This is a vitamin that most people living in developed countries will get enough of to meet the daily requirements our body needs to function properly, however, as we get older, this particular vitamin becomes more and more difficult to be naturally assimilated by our system.
A couple of other factors that affect the absorption of this vitamin are weight loss surgery, drink heavily, or taking anti-acid medication for extended periods of time.
If you are suffering from any of the following conditions you may develop a deficiency to the B12 vitamin.
Atrophic Gastritis, Pernicious Anemia, Celiac Disease, Crohn’s Disease, Parasites, and immune system disorders like lupus and Graves ‘disease. Following a Vegan diet can be seriously detrimental to your vitamin B12 require intake.
Suffering from a vitamin B12 deficiency could lead you to develop anemia. Now, a mild deficiency does not present symptoms as such, but, leaving the disease untreated, could progress to develop some serious symptoms like.
Weakness, lightheadedness, tiredness, palpitations, shortness of breath, pale skin, smooth tongue, passing gasses, diarrhea constipation, loss of appetite, nerve problems, muscle weakness, and motor issues, vision loss, depression, memory loss, and changes on your behavior.
Now, in order to treat a Vitamin B12 deficiency, there are a few things to sort out first. If you are suffering from pernicious anemia or your body can’t simply absorb Vitamin B12 then, you are going to need shots of it, and continue to need this shots for the foreseeable future and take high concentrated amounts of supplements.
If you are vegan or vegetarian and don’t eat animal products, you do have some options, you can change your diet in order to get B12 Vitamins from Grains, Supplements, or Injections.
For older adults, it is recommended that they take a daily dose of B12 Supplements, or they take a multivitamin containing B12. Most people can solve the problem by thoroughly following treatment, however, if there is a nerve damage due to the deficiency it can be permanent.
It is very simple to prevent a vitamin B12 deficiency, you just have to eat enough meat, poultry, eggs, dairy products, seafood, and poultry. Now, if you suffer from a condition which limits your meat consumption or you just don’t eat animal products like a vegan or vegetarian, you may want to take Vitamin B12 supplements on a regular basis in order to prevent from developing life-threatening diseases.