Vitamin B12 is important for healthy nerves and metabolizing proteins and fats. Adults should get a daily dietary intake of 2.4 mcg of B12. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding need 2.6 mcg and 2.8 mcg, respectively. Older adults have difficulty absorbing B12 and may need supplements or fortified foods. Anyone not following these guidelines is at risk of becoming deficient in vitamin B12. A deficiency, or related conditions, can cause loss of appetite. Correcting the deficiency with vitamin B12 can alleviate symptoms so that you feel hungry again.
Vitamin B12 Deficiency
A vitamin B12 deficiency can cause you to lose your appetite. Having no appetite is just one symptom of a vitamin B12 deficiency. It can also make you feel tired, weak and constipated as well as cause weight loss. It can case nerve problems, tingling, balance problems, depression and confusion. Your mouth and tongue may become sore too, which may discourage you from eating. Sometimes a vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to anemia. Even in cases where that does not happen you can still suffer nervous system damage. It is important to treat a deficiency immediately. Once you treat the deficiency, your appetite may return.
Vitamin B12 Deficiency Anemia
A lack of vitamin B12 can lead to vitamin B12 deficiency anemia, which is when you have a low blood cell count because of the low levels of B12. Your body requires vitamin B12 to make red blood cells. Loss of appetite is a common symptom of vitamin B12 anemia. Diarrhea, constipation, lack of energy, lightheadedness, pale skin, concentration problems, shortness of breath during exercise, bleeding gums and a swollen or red tongue are other symptoms of this form of anemia.
Pernicious Anemia
Pernicious anemia is a condition that prohibits your body from making enough red blood cells due to a lack of vitamin B12. Your body does not make enough of the protein intrinsic factor in your stomach. You need this protein to absorb vitamin B12. This can lead to a vitamin B12 deficiency and a loss of appetite, vomiting, heartburn, gas, nausea and constipation or diarrhea. Vitamin B12 supplements are a treatment for pernicious anemia. Your doctor may recommend vitamin B12 shots, pills, a nose spray or gel. You should experience improvement in symptoms like appetite loss within a few days.
Asthma
Vitamin B12 may improve appetite in asthmatics. Eighteen out of 20 asthma patients in a clinical trial receiving weekly vitamin B12 injections experienced better appetites, improved sleep and less shortness of breath on exertion, according to Diagnose-Me.com. The patients were all children who received injections of 1,000 mcg.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)
- Diagnose-Me.com: Vitamin B12 (Cobalamine)
- VeganHealth.org: Overt B12 Deficiency: Nerve Damage and Anemia
- Medline Plus: Anemia: B12 Deficiency
- Office of Dietary Supplements: Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Vitamin B12
- National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute: What Is Pernicious Anemia
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