Vitamin B12 is an essential nutrient for key body functions such as maintaining nerve cells and producing brain chemicals. A deficiency of vitamin B12 can cause some serious problems in the body. Since people get vitamin B12 in their diets from animal sources like meat and dairy products, vegetarians and vegans are especially prone to vitamin B12 deficiencies and may need to supplement it to prevent health problems.
Nerve Damage
People who have a vitamin B12 deficiency may suffer nerve damage as a result, the Mayo Clinic cautions, and the nerve damage may show up through symptoms such as an unsteady walk, shaky movements, muscle spasms, and muscle weakness. Over a prolonged period of time, vitamin B12 deficiency may cause the fibers inside the nerves to degenerate in irreversible ways, reports the Vegetarian Society of the United Kingdom, so many vegan foods are supplemented with vitamin B12 to help people who don't consume meat or dairy products avoid nerve damage.
Anemia
Vitamin B12 deficiency both causes and can be caused by anemia, according to the Mayo Clinic. A lack of vitamin B12 can cause megaloblastic anemia, in which red blood cells get bigger and the ratio of nucleus size to cell cytoplasm rises, says the Mayo Clinic. Symptoms of megaloblastic anemia, the Vegetarian Society of the United Kingdom reports, include shortness of breath, fatigue, and decreased resistance to infection. When people's bodies can't properly absorb vitamin B12, another type of anemia called pernicious anemia can result, states the Mayo Clinic, and requires treatment through vitamin B12 supplements.
Depression
Since vitamin B12 helps people's brains produce chemicals that help regulate their moods, a vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to depression, the Mayo Clinic cautions. Once people are already depressed, they tend either to not eat enough or choose unhealthy foods to eat, which can make an existing vitamin B12 deficiency worse, says the Mayo Clinic. So it's especially important for people suffering from depression to try to get enough vitamin B12 in their diets. Foods that are rich in vitamin B12 include eggs, milk and dairy products such as yogurt and cheese, fish, poultry, meat, and breakfast cereals that have been fortified with vitamin B12, according to the Mayo Clinic.
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