Vitamin B12 Deficiency – An Invisible Epidemic
B12 deficiencies are a hidden epidemic in our society today. It is one of the most common and overlooked conditions in the world. Even if you get a blood test that shows your vitamin B12 levels are normal, that doesn’t mean it’s usable B12 that’s absorbing where it needs to in your body.
Vitamin B12 is involved in the metabolism of every cell in your body. A deficiency can afflict one person with tremors, make another depressed or psychotic, and cause agonising leg and arm pains or paralysis in another. It can mimic Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, early Parkinson’s disease, diabetic neuropathy, or chronic fatigue syndrome.
Causes of B12 Deficiency
The absorption, assimilation and methylation of B12 is a very complex process and there are many factors that reduce our bodies ability to process B12 effectively. For this reason, even those who consume sufficient amounts of vitamin B12 in their diets could still have a functional B12 deficiency. Some causes of B12 deficiency are:
Pernicious Anemia
Auto-immune Diseases
Leaky Gut Syndrome
Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn’s and Celiac Disease
Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO)
H Pylori Infection
Prolonged Usage of Gastric Reflux Medications
Vegan and Vegetarian Diets
Genetic Polymorphisms such as MTRR and TCN2
Bariatric Surgeries
Excessive Alcohol Consumption
Aging (reduced stomach acid)
Pharmaceutical Medications such as Metformin
Vitamin B12 Deficiency & Chronic Disease
Commonly known as the “energy vitamin,” vitamin B12 may help improve your energy and assist you in overcoming fatigue and exhaustion. B12 improves energy in such ways as supporting thyroid function and cellular methylation. Vitamin B12 also does far more than give you an energy boost — it’s completely essential for human life, and people deficient in this vitamin suffer from serious health issues if the problem is not addressed.
Body systems affected by Vitamin B12 deficiency include;
Neurological
Numbness, tingling, and/or burning sensation in arms, legs or body, balance problems, difficulty ambulating, falling, weakness, tremors, paralysis, confusion, forgetfulness, dementia, depression, mental illness, psychosis, incontinence, impotence, headaches, vision loss.
Hematologic (Blood)
Fatigue, weakness, anaemia, shortness of breath, enlarged spleen or liver, enlarged red blood cells (macrocytes), hyper-segmented neutrophils, ovalocytes.
Immunologic
Poor wound healing, increased susceptibility to infections, increased risk of cancer, poor antibody production after vaccines.
Vascular
Coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction (heart attack), pulmonary embolism (blood clots in lungs), deep-vein thrombosis of extremities, mini-stroke, stroke.
Gastrointestinal
Indigestion, abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhoea, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), gastric stasis, weight loss (in some people).
Musculoskeletal
Fractures, osteoporosis, suppressed activity of osteoblasts (cells that build new bones).
Genitourinary
Abnormal PAP smears, urinary incontinence, impotence, infertility.
Proper Supplementation is Key
For many individuals, B12 supplementation is a necessity. This is due to damage to the gastrointestinal system that limits their B12 absorption and genetic polymorphisms that reduce their B12 utilisation.
There are several different forms of B12 including cyanocobalamin (Cyano-B12), Methylcobalamin (Methyl B12), Hyroxocobalamin (Hydroxy-B12) and Adenosylcobalamin (Adeno-B12).
1. Cyanocobalamin
This is an unnatural synthetic form of vitamin B12 that is created in a lab. It is the cheapest but most stable form of B12. This form is not easily absorbed, produces a cyanide molecule that must be detoxified by the liver and it requires extra energy from our body for proper metabolism.
2. Methylcobalamin
This is the most active form in the human body. It converts homocysteine into methionine, which helps protect the cardiovascular system. Methylcobalamin is easily absorbed by the body and crosses the blood-brain barrier without assistance to protect brain and neurological cells.
Methyl-B12 is the main form that is used within the body. This is the form that contributes to the key methylation groups that are needed for DNA repair, detoxification and hundreds of other metabolic functions.
3. Hydroxocobalamin
This form is naturally created by bacteria fermentation and is the main type that is found in food. It is easily converted into methyl-B12 within the body. This is often the form that is used with injections for B12 deficiencies and as a treatment for cyanide poisoning.
4. Adenosylcobalamin
Adenosylcobalamin is considered the energy formation form of B12 that naturally occurs within the cells of the body during the biochemical citric acid cycle to make ATP.
What can you take for Vitamin B12 Deficiency
Since your gut is actually able to produce some B12 on its own, enhancing the health of your digestive tract is crucial when it comes to maintaining proper vitamin levels.
When buying a vitamin B12 supplement, look for the form of methylcobalamin or hydroxycobalamin, rather than cyanocobalamin, because these forms are more natural and typically better absorbed by the body.
If you are over 50, have digestive issues, fatigue, depression, are vegan or vegetarian, have nerve pain or any other health problems, considering supplementing with a high-quality Vitamin B12 supplement. Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble vitamin. When consumed in excess amounts, it’s flushed out of the body through urine. For this reason, a vitamin B12 overdose is unlikely.