7 Crucial Signs of Vitamin B12 Deficiency You Must Know For Better Health

A balance of all necessary nutrients, including vitamins and minerals, is extremely essential for our body to function properly. A deficiency or excess intake of a particular nutrient can cause malnutrition, leading to several health complications.

Essential vitamins like vitamin B12 play an important role in keeping the body active and well-functioning. A shortage of vitamin B12 can impact your overall health, including the brain and nervous system. A vitamin B12 liquid supplement can be a great alternative to maintain the balance of vitamin B12 in the body.

What Causes Vitamin B12 Deficiency in the Body?

Vitamin B12 or Cobalamin belongs to the B vitamin group. It’s an essential vitamin that our body does not produce naturally. Hence, you have to get vitamin B12 from food sources or supplements.

However, your diet may not always provide the required amount of vitamin B12. Sometimes, your diet may lack food items rich in vitamin B12, resulting in a vitamin deficiency in the body.

Medical conditions such as celiac disease and Crohn’s disease are also considered to interfere with the absorption of vitamin B12 in the body.

Metformin, a medication for diabetes, seems to reduce vitamin B12 absorption in the body. Therefore, people taking this medication have a higher risk of this vitamin deficiency.

Besides this, other reasons behind vitamin B12 deficiency could be:

• Gastritis
• Transcobalamin II deficiency (a genetic disorder)

• Gastrointestinal surgery or gastric bypass
• Pernicious anemia
• Excess alcohol intake
• Aging
• Autoimmune disorders

What are the Signs and Symptoms of Vitamin B12 Deficiency?

Some vitamin deficiencies cause a major impact on our body and vitamin B12 is one among them. A shortage of vitamin B12 affects the overall body, leading to a number of complications or medical conditions.

• Fatigue and Weakness

Vitamin B12 deficiency can make you feel tired most of the time.

Vitamin B12 supports Red Blood Cell (RBC) formation and the energy production in your body. Insufficient levels of this vitamin can reduce RBC production, which results in a lower oxygen level. This can impact your energy level, making you feel weak and fatigued.

• Headache

Headache is a common symptom of vitamin B12 deficiency. Migraine and chronic migraine are also associated with a lower level of this vitamin. Several studies have stated that most individuals with migraine have an inadequate level of vitamin B12.

• Stress, Anxiety, and Depression

Vitamin B12 has a significant role to play in regulating your mental health. Lack of enough vitamin B12 in the body can impact your mood, sometimes, causing stress, anxiety, or depression.

The B group vitamins, especially B12, maintain a healthy nervous system, which aids the body’s stress response. A vitamin B12 liquid supplement is a helpful solution to soothe the nerves and reduce stress.

• Anemia

Anemia is another common symptom of vitamin B12 deficiency. Anemia is a medical condition that develops when the body lacks enough hemoglobin or healthy red blood cells.

Not only does vitamin B12 deficiency impede the healthy development of RBCs but also makes changes in their regular shape. The red blood cells become typically oval and larger thereby, unable to pass smoothly through bone marrow to the bloodstream. This condition develops megaloblastic anemia.

• Cognitive Difficulties

Vitamin B12 deficiency affects the nervous system and brain function, leading to cognitive disorders like memory loss, difficulty concentrating, and mental impairment. 

• Gastrointestinal Issues

Low B12 levels can lead to severe gastrointestinal disorders, such as gas, bloating, diarrhea, and constipation.

• Tingling in Hands and Feet

Many children and adults with vitamin B12 deficiency experience a sensation of tingling, burning, or numbness in their hands and feet. Due to insufficient levels of vitamin B12 and a poor nervous system, individuals may experience this kind of neurological issue, known as paresthesia, in the body.

How Can You Manage Vitamin B12 Deficiency?

Since your body does not produce vitamin B12, you need to get it from your diet or supplements.

Vitamin B12 from Food Sources

Here are some food items that are high in vitamin B12:

• Organ meats, especially the liver and kidneys
• Fishes like salmon, tuna, trout, and sardines
• Eggs
• Fortified cereal
• Dairy products like cow milk, yogurt, and cheese
• Non-dairy milk, such as almond, soy, and rice milk

Since vitamin B12 is mostly obtained from non-vegan foods, individuals with a vegan diet can be beneficial by taking supplements, like a vitamin B12 liquid supplement.

Vitamin B12 from Dietary Supplements

Dietary supplements that contain vitamin B12 are a great way to balance this vitamin gap when not getting enough B12 from your diet.

Vitamin B12 supplements come in different forms: liquid, tablet, pills, and powder. A vitamin B12 liquid supplement can be a better choice since it’s easy to consume and absorb. It’s also a helpful option for children and adults who have difficulties swallowing tablets or pills.

In our previous article, we’ve explained thoroughly Why Should You Consider Liquid B12 Over Tablet?