Vitamin B12 Deficiency: What happens when there is a deficiency of Vitamin B12 in the body?

Which diseases increase the risk in the body?

Vitamin B12 is one of the most essential nutrients for your body. It is not only necessary for the formation of red blood cells and DNA, but also plays an important role in the development of brain and nerve cells. This nutrient is not made naturally in the body. Many people who do not consume enough of this vitamin, a lack of vitamin B12 can lead to a variety of health problems.

You may be surprised that the benefits of this vital nutrient are not realized until its levels become too low and cause problems. This means that until your body is completely deficient in this vitamin, you may not know that you are deficient in this vitamin.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, vitamin B12 deficiency occurs when you are not absorbing enough vitamin B12 from the food you eat, which it needs to function properly. If not treated in time, it can lead to physical, neurological and psychological problems.

Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia is also a common problem, which occurs when someone’s body does not have enough healthy red blood cells due to a lack of vitamin B12. People 60 years of age or older are more likely to be deficient in vitamin B12 than other age groups.

What is the effect on the body

A review published in the AMA Journal of Ethics found that some of the effects of vitamin B12 deficiency ‘may not be reversible. According to the researchers associated with the study, the neurological and psychiatric abnormalities associated with vitamin B12 deficiency may not be reversed despite appropriate supplementation.

Some signs include-

– depression

– irritability

– memory loss

– psychosis

Several studies have found that vitamin B12 can lead to more diseases like Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s is an incurable disease in which memory begins to deteriorate and affects a person’s brain functions and ability to think. The UK’s National Health Service (NHS) says vitamin B12 deficiency can develop slowly, but can become more serious if it is not treated in time. Some symptoms include-

– Fatigue or extreme tiredness

– breathlessness

– Headache and dizziness

– pale skin

– heart palpitation

– Gastrointestinal problems

– inability to concentrate

Include these things in the diet

Dairy products such as beef, pork, ham, chicken and lamb, fish (tuna and haddock), seafood, milk, cheese and yogurt, along with eggs, are among the best sources of vitamin B12. Apart from this, supplements can also be taken, but do not take without doctor’s advice.