When you're trying to give your body all the nutrients that it needs in order to thrive, wading through the vast amounts of information out there can be daunting. Taken one vitamin at a time, you can gradually educate yourself about the merits and downsides of various nutrients. Vitamin B-12 is a good place to start, as this essential water-soluble vitamin helps you maintain energy levels, and preserve mental functions and nervous system health. Certain precautions must be considered in determining your need for B-12.
B12 Deficiency
Vitamin B-12 is crucial to the formation of red blood cells that carry oxygen to all the organs and tissues of your body. Without enough B-12, blood cells form in smaller numbers, and an abundance of immature, abnormally large red blood cells are observed during laboratory tests. This condition is called megaloblastic anemia, and it results in fatigue and weakness. According to Vegan Health, B-12 deficiency can also cause nerve damage that may first manifest as tingling in the hands and feet, and can progress to permanent damage.
B12 and Veganism
B-12 is only present in foods that are derived from animal sources. Even cereals fortified with B-12 are made using a form of the nutrient that is synthesized by bacteria. There are no sufficient plant-based sources of B-12, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements. This poses a problem for strict vegans, who must surrender to the necessity of obtaining B-12 through a non-plant based food source, or suffer devastating health repercussions.
B12 and Gastric Malabsorption
If you suffer from a gastrointestinal disorder, have had previous gastrointestinal surgery or produce less stomach acids due to advanced age, it can be difficult for your body to absorb enough B-12 from the foods you eat. Certain conditions, such as celiac disease or alcoholism, can interfere with your ability to absorb nutrients. One inherited disorder, called pernicious anemia, causes a lack of an enzyme called intrinsic factor that is needed for the intestine to allow B-12 absorption. Also, as you age, your stomach produces less hydrochloric acid, a condition called atrophic gastritis. As a result you may not be able to separate B-12 from the proteins that bind it to food, and your absorption of this nutrient can be impeded. In some cases, such as pernicious anemia, you may require B-12 injections in order to bypass the obstacles caused by gastric malabsorption.
B12 and Folate
Both B-12 and another B vitamin, folate, are involved in red blood cell formation, and deficiencies in either nutrient can cause megaloblastic anemia. If you have megaloblastic anemia, it is vital that your physician perform a proper diagnosis of the cause. Mistakenly treating a B-12 deficiency with folate can indeed correct the attendant megaloblastic anemia, but will not help the neurological deficits that a B-12 deficiency can cause. By treating a B-12 deficiency with folate, the patient is at risk of permanent nerve damage.
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