You may be coming across hundreds of articles relating to vitamin deficiencies and though you may just pass them by, you can’t really afford to ignore Vitamin B12. In fact, you shouldn’t because it is one of the most important vitamins crucial for healthy nerve tissue, brain function and red blood cell production. Continued deficiency in B12 can ultimately lead to irreversible neurological damage. If that doesn’t affect you, then consider this! Between 1.5 percent of the population of the US alone are currently diagnosed with Vitamin B12 deficiency.
Remember!! With aging, the body’s ability to absorb vitamin B-12 from food reduces. There are many causes leading to becoming B-12 deficient. Long-term use of antacids, the absence of meat from a diet, drugs like Metformin, weight loss surgery and chemotherapy are all leading factors that could cause a deficiency in vitamin B12. The biggest problem with us is that we don’t tend to attribute various problems with a vitamin deficiency because not many really bother about whether we are getting an adequate dose of essential vitamins from our diet or not.
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Not to bore you but if you are going to read about symptoms of Vitamin B-12 deficiency, then you might as well know what the vitamin is all about. It’s not just a vitamin that health sites and doctors will advocate because of commercial supplements, no!! Vitamin B-12 or Cobalamin as it is called is extremely essential for your body in case you don’t know it.
Vitamin B12 is a crucial B vitamin. It is needed for nerve tissue health, brain function, and the production of red blood cells. Cobalamin is another name for vitamin B12. It is a water soluble vitamin which means it travels through your bloodstream. Your body can actually store the vitamin upto 4 years and excess quantities are excreted out of the body through urine.
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This is why you should be paying extra attention when you lack it. The vitamin is found naturally in meat products but you also get B-12 from eggs, milk, cheese, shellfish and poultry. The results of a vitamin B-12 deficiency can range from poor vision to fatigue. The best way to find out if you are running short is to consult a doctor who will prescribe a blood test for the same. Supplements will soon set you right but that needs to be prescribed by your doctor.
Vegans and vegetarians may be frowning by now but then you don’t really have to worry because there are vegetarian sources of vitamin B-12.
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This is a huge telltale sign that you aren’t getting enough of vitamin B-12. This isn’t your normal tiredness or fatigue. In spite of sleeping 8 hours a day, if you are always sleepy, it means you are lacking in Vitamin B-12. The main reason for this fatigue is low red blood cell production which is supplying less oxygen throughout your body. However, just fatigue on its own could also be the cause of other underlying conditions too and not necessarily due to a lack of B-12.
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Your muscles need oxygen and if your RBC production is low due to a lack of Vitamin B-12, then you are going to experience more muscle fatigue, sluggishness and weakness. Whatever you lift seems like a million pounds to you.
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Although this is a symptom usually mistaken for Alzheimer’s, it could also be due to a lack of Vitamin B-12. It all boils down to the low production of red blood cells which a routine blood test can reveal. Insufficient oxygen to the brain causes impaired brain function leading to foggy memory, memory loss and poor focus.
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You could feel a strange sensation of electricity running from your head to feet. Some may also experience numbness or a typical pins and needles sensation. All of these are due to nerve damage caused by less oxygen in the blood which obviously as you know by now is due to low RBC production.
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Activity like walking up the stairs could make you feel wobbly and dizzy. This again results in impaired brain function due to poor supply of oxygen to the brain.
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If you have a rosy complexion and suddenly find you look pale or your skin has taken on a yellowish hue, then a lack of Vitamin B-12 could be the cause. The deficiency causes red blood cells to break easily releasing bilirubin pigment into the skin giving it a yellow hue.
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A normal tongue will never have a smooth red appearance but appear pinkish and feature bumps called papillae. A lack of vitamin B-12 will make you lose the papillae giving the tongue a smooth reddish appearance. Research has also found that some may experience pain at the back of the tongue and because of a loss of papillae; your food may not taste good. The papillae contain your taste buds.
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Lack of vitamin B-12 can result in the optic nerve getting damaged due to lack of oxygen. It can cause the accumulation of red blood cells in the retina leading to double vision, blurry vision and also impaired vision. When you experience such things consult a doctor immediately.
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Well! The first step to any medical crisis is to SEE YOUR DOCTOR. Moreover, you can change your lifestyle habits as well as start eating a healthier diet. Add richer sources of Vitamin B-12 to your daily food choices like fish, chicken, milk, eggs and meat. Now, there are many vegetarians and people who don’t eat red meat and yes! That is a great healthy choice but it doesn’t mean you won’t get your vitamin B-121. Your doctor will prescribe you supplements like Methylcobalamin and Cyanocobalamin.
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Believe it or not, but the majority of your physiological problems arise from poor gut health. The only way to improve gut health is to avoid food that introduces carcinogens, free radicals, and bacteria into your system. Additives, processed food, sugar, fast foods, fried foods, packaged foods and low-quality meat can damage your system. The choice is yours whether you want to commit to good health or not.
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Probiotics and prebiotics do much to reconsolidate the community of good bacteria residing in our gut. Rich sources of probiotics are kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut, yoghurt, tempeh, traditional buttermilk, cheddar and cottage cheese and pickles. Rich sources of prebiotics are chicory root, dandelion greens, Jerusalem artichoke, garlic, onions, leeks, asparagus, and bananas.
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