B12 Deficiency: Are Your Feet Hurting? Lack of this vitamin can cause this health crisis and worse, warn experts

There is a telling story that a Harvard report tells while asking a rather innocuous question: “What harm can a lack of vitamin B12 do?”

He cites the case of a 62-year-old man – who over the course of 2 months – developed numbness and a “tingling” sensation in his hands, had difficulty walking, had severe joint pain, started to turn yellow and gradually became short of breath.

It turns out that the cause was a lack of vitamin B12 in his bloodstream, according to a case report from Massachusetts General Hospital, affiliated with Harvard, published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Harvard not only cites the illness the gentleman suffered from due to lack of vitamin B12, but it also warns that it could have been worse – and that severe vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to deep depression, paranoia and delusions, memory loss, incontinence, loss of taste and smell, and more.

According to Mount Sinai Hospital, vitamin B12, also known as cobalamin, is one of the 8 B vitamins. All B vitamins help the body convert food (carbohydrates) into fuel (glucose), which is used to make energy. These B vitamins, often called the B complex vitamins, also help the body use fat and protein.

Symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency:

1. Strange sensations, numbness or tingling in the hands, legs or feet
2. Difficulty walking (lag, balance problems)
3. Vitamin deficiency anemia
4. A swollen and inflamed tongue
5. Difficulty thinking and reasoning (cognitive difficulties) or memory loss
6. Weakness
7. Tired

What is vitamin deficiency anemia?
Vitamin deficiency anemia is a lack of healthy red blood cells caused when you have lower than normal amounts of certain vitamins (folate, vitamin B-12, and vitamin C).

Vitamin deficiency anemia can occur if you do not eat enough foods that contain the above vitamins or if your body has difficulty absorbing or processing these vitamins. Your doctor is the best judge to analyze the cause and prescribe the remedy. Vitamin deficiency anemia can usually be corrected with vitamin supplements and changes to your diet.

What Does Vitamin B12 Work?

Vitamin B12 helps the body make red blood cells, nerves, DNA, and perform other functions, but like most vitamins, B12 cannot be made by the body. Instead, it must be obtained from food or supplements.

What are the dietary sources of vitamin B12?
Since plants do not produce vitamin B12, the only foods that provide it are meat, eggs, poultry, dairy products, and other foods of animal origin.

If you don’t eat these foods for any reason, ask your doctor about vitamin-fortified food grains that you can include in your diet. Or ask your doctor for a vitamin supplement. In extreme cases, doctors also advise weekly injections of vitamin B12. But these should only be taken under the advice and supervision of the doctor.

Certain diseases and surgeries make it difficult for the body to absorb vitamin B12. Your doctor will be able to tell you how best to remedy this deficiency.

The Harvard report warns against exaggerating the effectiveness of vitamin B12 in curing certain diseases. He warns that although there is a relationship between low vitamin B₁₂ levels and cognitive decline, clinical studies – including those involving people with Alzheimer’s disease – have not shown improvement in cognitive function, even doses of the vitamin as high as 1000 micrograms. Thus, it is important not to get carried away and one should avoid hitting the body with vitamins at the level of toxicity.

Disclaimer: The tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purposes only and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or dietitian before starting a fitness program or making any changes to your diet.