VITAMIN B12 DEFICIENCY-EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW!

VITAMIN B12 DEFICIENCY

Edited by, SNEHA MAVIS

One of the vitamins in the B-complex is vitamin B12, often known as cobalamin. The body does not produce it, thus we must obtain it through our diet. Plants cannot produce vitamin B12 either. It's present in animal products. 

Adults and teenagers require 2.4  micrograms of vitamin B12 daily. Around 2.6 micrograms are required for pregnant women, and 2.8 for lactating mothers. Depending on their age, infants and children require 0.4 to 1.8 micrograms.

Symptoms of B12 deficiency:

Anemia: Low B12 levels result in anemia, or a low blood count. Before a person gets anaemic, their blood cells might become big, or macrocytic. 

Anaemia symptoms include

• Fatigue or low energy
• Pale skin
• Shortness of breath
• Loss of appetite
• Headaches
• Dizziness and Fainting
• Rapid heartbeat
• Some B12 deficient individuals can experience mouth sores or a painfully swollen tongue. 

Nerve damage: 

Vitamin B12 is also necessary for nerve cell activity. B12 deficiency can impair the central or the peripheral nervous system that connects to the rest of the body. 

Symptoms of B12 deficiency nerve damage include:

• Tingling or a feeling of pins and needles
• Depression, irritation, or confusion
• Changes in vision
• Loss of memory
• Difficulties with balancing

If a pregnant woman does not get enough B12 and folate, her child might be born with a neural tube defect. This occurs when the spinal cord or brain develop improperly.

Vitamin B12 and DNA: Vitamin B12 is required for DNA synthesis in our cells. When cells are unable to produce or repair DNA, they begin to divide improperly. Low amounts of B12 and folate contribute to DNA damage, which can lead to diseases such as cancer. Low vitamin B12 is also known to have an impact on dementia, heart disease, and stroke.

Treatment of B12 deficiency:

Patients without serious deficiency or neurologic indications or symptoms can get 1000–2000 mcg of vitamin B12 orally once per day. Even in the absence of intrinsic factor, large oral dosages can still be absorbed through mass action.

In case of severe deficiency, vitamin B12 1 mg IM is administered 1 to 4 times per week over several weeks until hematologic abnormalities are addressed; afterward, it is given once a month.

Resolving neurological symptoms may take much longer, even though hematologic issues are often addressed within 6 weeks (reticulocyte level should improve within 1 week). Long-lasting neurological problems become irreversible. The majority of elderly patients with dementia and vitamin B12 deficiency do not experience an improvement in cognition following treatment.

Unless and until the pathophysiologic cause for the deficiency is solved, vitamin B12 medication must be taken for a lifetime.

Sources of Vitamin B12:

Mushrooms, Beet Root, Butter Squash, Potatoes, Animal Liver And Kidney, Clams, Beef, Fortified Cereals, Salmon, Milk and Dairy Products, Eggs are rich sources of Vitamin B1.