Vitamin B12 Deficiency
The human body can store vitamin B12 enough to be enough for four years. Expresses the excess unwanted part with urine.
Vitamin B12 is naturally found in animal meat. It is possible to easily avoid symptoms of B12 deficiency with a healthy diet. However, people who do not consume meat for various reasons can get additional vitamin B12 supplements.
What is Vitamin B12?
Vitamin B12 is a type of vitamin B that almost every cell in the body needs thanks to the role of water -soluble, DNA synthesis, fatty acids and amino acids in the body.
The health of the nervous system is necessary for the production of brain functions and the production of red blood cells. Kobalamin is another name of vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 is the largest and structurally the most complex vitamin.
Vitamins are essential nutrients that the body cannot produce at all, or can be produced in insufficient quantities to prevent adverse health consequences or disease.
For this reason, it is necessary to provide the body with appropriate nutrition and vitamin supplements and vitamins only in cases where it is medically necessary.
What Are The Benefits Of Vitamin B12?
Vitamin B12 is very important for the brain and nervous system to maintain its normal function. It also plays an important role in the formation of red blood cells. Helps create and edit DNA.
The metabolism of almost every cell in the body depends on vitamin B12, which plays a role in the synthesis of fatty acids and energy production. Vitamin B12 helps to release the stored energy by helping the human body to absorb folic acid.
The human body produces millions of red blood cells for almost every minute. Vitamin B12 is required for the proliferation of these cells. If vitamin B12 levels are too low, the production of red blood cells decreases. The decrease in the number of red blood cell cells leads to anemia.
What is Vitamin B12 Found In?
You can get vitamin B12 from many nutrient sources. Vitamin B12 is mostly found in animal foods.
Since it is not found in plants, people with a vegan diet should pay attention to their diet.
Foods with the most Vitamin B12 are:
- Meat
- Milk
- Egg
What are The Symptoms of Vitamin B12 Deficiency?
Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause irreversible and serious damage, especially to the nervous system and brain.
A slightly lower than normal level of vitamin B12 can trigger deficiency symptoms such as depression, confusion, memory problems and fatigue.
However, these symptoms alone are not enough to diagnose vitamin B12 deficiency. Some medications can interact with vitamin B12. Some medications can interfere with the absorption of vitamin B12.
Other symptoms include anorexia, constipation, and weight loss. When deficiency symptoms become severe, neurological changes such as numbness or tingling in the hands and feet may occur. In some situations it is more difficult to maintain balance while on the move.
Facial tremors, reflex problems, feeding difficulties, and irritation may occur in infants with vitamin B12 deficiency. If the deficiency is not treated, unusual conditions such as growth problems can occur.
Vitamin B12 deficiency carries severe permanent nerve and brain damage. People who are deficient in vitamin B12 have a higher risk of developing psychosis, mania, and dementia.
Insufficient vitamin B12 can also cause anemia.
The most common symptoms of anemia are;
- Tiredness,
- Shortness of breath
- It is an irregular heartbeat.
People with anemia may experience menstrual or mouth pain, unexpected weight loss, pale or yellowed skin, diarrhea, and menstrual problems.
Who is The Risk Of B12 Deficiency?
People who do not have animal food in their meals face the risk of vitamin B12 deficiency. Pregnancy process and post -breastfeeding period may worsen the B12 deficiency caused by vegan diet. Plant -source foods do not contain enough vitamin B12 to protect human health.
Gastritis, celiac disease and inflammatory bowel disease, which causes a decrease in the absorption of nutrients, may also cause B12 deficiency. Individuals under the influence of chronic alcoholism may also experience vitamin B12 deficiency.
B12 Vitamin Supplement
Some individuals may have difficulty absorbing vitamin B12 from normal animal food sources and they may need to get reinforcements. Supplements can be taken from the mouth or by nasal spray.
However, oral reinforcements often do not help to eliminate the deficiency state. In such cases, vitamin B12 can be injected directly into the body.