Numbness and tingling develop due to damage to the nerves throughout your body, a condition called peripheral neuropathy. Following damage, your peripheral nerves cannot effectively communicate with your spinal cord and brain, altering your sense of touch. Peripheral neuropathy can develop for a number of reasons, including abnormally high or low intake of nutrients. Consuming specific B vitamins might help prevent or treat nerve damage, while overconsuming other B vitamins might promote peripheral neuropathy.
Biotin
One B vitamin that might aid in treating numbness and tingling is biotin, also called vitamin H or vitamin B-7. Biotin plays a role in supporting your nervous system. It aids in protein and fat metabolism, helping provide your nervous system with amino and fatty acids required to maintain the health of your nerves. Taking biotin supplements might also help to reverse or slow the nerve damage that can cause numbness, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Specifically, biotin might help relieve numbness and tingling caused by poorly controlled diabetes. If you have diabetic neuropathy, talk to your doctor about the possible benefits of biotin supplements.
Vitamin B-12
Taking vitamin B-12, or cobalamin, can help prevent numbness and tingling in some cases. Individuals who have cobalamin deficiency can develop damage to their nervous system caused by a breakdown of the myelin sheath. Normally, myelin surrounds and insulates each nerve cell, promoting efficient nerve conduction. Long-term damage to myelin due to vitamin B-12 deficiency impedes nervous system functioning, leading to tingling and numbness, and might also cause abnormal pain or digestive issues. Taking cobalamin supplements can help prevent or treat a vitamin B-12 deficiency, preventing the development of nerve damage and numbness.
Risk of Vitamin B-6 Supplements
While some B vitamins benefit your nerves, overconsuming vitamin B-6, or pyridoxine, for long periods of time damages your peripheral nerves. In addition to numbness and tingling, this toxicity might lead to abnormal muscle functioning, which leads to difficulty walking.
Considerations
Consuming appropriate levels of B vitamins can support your nervous system to prevent numbness and tingling, as well as nourish other organ systems throughout your body. In general, you should consume 30 micrograms of biotin and 2.4 micrograms of vitamin B-12 daily to prevent a deficiency, according to the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University. If you take supplements containing vitamin B-6, talk to your doctor about the potential risk of nerve damage. Never consume more than 100 milligrams of the vitamin each day -- the maximum safe intake level, according to the Linus Pauling Institute.
Member Comments