8 Things That Might Mean You Have Vitamin B12 Deficiency

There are eight types of vitamin B and all of them provide your body with energy by helping convert food into fuel. Vitamin B12, known as cobalamin, is especially essential in producing DNA and maintaining a healthy nervous system and proper function of cells. 

Vitamin B12 also protects your blood cells by preventing insufficient oxygen transport throughout the body. The recommended daily intake of vitamin B12 is 2.4 mcg. In most cases, we get it by consuming proper amounts of protein. A lack of vitamin B12 happens when either you don’t get enough of it with diet or your body is unable to absorb it properly. Let’s look at some things that might indicate you lack this essential vitamin:

1. You have a pale skin 

Oftentimes people with vitamin B12 deficiency have pale skin since they tend to develop anemia - a condition in which you lack red blood cells to carry the proper amount of oxygen to the body’s tissues.  

2. You’re on heartburn drugs 

Prescription meds that reduce stomach acid make people with heartburn feel better. However, these meds come with some side effects. Vitamin B12 requires stomach acid to detach it from its original protein in order to be absorbed by your body. Otherwise, it continues down to your digestive tract and you don’t get this vitamin. All acid blocker meds can lead to poor absorption of vitamin B12.

3. You’re over age of 50 

Your body tends to produce less stomach acid as you age. However, since this acid is important for proper vitamin B12 absorption, people over 50 might develop a deficiency. Consider talking to your healthcare provider about possible supplement options. 

4. You experience numbness and tingling in your feet 

Since vitamin B12 helps your body make myelin, the protective covering for nerves, you may develop problems with the nervous system if you lack this nutrient. In people with vitamin B12 deficiency, the nerves can get damaged as they aren’t being properly formed. And when your nerves start shrinking, you can develop numbness and tingling in your extremities, particularly your feet. If you have these symptoms, visit a neurologist and physician.  

5. You‘re vegetarian or vegan 

Unfortunately, plants don’t contain vitamin B12. This vitamin is only contained in animal products such as eggs, meat, and poultry. This means that vegetarians and especially vegans, have a high risk of developing vitamin B12 deficiency. But you can still take supplements to get this vitamin. 

6. You have a depression 

Serotonin is a hormone that’s produced by your brain and is responsible for mood regulation. Scientists suggest that vitamin B12 deficiency can result in a lack of serotonin and eventually to depression. 

Vitamin B12 is one of the building blocks of serotonin production and it boosts neurotransmitter production and communication between nerves, therefore, not getting proper amounts of cobalamin can also mean your brain is not producing enough serotonin. 

7. You’re constantly fatigued 

If you’re always tired and have shortness of breath, it might mean you lack vitamin B12. Why? Since this vitamin plays an essential role in the production of white blood cells, one of the signs of vitamin B12 deficiency is anemia, which can make you feel constantly fatigued or tired. The lack of oxygen makes you feel run down. 

8. You have diabetes 

Though not everyone with diabetes will also develop symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency, scientists suggest that those who have this condition may also become deficient in cobalamin. The risk of lack of vitamin B12 increases in people with diabetes who are on long-term treatment with metformin which can lead to anemia due to the destruction of gastrin-producing cells.