Symptoms of Vitamin B12 Deficiency: Signs of Adding Food to a Diet Include Fatigue

According to the NHS, vitamin B12 is used by the body to make red blood cells. It is also used to produce DNA and keep the nervous system healthy, he said. You may be suffering from vitamin B12 deficiency if you constantly have headaches, lose your appetite, or still feel tired. But one of the most common warning signs of a vitamin B12 deficiency is a lingering feeling of weakness, has it been revealed.

A general feeling of lethargy or weakness could be a harbinger of the disease, revealed the WebMD medical website.

Some patients may also develop vertigo or loss of appetite, he warned.

Other common symptoms include heart palpitations and a feeling of numbness or tingling throughout the body.

"Do you have enough vitamin B12? You will want to make sure you do that to stay healthy, "he said.

"If you have vitamin B12 deficiency, you can become anemic. A mild deficiency can cause no symptoms.

"But if left untreated, it can lead to symptoms such as weakness, fatigue, heart palpitations, and shortness of breath.

"Since your body does not make vitamin B12, you need to get it from animal foods or supplements.

"And you should do it regularly because your body does not store vitamin B12 for a long time."

According to the charity Patient Thyroid Advocacy, you could also suffer from vitamin B12 deficiency if you notice the appearance of small white spots on your skin.

They are more likely to be found on the forearm and could be caused by an absence of melatonin in the area.

If left untreated, these spots can become very dry and scaly and may even expose areas of raw skin.

You can reduce the chances of developing this condition by eating more foods rich in vitamin B12.

Beef, liver, dairy products, eggs and salmon are the best sources of vitamins. You can also try taking vitamin B12 supplements.

All adults need about 2.4 mg of vitamin B12 every day, WebMD said.

A vitamin B12 deficiency could be caused by a pernicious anemia, a condition caused by the immune system attacking healthy stomach cells.

Early diagnosis of the disease is crucial because it can lead to heart problems and temporary infertility on rare occasions.