You Should Never Ignore These 8 Warning Symptoms Of Vitamin B12 Deficiency!

According to statistics, every one in four adults suffers from vitamin B12 deficiency. Also referred to as the ‘energy’ vitamin, B12 is in charge of increasing the energy levels.

Vitamin B12 is a highly beneficial weight loss tool and there are even vitamin B12 injections offered at professional clinics and spas. It can also help with megaloblastic anemia as well, a condition which causes fatigue and weakness. B12 is crucial in the formation of red blood cells that carry oxygen throughout the body.

Moreover, this vitamin has an important role in certain bodily functions like digestion, iron absorption, nerve growth and formation, metabolism of carbohydrates and fats, secretion of the adrenal hormone, reproduction in women, circulation, etc.

Vitamin B12 deficiency can be a consequence of different problems and these are the most common ones:

• Antacids influence the assimilation of vitamin B12 as the body needs stomach acid to absorb it
• Nitrous oxide, the laughing gas, destroys vitamin B12 in the body
• More than 4 cups of coffee daily can lower the amount of vitamin B12 for 15%
• A gastric bypass weight loss surgery is known to change the digestive mechanisms, thus, affecting the absorption of vitamin B12
• H.pylori destroys certain stomach cells need for the proper absorption of vitamin B12

The most common symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency are:

• Vision problems and optic nerve damage-if you experience any changes in your vision, like blurriness or double vision, it is for the best to consult your physician.
• Anxiety-vitamin B12 stimulates the production of the happy brain chemicals, that is dopamine and serotonin, so anxiety can be a symptom of low levels of vitamin B12
• Change in taste of food-if you experience a change in the taste of certain foods, consult your physician.
• Yellow skin-when the body is deprived of vitamin B12; it loses the ability to produce potent cells. Hence, the degradation of the red blood cells causes the skin to become yellowish.
• Loss of memory-This is a common symptom of vitamin B12 deficiency, especially in younger individuals who are at an even higher risk of developing dementia.
• Inability to keep the eyes open-this symptom results from the lack of oxygen in the blood which is associated with the vitamin deficiency.
• Dizziness– this is another sign of lack of oxygen in the blood.
• Numbness– feeling numbness and a tingling sensation can be a result of nerve damage, which occurs as a consequence of vitamin B12 deficiency.

Risk factors

• Vegans and vegetarians who don’t consume animal products
• Diabetics who take Metformin (this medicine affects the absorption of vitamin B12)
• People older than 60 who don’t have enough stomach acid
• People who suffer from an autoimmune disorder like Crohn’s or celiac

These are the foods that you should consume in order to obtain this vitamin:

Turkey, lamb, pork, beef, chicken, and goat meat; yoghurt, cottage cheese, cow’s milk, cream cheese, and hard and soft cheese; eggs, especially the yolk; shrimps, salmon, tuna, cod, sardines, and scallops; nutritional yeast, fortified coconut milk, and tempeh.