Extraordinary Health For Busy People: What To Do About Vitamin B12 Deficiency | Peninsula Journal – Lifestyle

Q: I felt tired and my doctor did a physical badysis and blood tests. Apparently, I am anemic because I am poor in vitamin B12. What could be the cause and what is the treatment? I am a vegetarian, but I have been eating well for years.

A: You may have Vitamin B12 deficiency for years before developing symptoms such as feeling tired, weak or dizzy.

If you do not have enough vitamin B12, your blood tests may indicate abnormal red blood cell hypertrophy, but the only way to prove a deficiency is to have low vitamin B12 levels. Other tests suggest vitamin B12 deficiency, such as a high level of methylmalonic acid or homocysteine.

In some cases, tests may include LDH, bilirubin, iron and folate levels or upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. A bone marrow biopsy may be considered if the symptoms are severe and the diagnosis is not clear.

Vitamin B12 deficiency has multiple causes and your probability of developing it increases with age.

Vitamin B12 deficiency is relatively common. Many people over 50 are mildly deficient, but 3% have more serious vitamin B12 deficiencies.

Because this can not be done by the body, you must ingest and absorb adequate amounts of B12. The average adult needs 2.4 micrograms a day.

The plants do not produce vitamin B12; you must therefore ingest it from animal sources, yeast extracts, fortified cereals or vitamin B12 supplementation. Some vegetarians do not eat enough eggs and dairy products, so they gradually develop a vitamin B12 deficiency if they do not take supplements. This is even more of a problem for vegans, so ask your doctor to test you intermittently and indicate if B12 supplementation is needed.

Even if you consume enough vitamin B12, you may not be able to absorb it properly.

Did you know that excessive consumption of alcohol harms the absorption? The same is true for the long-term use of metformin (for blood glucose) or proton pump inhibitors (such as omeprazole or lansoprazole) used to reduce the risk of cancer. gastric acid.

Some other causes of poor absorption include weight loss surgery, partial removal of the stomach or bowel, inflammatory bowel disease or parasites.

The intrinsic factor produced in your stomach helps the body absorb vitamin B12. If you do not have enough intrinsic factor in your stomach (often badociated with atrophic gastritis or thinning of the stomach lining), you may develop a serious form of vitamin B12 deficiency, called pernicious anemia. Pernicious anemia may be badociated with other autoimmune diseases such as hypothyroidism or lupus.

Symptoms in severe cases of vitamin B12 deficiency may include shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, diarrhea or constipation, nausea, lack of appetite, weight loss, a red, a tongue painful or even neurological lesions. Neurological symptoms range from insufficient concentration to depression, irritability, gait problems, loss of balance, neuropathy of the hands and feetor even psychosis or dementia in extreme cases.

Sometimes the neurological symptoms are irreversible. It is therefore important to treat vitamin B12 deficiency.

The treatment starts with improving your diet and replenishing B12 levels in your body.

Vitamin B12 can be taken orally or by injection. For more serious deficiencies, vitamin B12 can be loaded into the body with higher doses in the beginning (that is, a once-a-week shot or higher-dose pills a day) until your level is restored.

The forms of sublingual, oral, nasal or injectable B12 are also effective in most patients, although much higher oral doses may be required if malabsorption is the cause of B12 deficiency.

Make sure you consume enough folic acid and vitamin C in your diet, but do not take vitamin C at the same time as vitamin B12.

Ask your doctor about other drug interactions and treatment of the underlying absorption problems..