Holistic Health Nutrients A to Z: Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)
Symptomsof avitaminB12deficiency include:
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Excessive sweating
Sore, beefy red tongue
Numbness, tingling, soreness, weakness in hands/feet
Jerking of limbs
Memory loss
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Stammer
Apathy, feel as if have lost incentive in life
Depression, moodiness
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Anxiety, irritability, nervousness, agitation
Anemia
Hallucinations, delusions
Loss of appetite
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Confusion, disorientation
Back pains
Dizziness
V itamin B12, otherwise known as cobalamin, is an essential water-soluble vitamin that is commonly found in a variety of foods such as fish, shellfish, meat, eggs, and dairy products. B12 is bound to the protein in food and our stomach acid releases it during digestion. Therefore, low stomach acid can play a role in a B12 deficiency. Once B12 is released from the protein, it combines with a substance called intrinsic factor (IF) before it is absorbed into the bloodstream. Inability to absorb vitamin B12 from the intestinal tract can cause a type of anemia called pernicious anemia because if there is not enough B12 in the body, the blood cannot hang onto the iron. Vitamin B12 is important in DNA synthesis. It is needed for the formationandmaturation of red blood cells and is necessary for normal nerve function. Some people don’t consume enough
Dimmed vision
Poor stomach digestion, low stomach acid
vitamin B12 to meet their needs, while others can’t absorbenough, nomatter how much they take in. Therefore, sometimes injections are needed. Plants don’t make vitamin B12 so, strict vegetarians and vegans are at high risk for developing a B12 deficiency if they don’t eat grains that have been fortified with the vitamin or choose soy and rice-based beverages and soy-basedmeat substitutes that are fortified with Vitamin B12 they may be required to take a vitamin supplement. Older adults are also at risk for not meeting their vitamin B12 needs from the foods they eat. That’s because their bodies are less able to absorb this vitamin as they get older. Health Canada recommends that adults over the age of 50 include foods fortified with Vitamin B12 in their daily food choices or a supplement. Commonly prescribed heartburn drugs, which reduce acid production in the stomach can interfere with B12 absorption.
FEMALE: Menstrual disturbances
Talk to your doctor or dietitian about vitamin B12 supplements if you are low in vitamin B12 If your healthcare provider tells you that you are low in vitamin B12, you may need to take a supplement. This can be in the form of an oral pill, intramuscular injection or sublingual tablets or lozanges. All forms of the B12 supplement can increase vitamin B12 levels in your blood. Taking a supplement in pill form or sublingual tablet may be more convenient than visiting your doctor for each injection.
Supplementary range: 300 - 5000 mcg daily
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DECEMBER 2019 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2019
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