Vitamin Deficiency & Stomach Acid

In the digestive tract, the stomach is a container that acts as a "grinder." It grinds and mixes food into smaller particles that are easier to digest. The stomach also releases gastric acid, or stomach acid, which chemically breaks down food. According to a 2009 "World Journal of Gastroenterology" research article, vitamin B-12 deficiency can result from diseases, such as pernicious anemia and Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, which alter stomach acid secretion.

Amount Released

The release of stomach acid is greatest when food enters the stomach. Stomach acid can be released in the stomach just by seeing, smelling or tasting food. Distention, or stretching, of the stomach by food and increased stomach pH, often stimulates stomach acid secretion. Parietal cells, or cells of the stomach that release stomach acid, are directly controlled by gastrin, a hormone that stimulates stomach acid secretion. Other factors that control stomach acid release include histamine and the nervous system.

Pernicious Anemia and Vitamin Deficiency

Parietal cells of the stomach, not only release stomach acid, but also release intrinsic factor, a compound that facilitates vitamin B-12 absorption in the small intestines. Pernicious anemia is a type of anemia that occurs from the destruction of parietal cells, thereby resulting in decreased acid production and reduced vitamin B-12 absorption in the small intestine. When stomach acid production decreases, gastrin secretion is increased; in pernicious anemia, there is increased gastrin levels in the blood.

Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome and Vitamin Deficiency

In Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, there is no destruction of parietal cells; rather, parietal cells are kicked into overdrive by the severely elevated levels of gastrin in the blood. Zollinger-Ellison syndrome is associated with increased stomach acid secretion. According to the 2009 "World Journal of Gastroenterology" research article, gastrin levels are typically greater than 1,000 pg/mL. Although the stomach is designed to withstand stomach acid, excessive release of acid into the stomach can overwhelm protective mechanisms of the stomach, thereby resulting in destruction of parietal cells and formation of stomach ulcers; the eventual destruction of parietal cells, results in vitamin B-12 deficiency.

Management of Vitamin B-12 Deficiency

Screening for vitamin B-12 deficiency begins with testing of blood for the characteristics of red blood cells; red blood cells carry oxygen in the blood. A blood smear, which involves the examination of blood under a microscope, can show enlarged red blood cells, a characteristic of vitamin B-12 deficiency. According to a 2003 "American Family Physician" article, a Schilling test can help distinguish intrinsic factor-related causes of vitamin B-12 deficiency. Vitamin B-12 is treated by oral ingestion of 2,000 micrograms of vitamin B-12 daily for two weeks. Vitamin B-12 can also be injected into the muscle at a dose of 1,000 micrograms daily for two weeks.