Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Owing to the widely prevalent myth that vegans mostly suffer from B12 deficiency because of their strict diet, many vegetarians have decided not to become vegans. It is a common belief among the majority of the people that Vitamin B12 deficiency is mainly caused due to the absence of animal protein. However, as a matter of fact such a belief is completely baseless. So, all the interested vegetarians, who wish to become a true vegan, can now do so, without feeling unnecessarily worried or scared.

It would be completely incorrect to say that Vitamin B12 deficiency does not exist at all. To tell the truth, lots of people in this day and age are suffering from the Vitamin B12 deficit. But many fail to realize this, simply because they do not know the symptoms. The most common symptoms caused due to lack of Vitamin B12 in human body are weight loss, fatigue in addition to gastrointestinal problems, like diarrhea, stomach upset and constipation. Apart from these, there are few other symptoms such as confusion, memory loss and numbness, which are also very common among people, who have Vitamin B12 insufficiency in their body.

However, studies have found solid evidence that proves that veganism has nothing to do with Vitamin B12 deficiency. Thus, there is no need for vegans to include nutritional yeast in their diet or take supplementary pills in order to live healthy. A large amount of people wrongly belief that only animal-based foods like dairy products, eggs and meat are the best source for Vitamin B12. However, it has been found that people who survive merely on plant-based products normally possess sufficient amount of Vitamin B12 in their body.

Actually, Vitamin B12 is produced by coenzymes, which comes from bacteria, already present inside the human body, mainly inside the mouth. If you go by the views of many researchers, Vitamin B12 deficiency is not triggered because of poor diet but due to more serious digestive problems, such as celiac disease and Crohn’s disease. The lack of Vitamin B12 can be treated just by prescribing the patient to have Vitamin B12 supplements.

What Is Vitamin B12 – Structure and properties

Vitamin B12 is a water soluble particle which is found in meat, fish and dairy products and contributes greatly to the creation of red blood cells while aiding in maintaining a healthy nervous system. Apart from that, it aids in the upgrading of the energy levels. Moreover, it plays a major role in the maximizing of the absorption of folic acid. Other benefits include the preservation of myelin (the substance which covers the nerves and enables them to transmit impulses between the nerve cells throughout the body) as well as the amelioration of the fat burning capability (metabolism) of your organism which helps in shedding off extra fat.

What exactly is Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Lack of B12 Vitamin can derive either from its inadequate dietary intake due to an unbalanced nutritional plan or due to the intrinsic factor deficiency, which can lead to pernicious anemia, a disease that, if not treated, can unfortunately lead to death. The lack of the intrinsic factor means that the digestive system of the person who suffers from it has difficulty in absorbing B12 Vitamin properly. The lack of the vitamin usually leads to anemia, but in can result also in severe nerve and brain damage. So, pay attention to the following symptoms which can help you “diagnose” the Vitamin B12 deficiency.

Symptoms

The first signs are usually harder to spot and include an increasing feeling of tiredness (as the production of red blood cells gets impeded), a pale or yellowish skin color, shortness of breathing and accelerated pulse. In most severe cases, in which anemia is developed, the patient can notice that he or she is much more vulnerable to infections and other ailments, a sore mouth and sporadic diarrhea while losing kilos without specific reason. Finally, if the situation continues untreated, things get even worse and neurological malfunctions appear, such as an overall sensation of weakness, tingling or numbness of the finger and toes, a tendency to get irritated more easily and also a fading in memory skills. No need to clarify that the most suitable person to perform the diagnosis of B12 deficiency is exclusively your doctor, who can advice you to run either a blood test or check the blood intrinsic factor antibody levels or even advise you to conduct a bone marrow biopsy.

Which are the sources Of Vitamin B12

First of all, this situation can be treated by enriching your daily nutritional plan by adding fish, meat, poultry, eggs and milk products as well as fortified breakfast cereals; so, in case you are a vegetarian, you should make a small step backwards in your principles in order to deal with the problem. Apart from that, other sources of Vitamin B12 can come either from the appliance of dietary supplements or Hydroxocobalamin injections which can contribute in the elevation of the vitamin storage.

A last point that should not be neglected is that consuming extra B12 can sometimes lead to a number of side effects. Therefore, it is advisable to consult your doctor before you start using supplements because he or she can help you eliminate the possibility of Vitamin B12 overdose, which is the main cause for bringing about adverse reactions. Apart from this, the most common of the Vitamin B12 side effects may include a sense of anxiety and faster heart-beating, chest pains, sleeping disorders, mild diarrhea and allergic reactions such as swollen skin, rashes and itching. However, the rewards of adding Vitamin B12 to a person who lacks it are much more significant compared to these disorders which, anyway, can be avoided if you make the right choice of the vitamin supplement.