Dietitians share vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms that could signal you need more of this vital nutrient, plus exactly how they can manifest in your daily life.
As far as vitamin intake and deficiencies go, vitamin B12 is an unusual one—which makes knowing the most common vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms all the more crucial.
Per the National Institutes of Health , most people in the U.S. consume enough B12. And yet, up to 40% of people have low B12 levels in the body, because factors such as lacking a protein that allows it to be absorbed or prolonged use of certain medications stop you from extracting all the vitamin B12 from the foods you eat.
Then there’s the fact that vitamin B12 is not naturally present in any plant foods, so if you follow a vegetarian, vegan, or mostly plant-based diet, you may simply not be getting enough. Other risk factors for B12 deficiency include having had surgery on your digestive tract or GI illnesses such as celiac disease or Crohn’s disease. Meet the experts: Lisa Cimperman, R.D. , a registered dietitian and senior medical science liaison for Soleno Therapeutics; Angela Grassi, M.S.
, R.D. N., L.D. N., a registered dietitian nutritionist and founder of the PCOS Nutrition Center. Not having enough vitamin B12 in your body may cause some strange and seemingly unrelated symptoms.
Here, experts explain what to look for. And if you suspect a vitamin B12 deficiency, don’t hesitate to ask your physician for a blood test to check your levels. Signs of vitamin B12 deficiencyExhaustionFeeling fatigued, even when you’ve gotten enough sleep? That’s one of the biggest—and earliest—signs you’re low in B12.
“Fatigue is one of the first signs of B12 deficiency,” confirmed Lisa Cimperman, R.D. , a registered dietitian and senior medical science liaison for Soleno Therapeutics. That’s because your body relies on the nutrient to make red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout your body. When there’s not enough oxygen in your blood, you’ll feel tired no matter how long you sleep.
That said, there are many possible reasons why you’re always tired. So you can’t assume you’re B12-deficient if feeling sleepy is your only complaint—doctors usually are tipped off if you’ve got fatigue plus other symptoms. Muscle weaknessIf your muscles aren’t getting enough oxygen from red blood cells, they might feel like mush. So if that grocery bag feels like a million pounds, being low in B12 may be to blame, per the Cleveland Clinic.
“My job is very demanding, so I kept thinking that maybe my body is just tired—maybe I’m not eating right,” Chantal Mossess, 31, shared with Prevention. “But 6 months ago I learned that my weakness and sluggishness was caused by not having enough B12. ”Tingling and numbnessVitamin B12 deficiency can cause a number of strange sensations.
For example, it may be the reason for tingling in your feet.
“It felt like electricity was running from my head to my feet,” shared Melanie Karmazin, 44, who was eventually diagnosed with a B12 deficiency. Others report a “pins and needles” sensation. These pains are all a result of nerve damage. And since vitamin B12 helps your nervous system function properly, per the Cleveland Clinic, they may signal you’re low in the nutrient.
Brain fogMaybe you put your keys in the fridge—or had to think hard to remember your niece’s name. You might be worried about early-onset dementia, but sometimes low B12 may be to blame. The nutrient is crucial for maintaining healthy brain function, and being deficient can cause you to feel confused or forgetful.
“I’ve seen this deficiency mistaken for Alzheimer’s in elderly patients,” said Cimperman. “But once they have a blood test and it reveals a B12 deficiency, they start taking a supplement and their symptoms start to fade. ”Loss of balanceFeeling wobbly or dizzy is another common symptom of B12 deficiency. Research in the Journal of Musculoskeletal and Neuronal Interactions found that higher levels of B12 are associated with better balance.
On the other hand, being low in the nutrient may lead to nerve damage, causing you to lose your balance, feel less coordinated, or experience vertigo. Pale skinIf your complexion starts looking pale or yellow, low B12 may be the culprit. The vitamin helps with red blood cell production. So when you’re deficient in it, the red blood cells you do have are very fragile.
When they break, they release bilirubin—a yellow pigment that makes your skin look jaundiced. Loss of tasteOver half of people with a severe B12 deficiency lose the papillae—or little bumps—on their tongues, especially around the edges, according to research in BMC Oral Health. And since most of those papillae contain taste buds, you might lose the ability to taste your favorite foods, too.
“Women with a B12 deficiency may actually lose weight because food doesn’t taste as good to them anymore,” said Angela Grassi, M.S. , R.D. N., L.D. N., a registered dietitian nutritionist and founder of the PCOS Nutrition Center.
Some patients also complain of burning and soreness, particularly on the back of the tongue. Anxiety and depressionDo you feel more down or anxious than ever?
“A lack of B12 wreaks havoc on your mood, possibly leading to depression or anxiety,” said Grassi. Doctors aren’t sure exactly why being low in B12 increases your risk for depression. But they suspect it may have something to do with the fact that B12 helps synthesize brain chemicals, like serotonin and dopamine, that help regulate your mood.
Changes in visionIn extreme cases, a lack of B12 may damage the optic nerve or plug up the blood vessels in the retina, causing blurry vision, double vision, sensitivity to light, and even vision loss, per research in Cureus. Regardless of a potential nutrient deficiency, contact your doctor right away if you experience any sudden changes in vision.
Vitamin B12 Deficiency Symptoms Signs Of Vitamin B12 Deficiency
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