A man's body needs vitamin B12 to make the DNA in all of your cells and to keep your nerves and tissues healthy. Vitamin B12 also works with another B vitamin, called folate, to ensure that your red blood cells stay healthy. If a man becomes deficient in vitamin B12, it can lead to abnormally small red blood cells that cannot perform their functions. This condition is called macrocytic anemia.
Physiology
The parietal cells in your stomach produce a protein called intrinsic factor. When you eat foods that contain vitamin B12, intrinsic factor binds to the vitamin in your small intestine so that the vitamin can be properly absorbed. Without intrinsic factor, a man cannot properly absorb vitamin B12. Instead, the vitamin passes through the small intestine and is removed from the body.
Causes of Deficiency
One of the most common causes of a vitamin B12 deficiency in a man is a lack of intrinsic factor, which can occur when the parietal cells become damaged due to an abnormal autoimmune response or following stomach surgery. In rare cases, a man might be born without the ability to produce intrinsic factor. Macrocytic anemia caused by a lack of intrinsic factor is further classified as pernicious anemia.
A man can also develop a vitamin B12 deficiency if his small intestine cannot absorb the vitamin properly, which might occur as a result of digestive diseases such as celiac and Crohn's disease, certain medications, excess bacterial growth, infections or surgical removal of part of the intestine.
Occasionally, a man might develop a vitamin B12 deficiency if his diet is lacking in vitamin B12. Because your body can store a large amount of vitamin B12, deficiencies from lack of the vitamin in your diet can take years to develop.
Symptoms
The most common symptoms of a vitamin B12 deficiency include fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness, headache, pale skin and gums, and chest pain. As the deficiency worsens, it might result in nerve damage, which manifests as muscle weakness, loss of reflexes, abnormal sensations in the hands and feet, confusion, loss of balance and difficulty walking.
A man with a vitamin B12 deficiency might also experience gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, heartburn, bloating, gas, constipation and weight loss.
Treatment
Treatment for vitamin B12 deficiency differs based on the cause. If the deficiency occurs due to a lack of intrinsic factor or malabsorption in the small intestine, lifelong injections of vitamin B12 are usually required. Deficiencies that develop due to insufficient dietary intake can be corrected by increasing the amount of vitamin B12 in the diet. A man should aim to consume 2.4 mcg of vitamin B12 daily.
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