Vitamin B12 – You Might Be Deficient Too

Vitamin B12 is essential for the body to produce red blood cells in the bone marrow. This vitamin is mainly found in meat products or yeast, and its deficiency can cause anemia (a low number of red blood cells) and irreversible damage to nerve cells.

The importance of vitamin B12 to our body: It is crucial for producing the genetic material of cells, which oversees the creation of new cells in the body, including red blood cells. Interruption in this process can lead to anemia. It helps in the production of myelin, the cell sheath that insulates nerve cells from their environment. Damage to myelin causes disturbances in the nervous system.

It is necessary for the activity of enzymatic systems. When there is a deficiency in this vitamin, the activity of these enzymes is limited, leading to an increase in the amino acid homocysteine, now known as an independent and significant risk factor for cardiac and cerebral events. Thus, indirectly, a deficiency in B12 is responsible for these health risks.

The symptoms of a vitamin B12 deficiency develop slowly, so they are not always immediately identified. Significant deficiency symptoms include: severe fatigue, weakness, dizziness, rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, a red and burning tongue, nausea or loss of appetite, weight loss, diarrhea, and a yellowish tint to the skin and the whites of the eyes.

Low levels of vitamin B12 over time cause irreversible damage to nerve cells, potentially resulting in memory disturbances, depression, psychotic disorders, restlessness, muscle weakness, motor problems, sleep disturbances, and numbness in the legs. Lesser-known signs are digestive system issues, manifested by stomach pain, gas, constipation, headaches, oral inflammations, and ulcers. Although the body needs this vitamin in tiny quantities, it is immensely important. A B12 deficiency can cause a wide range of issues and damages; it even increases the risk of heart stroke, Alzheimer's, and women's cancer.

Despite the relative ease of detecting a B12 deficiency and its easy treatment, many people are unaware they suffer from this deficiency.

Causes of vitamin B12 deficiency: Lack of factor IF (pernicious anemia) – a lack of this factor causes vitamin absorption failure. Common in adults over 60, children under 10, or autoimmune diseases like thyroid diseases.

People who have undergone surgery to remove part or all of the stomach lack the cells that produce the IF factor, and thus suffer from a vitamin B12 deficiency.

Deficiency in vitamin B12 can occur in various diseases where food movement through the intestines is slow, such as diabetes, intestinal strictures, and connective tissue diseases. In such conditions, numerous bacterial colonies develop in the upper part of the small intestine. These bacteria 'steal' the vitamin for their growth. Some studies have found a correlation between the presence of the Helicobacter pylori bacterium, which causes stomach ulcers, and a B12 deficiency.

Medications - Patients treated with medications that reduce stomach acidity, like Losec, Gastro, and Famo, suffer from a B12 deficiency. The drug Glucophage, used for treating diabetes, also disrupts vitamin absorption.

Dietary deficiency – Insufficient intake of vitamin-containing foods. Israelis eat a lot of vegetables and fruits but not enough meat, which is the main reason for the deficiency rate being twice as high in women. In extreme vegetarians and vegans who also abstain from eggs, milk, and fish, the deficiency is definite; it's only a matter of time when it will develop. The elderly are also a risk group, as are infants breastfed by vegetarian or vegan mothers. The liver stores vitamin B12 levels sufficient for up to five years. However, those who do not consume adequate levels of this vitamin for many years may suffer from a deficiency.

Alcohol - Regular alcohol consumption also reduces the absorption of vitamin B12.

Treatment methods: 1. B12 tablets taken sublingually - The effectiveness of treatment with low daily dosage pills is limited; a dosage of 500 to 1,000 micrograms per day is recommended. In cases of particularly acute anemia, a very high dosage of B12 balances the deficiency within two weeks to a month.

2. For those with B12 absorption issues, pill treatment will not help; regular vitamin injections are necessary. In the first week after diagnosis, 5 to 7 injections are given to allow the body to create adequate vitamin reserves.

3. In vegetarians and vegans or those consuming low vitamin amounts in their diet, treatment can be provided through B12-containing pills and adjusting a diet rich in B12.

4. People suffering from bacterial infections in the digestive system require antibiotic treatment, which will deal with the bacterial colonies, enabling the body to resume vitamin absorption.

Diagnosis: In a blood test, if the B12 level is above 400 micrograms per milliliter, the vitamin level is normal. The accepted global norm for the vitamin spans 900-200 micrograms per milliliter of blood, yet even before the vitamin level falls below 200, vitamin reserves deplete, and various deficiency symptoms begin to develop. Therefore, routine monitoring is necessary to detect the decline before it reaches critical levels.