Boost your way to a stress free Christmas
Health specialists are advising stressed shoppers to keep their B12 levels tip top in the run up to Christmas, as new research finds festive stress has already started.
A Post Office survey found early yuletide strain has officially kicked in, with choosing the perfect present topping the seasonal stress barometer, and the cost of Christmas being the second most stressful factor.
Dr Robert Lustig from the University of California at San Francisco, says Christmas is fraught with hormonally-driven behaviour - driving irrational actions and thoughts.
The doctor found high stress levels see rises in blood pressure, suppression of the immune system and increased sugar production, leaving a massive percentage of people saying they are fatigued by Christmas.
So now health care pioneer BetterYou, say boosting B12 levels is key to increase energy and improve mental clarity - both vital ingredients to keep going during the festive period.
Vitamin B12 is specifically known for its role in producing healthy amounts of red blood cells which are necessary for the proper delivery of the required oxygen to the body's cells and tissues. Research has also found that B vitamins are linked to cognitive health and memory, and in particular maintaining the body's energy levels.
Andrew Thomas, founder and managing director at BetterYou, said: "During periods of stress, such as the run up to Christmas where money worries are front of mind and people are busier than usual, it is important to keep the body nutritionally balanced.
"A diet rich in essential vitamins and minerals will help here, but some vitamins, such as B12 are notoriously hard to absorb. In fact, a healthy digestive system will absorb only one per cent of this vitamin from our diet and our ability to produce the acids necessary for absorption is also reducing dramatically.
"Deficiency is now being reported more and more, even amongst the most seemingly healthy - the result being that more and more of us now require B12 supplementation."
Boost contains a healthy combination of vitamin B12 (Methylcobalamin), chromium and green tea extract, all associated with energy production and body metabolism, providing an effective source of natural energy in the form of a daily oral spray.
Methylcobalamin is the most active form of B12 and is present naturally in the human body, making it the most readily absorbable form.
A recent study, carried out by Cardiff University investigating sublingual vitamin absorption found that nutrients are absorbed faster through the sub-lingual membrane - below the tongue and soft palate, and the buccal membrane than any other tissue area, other than the lungs.
Boost is suitable for vegetarian, vegans and throughout pregnancy and breastfeeding. It retails at £11.95 for one month's supply and is available from all Holland & Barratt stores, independent retailers across the UK and betteryou.uk.com.
