Vitamin B12 (cobalamins), along with folate, is essential for the production and development of red blood cells and the synthesis of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), the genetic material of cells. 

Vitamin B12 is also known as Cobalamin, containing the element cobalt. You must obtain vitamin B12 from animal products like meats, dairy, and eggs, or supplements, because your body is unable to produce it. B12 is essential for the health of your blood and nerve cells. Since this vitamin is soluble in water, your body will eliminate any excess through your urine. Even while your liver can store B12 for up to five years, if you don't get enough of it, you may become deficient. 

 

Benefits of vitamin B12:

Your body uses vitamin B12 for several vital functions. For instance, it aids in the production of your red blood cells and DNA. Additionally, vitamin B12 is required for the development of your central nervous system, which includes your brain and spinal cord. It also maintains the health of your skin, hair, and nails.

• Bone and red blood cell health: B12 is necessary for the production of healthy platelets, white blood cells, and red blood cells. You lose and replace around 1% of your oldest red blood cells each day. Folate (vitamin B9) and vitamin B12 are essential for the growth and development of new red blood cells. Lack of these vitamins makes it difficult to make DNA, which leads to the death of immature red blood cells. This results in Anaemia. 
  
  Numerous studies have connected B vitamins, such as B12, to a decreased risk of hip fractures and osteoporosis, a condition that weakens bones. However, no proof that consuming B vitamins would stop these bone issues.
  
  
• Vision: Optic neuropathy is an uncommon disorder caused by a deficiency of vitamin B12. This indicates injury to the optic nerve, which carries visual information from the eye to the brain. Blind spots and a progressive loss of eyesight may occur from this. The incidence of optic neuropathy is less than 1% in those with a B12 deficiency.
  
  
• Better mood and memory: Memory impairments and cognitive (thinking, reasoning, and learning) problems are linked to vitamin B12 insufficiency. Therefore, it might be involved in diseases like stroke and Alzheimer's. According to one study, the majority of individuals with minor cognitive problems and low B12 levels who received B12 supplements reported feeling less cognitively distressed. 
  
  
• More energy: Energy drinks may have labels that advertise how much vitamin B12 they contain. Vitamin B12 may help those who have exhaustion and low energy levels. According to research, raising your B12 levels to normal can give you more energy if you're always exhausted. However, people who already have normal amounts of B12 don't seem to be affected by supplementation. To put it another way, consuming an energy drink is unlikely to improve your mood if you are already experiencing fatigue and your body has normal amounts of vitamin B12.
  
  
• Hair, skin, and nails: You may be more susceptible to mouth ulcers, vitiligo (light patches on your skin), acne, dermatitis, and hyperpigmentation (dark spots) if your B12 levels are extremely low. However, vitiligo, mouth ulcers, eczema, and acne can also result from having too much B12 in your body.

 

Hair loss is linked to a B12 deficiency, but there is insufficient data to conclude that taking B12 supplements will promote hair growth.

Your nails may become bluish or brown-gray if you don't have enough B12 in your body. When your B12 levels return to normal, this ought to alter. 

 

Vitamin B12 deficiency:

The symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency may not appear for years since your body accumulates 1,000–2,000 times the amount of vitamin B12 that you would consume in a day. Consult your physician about obtaining a blood test to measure your vitamin B12 levels if you suspect a deficiency. If you strictly follow a vegan diet or have a medical condition that prevents your body from absorbing vitamin B12, you are more likely to have a vitamin B12 deficiency.

 

Symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency:

Vitamin B12 plays several roles in the body, including the maintenance of the nervous system. A deficiency of this vitamin causes several symptoms:

1. extreme tiredness 
2. a lack of energy
3. Needles and pins
4. Mouth ulcers
5. A sore and red tongue
6. Muscle weakness
7. Eyesight issues
8. psychological issues ranging from mild anxiety or sadness to dementia and confusion
9. issues with memory, comprehension, and judgment

What happens if a vitamin B12 deficiency is left untreated?

Untreated B12 deficiency can result in more serious neurological issues, such as:

• Issues speaking or walking
  
• Loss of vision
  
• Feeling numb or tingly
  
• Weakness in muscles
• Having trouble remembering stuff
  
• Mood swings or depression

 

Vitamin B12 foods:

Vitamin B12 is found naturally in animal products and can also be obtained through fortified foods. These consist of:

• Fish 
• Meat
• Eggs from Poultry 
• Milk
• Breakfast cereals with added nutrients
• Breads fortified with
• Enhanced nutritional yeasts
• Plant milks that have been fortified

Vitamin B12 deficiency may occur if you are a vegetarian and consume insufficient amounts of eggs or dairy products, or if you are vegan and avoid all animal products, such as meat, milk, cheese, and eggs. To satisfy this demand, you might need to take supplements or include fortified foods in your diet.

 

Vitamin B12 supplements:

Your doctor would advise you to take vitamin B12 supplements if your B12 levels are low but not dangerous. These can be purchased at the pharmacy either alone or in combination with a multivitamin or B-complex vitamin. The supplements can be purchased as nasal sprays, capsules, or liquids to dissolve under the tongue.

Even while some supplement dosages are extremely high (500 or 1,000 micrograms, for example, when a healthy adult only requires 2.4 micrograms daily), your body merely absorbs what it needs and excretes the remainder.

Unlike food, supplements do not require hydrochloric acid in the stomach for the body to separate the B12 from the protein to which it is connected. It must, however, mix with intrinsic factor, a stomach-produced protein, for your body to absorb it.

Therefore, if you have an inflammatory illness that prevents your stomach from producing intrinsic factor, which is the cause of your vitamin B12 shortage, supplements may not be effective for you, and you will require injections.

 

Vitamin B12 injections:

If you have severe anaemia, your doctor might recommend vitamin B12 injections. Typically, you will take these daily for two weeks until your symptoms start to get better. After that, switching to B12 pills can be an option.

You might require injections every two or three months for the remainder of your life if your B12 insufficiency is caused by an autoimmune condition or something unrelated to nutrition.

 

How to prevent vitamin B12 deficiency?

Dietary vitamin B12 deficiency is uncommon. By consuming enough meat, poultry, seafood, dairy products, and eggs, the majority of people may avoid getting it.

Informing your doctor about your use of vitamin B12 supplements will help them determine how much you need and ensure that they won't interfere with any medications you are currently taking.

Steer clear of excessive alcohol consumption. Heavy drinking might interfere with your body's ability to absorb nutrients, such as vitamin B12. Drinking too much alcohol might also make it difficult to consume enough calories. Women should limit their daily alcohol intake to one drink, and men should limit their daily alcohol intake to two.

 

Conclusion:

The production of DNA, red blood cells, and the development of the central nervous system all depend on vitamin B12. A deficiency of vitamin B12 might impact your energy level, mood, memory, skin, hair, nails, and bones. Only natural sources of it, such as meat and dairy, are available. A person may not have enough B12 if they follow a strict vegetarian or vegan diet or have certain medical issues. They can obtain it, however, through fortified breads and cereals or B12 pills. Because B12 is stored in your body, signs of a B12 deficiency may not appear for years.

 

References:

1. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11050313/
   
   
2. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamin-b12-or-folate-deficiency-anaemia/symptoms/
   
   
3. https://www.bmj.com/content/383/bmj-2022-071725
   
   
4. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9822362/
   
   
5. https://www.parashospitals.com/blogs/vitamin-b12-deficiency-symptoms-early-signs