Vitamin B-12 is important for a lot of reasons. It contributes to the formation of red blood cells. It helps in the synthesis of DNA, the genetic code contained in your cells. It also is crucial for ensuring that your nervous system functions properly. If you're not getting enough B-12, serious neurological repercussions can result.
Vitamin B-12
B-12 is one of eight B vitamins. All of the B vitamins are water-soluble, meaning any excess amounts you consume aren't stored in your body, but are excreted in your urine. B-12 bucks the water-soluble trend by accumulating in your liver, which stores amounts that could keep your body supplied with enough to last up to 5 years, according to the Merck Manuals Online Medical Library. This is why a B-12 deficiency can take a long time to surface. B-12 is only derived from animal food sources, such as milk, fish, eggs and meat. If you're a strict vegan, you'll need to obtain B-12 through supplements or by eating foods such as cereal fortified with B-12 from animal sources.
B-12 and the Nervous System
The exact mechanisms by which B-12 contributes to a healthy nervous system are unclear, though the Linus Pauling Institutes states that B-12 may be linked to the structure of the myelin sheath. The myelin sheath is an insulating layer that covers your nerve cells. It functions in speeding up neural transmissions as they travel along one nerve cell, then jump the synapse to the next cell. When you are deficient in B-12, you may experience neurological symptoms such as tingling in the hands and feet. In a quarter of all cases of vitamin B-12 deficiency, neurological complications may be the only clinical symptom.
Long Term Complications
The neurological effects of B-12 develop gradually, and if addressed in time, may be completely reversed. With untreated, chronic B-12 deficiency, the effects can be more dire. If your long term B-12 deficiency is not treated properly and in time, you can suffer permanent nerve damage.
Considerations
In addition to neurological effects, a B-12 deficiency can also lead to megaloblastic anemia, a condition where your body doesn't produce enough red blood cells, and those it does produce tend to be immature and abnormally large. This condition can also result from a folate deficiency, and as a result B-12 deficiencies are sometimes erroneously treated with folate supplementation. This mistake can cause serious repercussions, as folate supplementation can indeed correct megaloblastic anemia caused by B-12 deficiency, but will do nothing to correct the neurological effects. If you have megaloblastic anemia, it is important that your doctor order diagnostic tests to determine the cause of the disorder.
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