Vitamin B12 Deficiency: Causes , symptoms and treatment.

What is Vitamin B¹²?

Vitamin B¹² is a water-soluble vitamin that is naturally present in some food and added to others, available as a dietary supplement, it is also known as cobalamin.It is involved in the metabolism of every cell of the human body it is one of the eight B vitamins it is needed for the health of nerve tissues, for the formation of red blood cells, brain function.

Symptoms of vitamin B¹² deficiency:

Pale or jaundiced skin  

People with a B¹² deficiency often look pale or have a slight yellow tinge to the skin and whites of the eyes, a condition knows as Jaundice. It plays an essential role in the production of the DNA needed to make red blood cells without it, the instructions for building the cells are incomplete and cells are unable to divide.Bilirubin is a slightly red or brown colored substance , which is produced by the liver when it breaks down old blood cells. A large amount of bilirubin is what gives your skin and eyes a yellow tinge. 

weakness 

They occur because your body doesn't have enough vitamin B¹² to make red blood cells which transport o2 throughout the body.As a result, you are unable to efficiently transport oxygen to your body cells, making you feel tired and weak. 

Changes To Mobility 

The damage caused by long term untreated B¹² deficiency can affect your balance and cause changes to the way you walk and move.

Breathlessness 

Anemia caused by vitamin B12 deficiency can cause some people to feel breathlessness.This occurs when the body is unable to transport enough oxygen to all its cells.

Mood changes

People with B¹² deficiency often report changes in mood due to a decline in brain function, such as dementia.

Disturbed vision 

In rare cases, the nervous system caused by a B¹² deficiency can affect the optic nerve. This results in blurred or disturbed vision.

Foods That Are High In Vitamin B¹²:

Yogurt

Low Fat Milk

Fortified plant Based Milk 

Cheese

Eggs

Fortified cereals

Nutritional Yeast