Monday, 06 April 2015

The dangers of Vitamin B12 deficiency

Vitamin B12 is important in the functioning of our bodies and yet is not naturally produced. It is one of the vitamins that needs to be consumed through food or supplements, with the recommended dosage being 2.4 micrograms per day. B12 is crucial for a number of reasons, but mainly they produce red blood cells, nerves and DNA.

What causes a deficiency?

Meat, eggs, poultry, dairy products are the main sources of vitamin B12. The elderly are most at risk of developing a vitamin B12 deficiency. Often as is the case with seniors who live alone, a healthy enough diet is not regularly followed or they are not consuming enough of the right foods to ensure sufficient intake. However, even with the right intake, some people are just not able to absorb it into their bloodstream.

Other reasons are a vegetarian diet and weight loss surgery. In the latter case, stomach stapling can interfere with the body’s ability to absorb the vitamin from food. Vegetarian and vegans are at risk because B12 is not produced by any plants.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms are often slow to develop, although in some cases they may appear over a just a month or two. Unfortunately it may also be slow to diagnose as the symptoms are similar to other elderly disorders. Symptoms may include the following:

• strange sensations, numbness, or tingling in the hands, legs, or feet
• weakness
• fatigue
• anaemia
• difficulty thinking and reasoning (cognitive difficulties), or memory loss
• jaundiced skin
• a swollen tongue
• paranoia or hallucinations
• unsteadiness when walking

If you think you or a patient may have Vitamin B12 deficiency then speak to your doctor because if left untreated it can cause serious blood and neurological disorders. Anyone over the age of 50 is encouraged to take a supplement which will offer a sufficient daily dosage to prevent a deficiency. If you are diagnosed with a deficiency, a supplement or weekly Vitamin B12 injections will help bring your levels up and ease your symptoms.

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