Vitamin B12 is an important water-soluble vitamin. A deficiency can arise from insufficient intake through food or supplements over a long period. Want to know more about vitamin B12 deficiency? Below, you can read all about its causes and treatment.
Why do I need vitamin B12?
Vitamin B12 is produced in the gastrointestinal tract of animals and therefore primarily occurs in animal products. Plant-based foods contain at most a non-active variant, which is less readily absorbed by the body. Consequently, a vitamin B12 deficiency can occur sooner with a (strict) vegetarian or vegan diet.
A deficiency can lead to serious symptoms because vitamin B12 is necessary for numerous important processes in the brain and body.
What exactly is a vitamin B12 deficiency?
Unlike fat-soluble vitamins, most water-soluble vitamins are not stored in the body. Vitamin B12 is an exception to this rule, meaning a deficiency will not occur as quickly. A deficiency only arises from insufficient intake over a longer period.
What foods contain vitamin B12?
Vitamin B12 naturally occurs mainly in animal products. Foods rich in this substance include liver (such as slices of beef liver and liver sausage), steak, and chicken fillet. This vitamin is also abundantly present in fish and dairy products. Mackerel, tuna, salmon, sardines, whole milk, and full-fat yogurt are all examples of good sources.
A vitamin B12 deficiency will therefore not easily occur if your diet contains enough of these animal sources. A piece of just over 100 grams of beef already provides the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of 2.8 micrograms. An egg, like a glass of milk, contains about 30% of the RDA.
What are the causes of vitamin B12 deficiency?
A vitamin B12 deficiency can have a hereditary factor, such as a metabolic disorder or transcobalamin II deficiency. Lifestyle also plays an important role. For example, excessive alcohol intake or the use of certain medications can promote a deficiency. This also applies to a gastric bypass (better known as stomach reduction surgery).
Among (strict) vegetarians and vegans, the importance of vitamin B12 is sometimes underestimated, leading them not to compensate for potential dietary deficiencies with supplementation. Over time, this can lead to bothersome symptoms and experiences. Older people also run a greater risk of deficiency. Due to reduced stomach acid production, they absorb B12 less effectively.
Can you take too much vitamin B12?
The Health Council advises a vitamin B12 intake of a maximum of five times the RDA. If you do consume more, it is not immediately dangerous and certainly not fatal. Patients with cyanide poisoning sometimes receive an injection with extremely large quantities. The main side effects that then occur are skin discoloration and harmless changes in heart rate.
How is a vitamin B12 deficiency treated?
You would rather prevent the symptoms of a vitamin B12 deficiency than cure them. Are you unsure whether you are getting enough of this vitamin, for example, because you eat a vegetarian or vegan diet? In that case, you can take tablets to supplement any deficiencies in your diet. Personally, my preference is for these dissolvable tablets with well-absorbable forms of B12.
For severe or even life-threatening vitamin B12 deficiency, intramuscular injections are often chosen. There will often also be quite severe symptoms. In practice, however, this does not occur very often.
Are you experiencing some of the complaints or symptoms mentioned above and wondering if you might have a vitamin B12 deficiency? Our orthomolecular therapists can provide you with orthomolecular advice in tailored online 1-on-1 consultations!
