Maintaining a balanced diet is important not only for preventing cardiovascular disease and weight gain, but also for your health. It also helps ensure that your body gets all the essential vitamins and minerals it needs to function properly. One of these essential vitamins is the B vitamins, specifically vitamin B12, which is often obtained through eating meat, fish, seafood, eggs, and dairy products. However, you may not be meeting the recommended intake.
“Vitamin B12 deficiency is relatively common, especially among older adults and vegetarians and vegans,” says Dr. samantha turner, MPH, RDN, registered dietitian and owner of Forks and Grace. ”[Vitamin B12] It plays an important role in supporting nerve and brain health and energy metabolism, and is essential for neural development, DNA synthesis, and red blood cell formation. ”
A visit to your doctor may reveal a deficiency, but there are other red flags to watch out for. Read about the signs you’re not getting enough vitamin B12, according to doctors and nutritionists.
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If you feel sleepy, sluggish, or overall lacking in energy, it can be a sign of a variety of health issues. It can also indicate a lack of important nutrients in your body.
“Vitamin B12 is essential for making healthy red blood cells,” he says Leanne Poston, MD, board certified physician and health advisor at Invigor Medical. “Low vitamin B12 levels can reduce the production of red blood cells, making it harder to deliver oxygen to the body’s cells and causing fatigue.”
One dietary expert says a lack of vitamin B12 can be a problem if you’re planning on getting pregnant.
“Vitamin B12 improves the number of healthy eggs and embryo quality, so vitamin B12 deficiency is associated with infertility.” jean changeDr. RDN, a family nutritionist and owner of The Nutrition Changer, says: best life.
She added that low levels of vitamin B12 are also associated with increased levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that in excess can increase the risk of many diseases. “Elevated homocysteine levels can damage the endometrium and cause infertility,” Zhang says.
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If you experience tingling in your extremities, your body may be deficient in vitamin B12.
“Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause changes in the way nerves send messages throughout the body,” Poston says. “When the speed of nerve impulses slows down, the body interprets this as numbness or tingling.”
That’s not the only effect you’ll feel. “People with vitamin B12 deficiency may experience irritability, abnormal gait, loss of smell, and lack of neurological reflexes such as knee-jerk reactions,” says Zhang.
She added that when severe deficiencies are at play, psychiatric symptoms similar to those of dementia can also occur.
Have you noticed tenderness in your mouth that isn’t related to a burn or toothache? Poston says it could be a sign that you’re lacking in essential nutrients.
“Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause glossitis,” she explains. “This manifests as a smooth appearance on the tongue and can be painful.”
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Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause red blood cells to become misshapen, Poston said. “These cells become lodged in the spleen, reducing the number of circulating red blood cells. This condition is called anemia and can cause pale skin,” she explains.
However, you may notice signs of this condition deep under the skin.
“Some people may not experience symptoms of pernicious anemia for years, or may have very mild symptoms, while others may experience fatigue, muscle weakness, and palpitations (a feeling that the heart is racing or skipping beats). ,” says Jiang. “However, pernicious anemia may not be seen in cases of mild vitamin B12 deficiency.”
While Best Life provides the latest information from leading experts, new research, and health organizations, our content is not a substitute for professional guidance. Always talk directly to your health care provider about any medications you are taking or any other health questions you may have.
