What is Vitamin B12?
If it is about answering what is vitamin B12, then I will prefer answer it in short now. Cobalamin or Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble vitamin that is responsible for the metabolism of cells of the human body. It is the most complex vitamin. It plays a significant role in DNA synthesis, metabolism of both fatty and amino acids. It also helps in the formation of RBC (Red Blood Cells) in the bone marrow. It is needed for nerve tissue health and brain function.
What is Vitamin B12 used for?
Vitamin B12 is used to treat a rare genetic condition called Imerslund-Grasbeck disease. Injecting the vitamin shot for a couple of days is effective and beneficial for the treatment of the disease. It is also used for curing diseases and health conditions that are caused by Vitamin B12 deficiency. Vitamin B12 shots for energy is one of the major usage of it.
Where is Vitamin B12 found?
Vitamin B12 can be found in animal products such as fish, meat, eggs, etc. Bacteria and Archaea are the only organisms that produce Vitamin B12. When a herbivore eats plants with such bacteria, the organisms get digested and increase. They then turn into “good bacteria” and stay in the gut, producing Vitamin B12. So, those who are purely vegetarian are likely to develop a Vitamin B12 deficiency. The vitamins are also found in nutritional yeast and other food enriched in B12. Cooked beef liver, sockeye salmon, and milk also contain Vitamin B12.
Symptoms of Vitamin B12 deficiency
If you don’t add enough Cobalamin into your diet, you will become a Vitamin B12 deficiency. It affects the elderly, metformin users, people with low Vitamin B12 absorption, etc. Pure vegetarians can sometimes lack in Vitamin B12. Here are some of the symptoms listed.
1. Anemia
People with a cobalamin deficiency can develop a certain type of anemia known as the megaloblastic anemia. The anemia causes red blood cells to grow weak and fragile. If your body lacks B12, it affects the cell division causing the red blood cells in the bone marrow to slow down its growth. The fragility causes the RBC to decompose prematurely which causes an excess of Bilirubin. Too much bilirubin can cause jaundice and skill yellowing.
2. Fatigue
If you feel fatigued even though a good night’s sleep or without a diet change, it’s likely that you have B12 deficiency. Weakness is a common symptom in such a deficiency. Your body doesn’t get enough of the vitamin and it hampers the oxygen fusion in your cell, this makes you weak. A vitamin B12 in elderly people can develop into pernicious anemia.
3. Feeling pins and needles
Vitamin B12 has been involved in various neurological functions. A lack of it can damage the myelin. Myelin insulates your nerves and regulates nerve functioning. The damage of myelin is likely to cause pins and needles sensation in your hands and feet.
4. Vision problems
Blurred vision or disturbing vision is quite common in vitamin deficiency. The nerve tissues get damaged and stop working eventually which leads to vision problems. Prolonged deficiency can cause serious damages to the eyes causing you optic neuropathy.
5. Depression
Mood disorders are often signified as a symptom of vitamin B12 deficiency. If you are not getting sufficient cobalamin, your brain tissue malfunctions which can cause hormonal imbalances which lead to causing depression, anxiety, dementia, and mood swings.
If you are not a vegan and you are still seeing the symptoms, you might be a B12 deficit as well. It’s best to consult a health specialist if you identify more than one symptom. If you have a deficiency, your doctor will prescribe you Vitamin B12 supplements, shots or injections.
