Intrinsic Factor

[mummytina]

I don't know if I've asked this before but can anyone tell me in lay mens terms was is an intrinsic factor, what does it do, do we need it, what happens if you haven't got one or it doesn't work, I know its All to do with your B12 absorbtion.

Tina x

[nostoneunturned]

Vitamin B12 is solely in animal protein. B12 is freed from the animal protein, in the stomach, by hydrochloric acid in the digestion process.

Your stomach also produces a protein called Intrinsic Factor which goes with digested food to the intestine to be used later in the B12 absorption process.

The B12 also goes with the digested food into the small intestine. Next, here in the intestine the Intrinsic Factor now locks on to the B12 and the B12/Intrinsic Factor combination moves into the last bit of the small intestine, called the ileum.

Cells lining the ileum receive the B12/Intrinsic Factor combination and pass it through the ileum wall into the bloodstream.

In the bloodstream yet another protein transports B12 to different body cells, and if there is any excess B12 this protein transports it to the liver where it is stored.

Intrinsic Factor is absolutely vital for us because without it the process described above cannot happen with the result that any B12 eaten is unavailable to the body.

This being without Intrinsic Factor leads to the complete non-absorption of vitally important B12 and non-absorption of B12 is called Pernicious Anaemia.

Pernicious Anaemia used to be a death sentence (Pernicious means "fatal") but today's B12 injections have ensured PA sufferers survive.

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In addition to "nostoneunturned'"s excellent description, please refer to the four page

description in the link below:

labtestsonline.org/understa...