The Key Warning Sign of Vitamin B12 Deficiency Is Not Fatigue; Here's What Is

Even

though vitamin B12 may not be the first nutrient that you would think of for your health, your body depends on it for many essential functions. It helps maintain proper nerve function, supports the production of healthy red blood cells, and is crucial for DNA synthesis. And when its levels fall too low, you may feel fatigued and tired. However, according to experts, tiredness is not the first sign of B12 deficiency. According to renowned nutritionist Dr Eric Berg, “Nerve degeneration occurs way before you get tired, way before you develop anemia. And not only that, if you don’t have B12, your brain actually atrophies,” he said on Instagram.

How does B12 deficiency cause nerve degeneration?

Vitamin B12 is necessary to make the coating around your nervous system, known as myelin, and if your body is not able to make it, the nerves begin to degenerate and short-circuit. “Sometimes it can lead to irreversible damage within your nervous system,” said Dr Berg. Without adequate myelin, nerve signals get disrupted, which leads to a breakdown in communication between the brain and the body. This damage – also known as demyelination- occurs in both the peripheral and central nervous systems, affecting the spinal cord and other nerves. Severe cases of B12 deficiency can also lead to more serious issues like dementia, paranoia, and paralysis.

Other signs and symptoms of B12 deficiency

According to doctors, a deficiency of vitamin B12 – also known as cobalamin- happens when your body is either not getting enough or not absorbing enough vitamin B12 from the foods you eat. B12 makes the red blood cells in your body, and so is extremely important to make your body function properly. Apart from feeling tired and fatigued, other signs and symptoms you may have due to a lack of it include:

• Experiencing nausea, vomiting, or diarrhoea
• Not feeling hungry
• Losing weight
• Having a sore mouth or tongue ulcers
• Having pale skin
• Neurological symptoms include:
• Numbness or tingling in your hands and feet
• Vision issues
• Having a hard time remembering things or getting confused easily
• Having a difficult time walking or speaking like you usually do

A few psychological symptoms are:

• Feeling depressed
• Feeling irritable all the time
• Experiencing a change in the way you feel or behave

How to boost your vitamin B12 intake?

If your symptoms and recent bloodwork suggest low vitamin B12, the good news is that there are effective ways to restore your levels. For most adults, the recommended daily intake is 2.4 micrograms, with slightly higher needs during pregnancy (2.6 mcg) and lactation (2.8 mcg). Since vitamin B12 is naturally found in animal products, you can meet these requirements by eating:

• Lean meats
• Fish and seafood
• Dairy and egg yolks

However, if you are a vegetarian or vegan, getting the recommended amount of vitamin B12 from natural sources can be harder. Fortunately, fortified foods, like plant-based milks, nutritional yeast, meat substitutes, and breakfast cereals, can help bridge the gap. However, B12 also needs an intrinsic factor to help with absorption. As you age, your body produces less stomach acid, making it harder to release vitamin B12 from food and bind it to intrinsic factor. For this reason, vitamin B12 deficiency becomes more common with age.