Vitamin B12
VITAMIN B12: YOUR ENERGY BOOSTER
Vitamin B12 is one of the most commonly overlooked deficiencies. Do you know the importance of Vitamin B12 for your health? Do you know how to tell if you are deficient? Keep reading to discover if you’ve been overlooking signs of a Vitamin B12 deficiency and what you can do to get back on track fast!
ARE YOU DEFICIENT?
Your body cannot make Vitamin B12 itself, it must come from your diet. You can get Vitamin B12 from animal products such as red meat, dairy, poultry and eggs. If you’re not eating Vitamin B12 rich foods you may be deficient.
Vitamin B12 is absorbed in your gut using intrinsic factor. If you are lacking intrinsic factor, have gastrointestinal inflammation, a gut infection, bacterial overgrowth of the intestine, scarring or a bowel disease you likely have impaired absorption and therefore are deficient.
Certain medication may also interfere with the absorption of B12. These include commonly prescribed medications such as PPIs (proton pump inhibitors), other acid reducing medication, oral contraceptive pills and metformin. If you’re on one of these medications, you may be deficient.
Vitamin B12 deficiency presents differently in each person. If you have any of the below signs or symptoms you may be deficient.
- Tired, weakness, lightheaded
- Constipation, diarrhea, loss of appetite, gas
- Heart palpitations, shortness of breath
- Nerve problems (numbness, tingling, muscle weakness, or problems walking)
- Vision loss
- Smooth tongue, pale skin
- Memory loss
- Depression, behavioural changes or other mental concerns
HAVE YOU BEEN TESTED?
Think you may be deficient in vitamin B12? A simple blood test can tell us what your vitamin B12 level is and what degree of intervention is needed to get you feeling your best!
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
After testing we’ll choose an intervention that matches your diet, lifestyle and requirement. Possible interventions include: dietary changes, capsules, sublingual tablets or the quickest (and my favourite) way to improve your Vitamin B12 levels: intramuscular injections! The key is consistency. Your body does not store this water-soluble vitamin for long. If your medication, dietary choices or malabsorption are causing your deficiency you need to be supplying your body with Vitamin B12 on a consistent basis to ensure your Vitamin B12 stays at a healthy level and you stay symptom-free.
WHY IS VITAMIN B12 SO IMPORTANT?
Vitamin B12 plays an important role in DNA synthesis and acts as a cofactor for many different biochemical reaction in your body. Vitamin B12 deficiency is related to neurological dysfunction, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, mood disorders, hormonal imbalances (including thyroid disorders) and cognitive decline.
Think you may be deficient in Vitamin B12? Book an appointment or send me an email and let’s get you feeling your best!