9 Important Signs and symptoms of vitamin b12 deficiency
Vitamin B12 also called cobalamin is a water-soluble vitamin that is necessary for the body to produce red blood cells and for the functioning of the nervous system. When the body doesn’t have a sufficient amount of vitamin b12, it can cause megaloblastic anemia, celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, grave’s disease, and Lupus. On a regular base, an adult requires 2.4 mcg of vitamin b12 every day, but for pregnant and breastfeeding women the dosage will be slightly higher. Many food items can supplement vitamin b12 for your health. Vitamin b12 is more seen in animal-based food products, but if you are a vegetarian, include more of vitamin b12 fortified bowls of cereal, bread, plant milk, and nutritional yeast.
The deficiency of vitamin b12 can cause folate to drop. But, fixing the folate doesn’t help to fix vitamin b12 deficiency. Once the root cause is known, then treating vitamin b12 deficiency is simple and the problem can be fixed.
Foods rich in vitamin B12:
Here, we’ve listed out excellent and healthy foods vitamin b12 rich food which you can include in your daily diet:
- Sardine
- Clams
- Tuna
- Animal liver
- Almonds
- Carrot
- Papaya
- Red meat
- Beef
- Yeast
- Salmon
- Sweet potato
- Peaches
- Eggs
- Milk and cheese
- Vitamin b12 fortified cereals
Signs and symptoms of vitamin b12 deficiency:
Let’s check out the signs and symptoms of vitamin b12 deficiency. Read through the article and identify whether you are one among the others under the loop of vitamin b12 deficiency. Identifying the deficiency early can help ease the symptom.
- Decreases your appetite and in the long run, it can cause weight loss.
- Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea- Lack of vitamin b12 deficiency can affect the digestive tract and there is a lack of production of red blood cells because of which insufficient oxygen in the cells can cause diarrhea.
- Mouth pain- Deficiency in vitamin b12 can cause mouth pain, ulcers, swollen, red tongue, and burning sensation in the mouth. The ulcers developed in the mouth can be cleared up with topical anesthetic products as over-the-counter medicines, which can be easily purchased from any reliable online medical store at your convenience.
- Increased palpitations- Heartbeat increases more to produce red blood cells in the body. It exerts more pressure on the heart to increase the blood volume and thereby it supplies blood to other organs of the body.
- Shortness of breath- lack of vitamin b12 in the body can cause shortness of breath.
- Tingling in hands and feet: Vitamin b12 deficiency can cause a burning sensation and numbness in both hands and feet due to nerve damage. The deficiency of this vitamin will not produce the myelin sheath and hence causes damage to the nerve.
- Irritability: Vitamin b12 deficiency makes a person’s mood to change often and leads to depression and irritability.
- Weakness and fatigue- Deficiency of vitamin b12 can make your body feel tired and weak this is because of less production of red blood cells in the body. This condition is called pernicious anemia.
- Vision issues- Yes! Vitamin b12 can cause nerve damage in the eyes, which in turn can lead to blurred vision or disturbed vision.
When to visit the doctor?
If you experience any of the above symptoms, visit the doctor immediately. A simple blood test can reveal if you have vitamin b12 deficiency. With proper treatment and medications, the deficiency can be reversed and if left untreated, there is a higher risk of getting permanent damage to the nerves. Order your multivitamins or health supplements from any trusted online pharmacy store in India and avail-medicine discount on all your online orders. Always have a well-balanced and nutritious diet for a disease-free life!