Vitamin B12 belongs to a group of vitamins called water-soluble vitamins and is the only water-soluble vitamin that your body can store. According to MayoClinic.com, your body can store years' worth of vitamin B12, so deficiencies are rare. When a deficiency does occur, it is usually due to an inability to properly absorb the vitamin.
Functions of Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 plays an important role in the production of red blood cells and helps sustain the health of your nervous system. Your body also requires the presence of vitamin B12 to create DNA, which is a component of all of the cells in your body.
Physiology
To properly absorb vitamin B12, your stomach must contain a protein called intrinsic factor, which is made by cells in your stomach called parietal cells. Some people experience abnormal autoimmune responses that destroy the parietal cells in the stomach. As a result, the parietal cells can no longer produce intrinsic factor. Without intrinsic factor, you cannot absorb vitamin B12, regardless of how much of the vitamin you consume. If vitamin B12 cannot be absorbed, a condition called pernicious anemia can develop. Pernicious anemia is a lack of healthy red blood cells due to a deficiency of vitamin B12.
Other Causes
Although lack of intrinsic factor is the most common cause of vitamin B12 deficiency, other conditions can cause a deficiency as well. Some people develop a vitamin b12 deficiency as a result of digestive disorders, prior stomach or intestinal surgery, certain medications, bacterial overgrowth or infection, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.
Symptoms
Because vitamin B12 plays a role in red blood cell formation and nerve health, deficiencies in the vitamin can interfere with cardiovascular and neurological health. The most common symptoms of a vitamin B12 deficiency are fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness, decreased body temperature and chest pain. If left untreated, a vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to nerve damage. Damaged nerves can cause tingling and numbness in the hands and feet, muscle weakness, difficulty walking, loss of balance, confusion and memory loss, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Other possible symptoms of a vitamin B12 deficiency include nausea, heartburn, gas, abdominal bloating, loss of appetite and weight loss.
Treatment
Severe vitamin B12 deficiencies usually are treated with regular injections of vitamin B12, while mild cases can be corrected with oral supplementation of the vitamin. If you do not produce intrinsic factor, you might require injections for the rest of your life. If your deficiency occurs as a result of another disorder, further treatment focuses on correcting the underlying cause.
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