Vitamin B12 Deficiency Symptoms + How to Prevent & Overcome Low Vitamin B12
May 6, 2022
Original article and page source found here.
It’s estimated that up to 25 percent of all adults are at least marginally deficient in vitamin B12 (also called cobalamin). Some experts believe this number may actually be a lot higher, since it’s suspected that there are many cases of undetected vitamin B12 deficiency.
This means there are millions of people likely struggling with B12 deficiency who don’t even know it, especially the elderly and people who avoid eating animal products (vegans and vegetarians).
Commonly known as the “energy vitamin,” vitamin B12 may help improve your energy and assist you in overcoming exhaustion. It does this by supporting thyroid function and cellular methylation. It’s also involved in synthesis of DNA, fatty acids,and myelin that protect cells.
Since it’s a vitamin that’s essential for human life, people deficient in it can suffer from serious health issues if the problem is not addressed.
Why You Need Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 has the most complex and largest chemical structure of all vitamins. Unlike other vitamins, it contains cobalt (a metal) and is commonly referred to as “cobalamin,” a catchall term for all of the various compounds that contain vitamin B12 properties.
A few of the more important roles that vitamin B12 plays in the body include:
Red blood cell formation
Memory recall
Cellular energy
Nutrient absorption
Adrenal gland support
Nerve and brain regeneration
DNA synthesis
Female and male reproductive health
Vitamin B12 Deficiency Symptoms
What can happen if you have a vitamin B12 deficiency? Symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency can include:
Low energy or sometimes chronic fatigue
Lack of focus and other cognitive difficulties
Tension in muscles
Poor memory
Emotional mood swings
Lack of motivation
Female infertility
Male low testosterone
Digestive issues (like leaky gut or IBD)
Hypothyroidism
Fatigue, even after getting a good night’s sleep
Vitamin B12 Deficiency Anemia:
There are two different types of anemias linked to vitamin B12 deficiency. One type if known as megaloblastic anemia, in which red blood cells don’t develop normally and are abnormally large.
Another rare type is pernicious anemia (or “vitamin B12 anemia”), which is the official term describing vitamin B12 malabsorption, in which a person cannot properly absorb vitamin B12. Pernicious anemia can be caused by an autoimmune disorder that damages the stomach lining.
Typically people do not start to experience symptoms until after they are 30 years old, and the average age of diagnosis is 60. Pernicious anemia is quite complicated and very much involved with several organ systems in the body.
Damage done to the stomach lining triggers a dangerous cascade of events that reduces stomach acid and prevents the body from properly breaking down foods.
As the condition continues, a hormone called “intrinsic factor” is greatly reduced, which is necessary to absorb vitamin B12.
People suffering from this condition require a significant amount of supplementation.
The key to treating pernicious anemia is to reduce chronic inflammation in the body.
According to the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University, pernicious anemia and B12 malabsorption are associated with a chronic inflammatory disease in the stomach, referred to as atrophic gastritis (low stomach acid). This condition is associated with auto-antibodies that target stomach cells and bacterial infection. The ensuing inflammation can lead to peptic ulcers, SIBO and bacterial overgrowth.
Keep in mind that anemia can also be caused by lack of iron and folate/folic acid, so consuming and absorbing all of these nutrients is crucial.
Causes/Risk Factors
What is the main cause of vitamin B12 deficiency?
The two most common ways you become vitamin B12 deficient are through a lack of vitamin B12 in your diet or through your inability to absorb it from the food you eat.
What puts you at an increased risk for developing vitamin B12 deficiency?
You’re more likely to develop a deficiency in vitamin B12 if:
You have had H. pylori bacterial infection or stomach ulcer
You are over 50
You are a vegan or vegetarian
You’ve had weight loss/bariatric surgery, since this surgery interferes with the release of B12 during digestion
You have inflammatory bowel disease, leaky gut or other serious digestive disease
You have acid reflux
You’re a pregnant woman (who has increased needs for many nutrients)
You take one of the following types of medications: antibiotics, anti-gout, blood pressure, birth control pills, cholesterol-lowering drugs, diabetes medications and antipsychotic drugs.
As you can see, many people are at risk, but it’s believed that by far the largest cause of vitamin B12 deficiency is malabsorption.
Like most health issues, it all starts in the gut. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition explains that “malabsorption of the vitamins from food” is the primary cause of vitamin B12 deficiency. This malabsorption could likely be caused by a condition known as leaky gut.
One important factor to keep in mind is that as people age their gastric mucosa naturally shrinks. This makes B12 absorption issues more common and difficult to reverse.
This is one of the main reasons that older adults should either supplement or greatly increase their intake of vitamin B12-rich foods.
Complications/Related Conditions
Is B12 deficiency serious or dangerous?
Being deficient in in this crucial vitamin puts people at an increased risk of developing a number of symptoms and several diseases. What are the long-term effects of B12 deficiency? Examples include:
Stunted brain and intellectual development in children
Anemia
Asthma
Depression
Fatigue
Kidney disease
Macular degeneration
Memory loss
Migraine headaches
Multiple sclerosis
Neuropathy
Pernicious anemia
Shingles
Tinnitus
What are the neurological symptoms of B12 deficiency?
A major risk of remaining deficient in B12 is experiencing cognitive difficulties. In fact, as it relates to neurological function, few vitamins are as critical as B12.
Being a co-factor of methionine synthase, it is heavily involved in different regulatory mechanisms and brain development. Studies show that B12 deficiency later in life actually leads to brain atrophy (shrinkage) and higher risk for problems, including dementia and Alzheimer’s disease (regardless if people are “healthy” or not).
Elderly people who simply lack B12 are at risk of developing what German researchers refer to as “irreversible structural brain damage.”
Other neurological symptoms tied to this deficiency can include memory loss, difficulty thinking and reasoning, and higher risk for MS.
Vitamin B12 also benefits your mood, energy level, memory and entire central nervous system, so it’s also an essential vitamin for addressing symptoms like numbness or tingling. It’s also needed for conditions such as adrenal fatigue, mood disorders like depression, and negative effects of chronic stress or feeling run down.
How long does it take to recover from vitamin B12 deficiency?
It depends how severely someone is deficient and what type of dietary changes plus supplements that person uses to reverse the condition. In most cases, it takes at least several weeks and possibly several months.
How is vitamin B12 deficiency diagnosed?