Your body needs vitamins to perform even the minutest tasks throughout the day. Vitamins are organic substances that break down into two categories -- fat-soluble and water-soluble. Vitamin B-12 is among the water-soluble group of vitamins, which also includes the other B vitamins and vitamin C. Insufficient levels of vitamin B-12 can cause noticeable symptoms over time.
About B-12
Vitamin B-12 is a complex vitamin that contains cobalt; it is also referred to as cobalamin. Vitamin B-12 is essential to the health of your blood cells, the cells of your nervous system and body protein growth. Vitamin B-12 also assists your body in the metabolism of any carbohydrates and fats that you eat. Folate, another B vitamin, works in conjunction with vitamin B-12 to make DNA, the genetic instructions that control all of your functioning and development.
Risk of Deficiency
If you are a vegetarian who does not eat eggs and dairy, have HIV, have an eating disorder or if you have a malabsorption condition caused by a tapeworm or pancreatic disease, you are at risk of developing low vitamin B-12 levels. In addition, the existence of Helicobacter pylori in the stomach may impede vitamin B-12 absorption.
Deficiency Symptoms
Symptoms associated with vitamin B insufficiency are rare because vitamin B-12 depletion usually happens over a matter of years. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, irritability, confusion and personality changes are possible when your body does not have enough vitamin B-12. Headache, anemia, loss of appetite, weakness and numbness are also symptoms. In more severe cases of vitamin B-12 depletion, you risk developing colon cancer, brain disorders and heart disease. Pregnant mothers who are vitamin B-12 deficient may also give birth to babies with birth defects.
Treatment
If your physician suspects you may have symptoms that reflect insufficient levels of vitamin B-12, she may recommend a few blood tests -- namely a complete blood count and a methylmalonic acid serum blood test. If the blood tests conclude that your vitamin B-12 levels are low, she may also suggest a supplement that will replace the vitamin B-12 you lack. The recommended dietary allowance of B-12 for people age 14 and older is 2.4 mcg per day.
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