Vitamin b12 deficiency

Make sure you prevent this from happening

Dr. Katherine Tucker

There was a study that examined the vitamin b12 in over 3000 adults. Some had dangerously low levels. 40% were on the border of what is considered a low level, 20% were consider to have low levels, and 10% were clinically deficient. OUCH! Those are bad numbers.

Well, this vitamin is very important for maintaining a healthy nervous system, and blood cell production. Vitamin b12 deficiency occurs when you have an unhealthy diet, or when the nutrient is not being absorbed properly.

A healthy nervous system is essential for everyday life. It is made up of little cells that process information and cause reactions in other parts of your body. The whole system is made up of your brain, spinal cord and other neurons.

It's like your body's main computer system, and a vitamin b12 deficiency can become a nagging virus.

You will often see the term anemia when you're reading about blood cell complications. Anemia comes of a Greek word that means without blood.

The scientific explanation is that certain red blood cells are lacking a functioning molecule. These blood cells carry oxygen throughout your body. When you have a vitamin b12 deficiency anemia, these blood cells are not working properly. Red blood cells are supposed to carry oxygen from your lungs to other body tissues and vital organs. Since all of the cells in our bodies need oxygen to survive, the degree of a vitamin b12 deficiency can really have varying health consequences.

Here are some of the symptoms:

It's usually hard to recognize early symptoms of this particular deficiency. It can be anything from feeling tired to a lack of focus and concentration. This shows how important it is to keep your blood cells healthy.

Even these early stages of deficiency show the impact of not getting optimal levels of oxygen through your blood stream. Feeling tired and depressed has a lot to do with how your blood is transferring oxygen around your body.

Other symptoms may include:

• lack of sleep
• depression
• hair loss
• bruising
• shortness of breath
• loss of appetite
• numb hands and feet
• sore mouth and tongue
• memory loss
• headaches

What are the causes?

Most foods that contain vitamin b12 come from animals. Chicken, eggs, beef, fish and foods that have vitamins added to them, such as fortified cereals.

If you are a vegan or vegetarian, you may be at a higher risk of vitamin b12 deficiency because a lot of these natural food sources are eliminated from your diet.

Naturally, any unbalanced diet will contribute to a deficiency in vitamin b12.

Studies have determined that the causes don't only come from lack of vitamin b12 in our diet. Certainly it is a major factor, and anyone with an unhealthy diet may experience a deficiency, but the absorption of the vitamin seems to be of equal concern.

The absorption issue occurs when there is an intrinsic factor deficiency. There are cells in your stomach that produce this intrinsic factor which is a protein that is needed in order to absorb vitamin b12. When your stomach does not produce these cells properly, it can lead to a deficiency because you are not absorbing the vitamin.

Treatment and prevention

In the more serious cases, vitamin b12 can be injected. The typical pattern of injections is: daily for the first few weeks, then monthly and every 4 months continually.

For less sever cases and more preventable measures, supplementation is recommended. If you are taking a high quality multivitamin, you will be getting your adequate levels of vitamin b12.

The most popular recommendation for preventing vitamin b12 deficiency is a balanced diet with a powerful multivitamin. These early symptoms can be easily avoided through proper supplementation.

Read more about the importance of supplementing your vitamins here.




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