Vitamin B12 Deficiency: How It develops and What Helps
A vitamin B12 deficiency can be annoying because it makes you tired, weak and unfocused. But where does the deficiency come from and how can we compensate for it gently?
Do I have a vitamin B12 deficiency?
Actually you slept well, but in the afternoon at the latest you still want to put your head on the table and dream a little bit more? Or you were totally motivated to memorize the individual points for the presentation tomorrow, but nothing wants to get into your head? Constant tiredness, difficulty concentrating and memory problems are typical symptoms of a vitamin B12 deficiency.
Why do we need vitamin B12?
Not only our brain needs vitamin B12 (cobalamin) to function properly, we also need it for blood formation. A deficiency can lead to a so-called vitamin B12 deficiency anaemia – in this anaemia the red blood cells are altered.
What causes a vitamin B12 deficiency?
Since the body cannot produce vitamin B12 itself, the most common reason for a deficiency is insufficient absorption of the vitamin from food – vegetarians and vegans are often affected. However, there are other possible causes:
- Gastritis (inflammation of the gastric mucosa)
- Parasites in the intestines increase the need for vitamin B12
- Surgical (partial) removal of the intestine
- Tumours
- Intestinal disorders that interfere with the absorption of nutrients from food
What are the symptoms?
In addition to fatigue, paleness and poor concentration, a vitamin B12 deficiency can also manifest itself through the following symptoms:
Due to gastritis:
- Abdominal pain
- Digestive disorders
- Inflamed and reddened tongue
Due to neurological disorders:
- Numbness (tingling)
- Sensory disorders
- Coordination disorders
- Unsteady gait
A completely exhausted memory can also lead to severe psychological symptoms such as depression and dementia. By the way, whether you suffer from a vitamin B12 deficiency can easily be found out by a blood test at the doctor’s. By the way, it is advisable to have your folic acid level tested at the same time: Folic acid and vitamin B12 work closely together in the metabolism and a deficiency can easily develop here too.
With food against the vitamin B12 deficiency
A vitamin B12 deficiency can be controlled by looking at the cause, for example by treating gastritis. The easiest way to replenish the vitamin B12 stores is to take the vitamin with food. These foods contain particularly high levels of vitamin B12:
Eggs
There’s a lot of healthy stuff in eggs: Besides many proteins, calcium and zinc, they also offer a good portion of vitamin B12 (an egg covers about seven percent of the daily requirement) as well as a good dose of some other vitamins.
Milk products
A cup of reduced-fat cow’s milk and around 230 grams of reduced-fat yoghurt are also suitable as sources of vitamin B12: Each of the two varieties covers a good 18 percent of the daily requirement.
Sea animals
Mussels are among the best suppliers of vitamin B12: thanks to them, we can absorb a good 85 micrograms of B12 per 85 grams of mussels. But also some crabs like the king crab and various types of fish such as sardines, rainbow trout and salmon fill the vitamin B12 stores.
Cereals
Some of the typical breakfast cereals, soy and milk substitutes contain vitamin B12 – which can be a good source of vitamin B12, especially for vegans. Here it is especially helpful to have a look at the list of ingredients: If the product contains “processed cereals”, you can assume that it contains vitamin B12.
Beef liver
Even though not everyone likes liver, it provides some valuable nutrients: In addition to proteins and iron, 85 grams of beef liver contains around 70 micrograms of vitamin B12. However, it should be noted that cooking destroys some of these nutrients or makes them less easily absorbed by the body.