at absorbing it -- the current recommended daily allowance is anywhere from 2.4 to 6 micrograms. B12 is bound to protein, so foods like beef liver, clams, lobster, tuna, salmon, wheat bran flakes, nutritional yeast flakes and cottage cheese are some sources. If your diet is vegan, popping a multi might be a good idea.