Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble vitamin that is required by the body for the formation of red blood cells. Your body also uses B12 for neurological functioning and the production of DNA, RNA and biochemical reactions in fat and protein metabolism, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements at the National Institutes of Health. Your body can store several years' worth of vitamin B12, so a nutritional deficiency is rare. However, those with a genetic inability to absorb B12 from the intestines, strict vegetarians or vegans, or those with decreased function of the stomach, pancreas or small intestines may suffer from abnormally low amounts of vitamin B12.
Coagulation
Abnormal bleeding in the body is a result of poor coagulation of the blood. This is a complex mechanism in which the body prevents blood loss through the formation of clots when there is damaged tissue, vessels or organs. According to the University of Illinois Carle Cancer Center, platelets and clotting factors in the body work together to produce a clot that effectively stems the flow of blood. When there is a dysfunction, the body can suffer from either too much or too little clotting, both of which can have disastrous results.
Deficiency
Deficiency of vitamin B12 has several significant characteristics, states Dr. Susan Shurin, Deputy Director of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. These manifestations include a characteristic anemia in which red blood cells are larger than normal, resulting in fatigue, shortness of breath with exercise and a thinning of the lining of the mouth and gastrointestinal tract when the blood is unable to carry sufficient oxygen to the cells. Thinning tissue in the mouth can lead to bleeding gums. You may also experience neurological symptoms, including nerve damage, depression, memory loss and dementia. Deficiencies in vitamin B12 do not however, lead to bleeding disorders or problems with coagulation and clotting in the body.
Food Sources
Strict vegetarians and vegans may be deficient in vitamin B12 because food sources are from meat and dairy products. Foods highest in B12 include beef liver and clams, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements. Fortified cereals, salmon, trout, yogurt, beef, tuna, milk, cheese and eggs are other food sources that can provide you with adequate amount of B12 to maintain normal blood, neurological and DNA function.
Warnings
Although vitamin B12 deficiency has been determined to affect up to 15 percent of older adults and others who have intestinal disorder, the Office of Dietary Supplements reports that evidence from the Framingham Offspring Study suggested deficiencies in individuals between the ages of 29 and 65 and older could be similar. Deficiencies are characterized by symptoms that can result from a variety of other conditions. Unfortunately, if dementia resulting from deficiency of vitamin B12 is not treated quickly, the neurological changes can be permanent.
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