Doctors say taking 4p tablet could boost memory and even stop you feeling tired

05 January 2024 , 15:12

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B12 supplements can be purchased for cheap in local stores (Image: No credit)

Health experts have shared a secret to combating tiredness and said the feeling of constant sleepiness could be solved with a pill that costs just 4p.

Vitamin B12 is said to help those who struggle to focus and doctors have recommended taking the suppliment everyday in a bid to help reduce fatigue. The vitamin is a vital nutrient that the body requires but cannot produce. It is needed to help create red blood cells and for DNA synthesis. It also provides benefits such as the function and development of brain cells.

According to the National Institutes of Health, vitamin B12 is a "nutrient that helps keep your body's blood and nerve cells healthy and helps make DNA, the genetic material in all of your cells. Vitamin B12 also helps prevent megaloblastic anaemia, a blood condition that makes people tired and weak."

Nutritional therapist, Katarina Cepinova, previously shared how B12 is thought to help fight cognitive issues such as dementia. She said: "A B12 deficiency is strongly associated with cognitive impairment, which can impact our decision making, ability to focus and it could even cause the development of dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease. These conditions can respond well to B12 supplementation if detected early."

At 4p per tablet, a tub of 180 vitamin B12 tablets costs A£7.60 at Boots (Boots)

The human body stores a lot more vitamin B12 than you'd usually eat in a day, so it can take several years for the signs of a lack of this vitamin to show up, reports Gloucestershire Live. Besides feeling tired or weak, you might notice other symptoms such as pale skin, heart palpitations, loss of appetite, weight loss, and infertility. Numbness or tingling in the hands and feet has also been reported as an indicator to look out for as it could be a sign of nerve problems. Other symptoms could include problems with balance, depression, confusion, poor memory and soreness of the mouth or tongue.

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You can buy a tub of 180 vitamin B12 tablets for £7.60 at Boots, which works out at only 4p per pill. There are plenty of other places selling vitamin B12 supplements too, including Holland and Barrett, Amazon and Superdrug. But you don't have to rely on just supplements to get your vitamin B12, there are lots of foods that contain the vitamin, such as: fish, meat, poultry, eggs, milk, clams, oysters, beef liver, nutritional yeasts and other food products are fortified with vitamin B12.

* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]

Charlotte Smith