If you are getting signs of early aging: declining strength and energy, brain fog and “senior moments,” irritability, difficulty sleeping, hearing and vision loss…the list goes on and on. Most people either accept these things as “just part of getting older,” or take whatever drugs their doctors prescribe in the hopes of feeling better. The truth is these are NOT normal signs of aging.

Most of the time, there is a simple, easily remedied vitamin deficiency underlying many of these symptoms, making you feel older than you are! Yet tragically, it frequently goes undetected by doctors until it manifests as a severe neurological disorder, dementia, mental illness, chronic fatigue, cardiovascular disease, cancer…or worse.

This is  vitamin B12 deficiency, which sadly, affects nearly 50% of older adults. If you’ve experienced any of the symptoms I described above, it’s imperative that you take action NOW before irreversible damage occurs. The good news is that B12 deficiency can be remedied easily, quickly and inexpensively. But don’t run out and grab the first bottle of B12 you see – it’s crucial that you take the right kind of B12.

What You Should Know About B12Vitamin B12 is essential to the very foundation of life itself – it’s one of the building blocks your body uses to produce DNA. It also keeps your immune system functioning optimally, regulates mood and sleep cycles, and is crucial to energy production, which is why it’s known as the “energy vitamin. It also protects your brain and nervous system by keeping nerves healthy and communicating in an optimal manner. And emerging research is showing that B12 helps to lower levels of the stress hormone homocysteine, making it a vital player in maintaining heart and brain health.

How B12 Protects Your Brain

Cognitive decline is a serious concern for most of us as we get older. Sadly, the statistics are grim – if you live to be 80, your chances of suffering from severe loss of cognitive function are 1 in 2. The good news is that getting enough B12 can drastically cut your risk!

Scientists now understand that age-related cognitive decline is linked to a process in the body that involves a decrease in brain mass. That’s right, your brain actually shrinks as you age! This reduction in brain mass is directly correlated with loss of memory and cognitive function seen in older individuals.

Emerging research is showing that being deficient in B12puts your brain in serious danger, so if you care about your cognitive health, you better be sure that you’re getting enough. Recently, a landmark study showed vitaminB12 supplementation slows the accelerated rate of brain shrinkage and declining cognitive scores in older individuals. Another study showed that older individuals with higher levels of B12 in their blood had less shrinkage of the brain than counterparts with lower levels. Those with higher B12 blood levels and increased brain size even scored higher on memory and cognitive tests!

B12 Deficiency: The Silent EpidemicRecent studies have shown that nearly 1 in 2 older adults have dangerously low levels of B12.^] The older you are, the higher your risk, but younger people aren’t exempt from harm. In a shocking recent Tufts University study, researchers found that nearly 1 in 4 people over age 26 are at least borderline deficient in B12 and may already be experiencing symptoms as a result.

The worst part is that doctors typically misdiagnose B12 deficiency symptomsand then prescribe drugs that do nothing to address the problem, but instead, have plenty of side effects that only serve to make you feel worse! But you can avoid falling into that trap.

Why Are So Many People B12 Deficient?The reason that the vast majority of people end up B12 deficient has nothing to do with their B12 intake, but rather, their ability to absorb B12 from food. As you get older, the lining of your stomach gradually loses its ability to produce hydrochloric acid, which you need to absorb B12 from food. The use of certain drugs can also lower your stomach acid secretion, further hampering B12 absorption.^[16] This is why with B12 supplements, a sublingual (under the tongue) delivery system – which ensures the B12 goes directly into your bloodstream, bypassing your digestive tract – is absolutely essential.