Fulfill The Need of Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is an important vitamin for the many functions it provides. The most important use of Vitamin B12 in our body is helping in the formation of DNA and red blood cells. The detection of Vitamin B12 deficiency is important as ignorance may lead to anaemia, nerve damage and memory and reasoning problems. Vitamin B12 is found naturally in animal products like fish, meat, eggs and dairy products. Although non-vegetarians consume a lot of animal products, some of them still suffer from Vitamin B12 deficiency.

Causes of Vitamin B12 deficiency in non-vegetarians are:

 Worm infestation: Whatever goes in the body as food, worms in the gut lining complete for absorbing Vitamin B12.

 Pernicious anaemia: This causes problem in absorbing vitamin B12 in the stomach. This is a serious condition as even though taking supplements of vitamin B12 will not fulfill the deficient Vitamin B12 count as absorption is hindered.

Other reasons why vitamin B12 deficiency exists are:

 Age exceeds 50 years: Stomach's gut lining loses capability of absorbing Vitamin B12 with age. As a result, this deficiency of Vitamin B12 exists in the body.

 Strict vegetarian: A good source of Vitamin B12 is found in animal products but if you are a vegetarian, you should look for vegan alternatives like fortified cereals or nutritional yeasts. Vitamin B12 can also be taken as supplements in the form of tablets. Pregnant vegetarian women who plan to breastfeed their babies should especially take care of vitamin B12 level or deficiency of this vitamin may lead to permanent neurological damage in infants.

 Certain medications inhibit Vitamin B12: If you are taking medication for ulcer or gastric reflux then chances are that your Vitamin B12 levels could be dropping. These, along with medication for diabetes releases stomach acid that frees dietary Vitamin B12. Consuming these medications for many years lowers vitamin B12 absorption rate in the body.

Symptoms to watch out for Many of its symptoms go unnoticed as it happens usually with everyone, says Stacey Nelson, Manager of clinical nutrition at Harvard affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital. Some common symptoms of Vitamin B12 deficiency are

 Fatigue

 Weakness

 Constipation

 Loss of appetite

 Weight loss

 Numbness

 Tingling of hands and feet

 Muscle weakness

 Vision loss

Some of these are also the symptoms of diabetes and spinal stenosis. Also if one has less red blood cells count then the risk of vitamin B12 deficiency is high.

What steps to take

 Supplements: If you have a deficient count of vitamin B12 then you can take its supplements as pills or multivitamin tablets to balance the deficiency.

 Fortified foods: Opt for healthy breakfast cereals, soy products and artificial yeasts that have abundant vitamin B12.

 Fortified toothpaste: Sante toothpaste have vitamin B12 in them which gets delivered in the bloodstream through the mucous membrane of mouth.

 Injections: At times of weight reduction surgeries, pernicious anaemia, celiac disease or Crohn's disease, vitamin B12 is advised in the form of injections.