Causes of Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Vitamin B12 is one of the most important vitamins in maintaining general health, especially with regard to red blood cell synthesis, DNA synthesis, and normal neurological function.

However, despite its importance as a constituent of nutrition, vitamin B12 deficiency remains one of the silent epidemics there are since most people that are affected come from different ages and diets.

Knowledge of Vitamin B12 deficiency causes will, therefore, ensure that the body will retain sufficient levels of the body-critical vitamin, and thus, no health issues caused by deficiency will be witnessed.

In the article that follows, we outline how to discuss the various causes of Vitamin B12 deficiency, its effects on the body, and how to avoid it. 

Vitamin B12 is one of the essential water-soluble vitamins that help in proper brain functioning and in the nervous system and in the production of red blood cells.

Because it naturally occurs in meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and dairy products, most people get their supply through diet. But some medical conditions and also some lifestyles may result in a deficiency.

Vitamin B12 deficiency results from a state whereby the body fails to acquire enough amounts of the vitamin from food, or because of an incapacity of absorption.

The caused symptoms will range between relatively minor and extreme health conditions that include fatigue and weakness, nerve damage, and anemia.

Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia is an illness in which there is a deficiency of healthy red blood cells in the body due to the prevalence of vitamin B12 deficiency. It causes various symptoms, mainly feebleness, shortness of breath, and dizziness.

There are several reasons for vitamin B12 deficiency. These include dietary inadequacies, as well as medical conditions that prevent one from absorbing vitamin B12. Let's look at a few of the common causes for vitamin B12 deficiency.

One of the major causes of vitamin B12 deficiency would be dietary inadequacy.

Most prone would be people with dietary restrictions, particularly vegans, because vitamin B12 sources are naturally only from animal products.

It can either come from dietary intake or supplement or injection.

The most common cause of vitamin B12 deficiency is the lack of vitamin B12 in the diet.

Since vitamin B12 occurs in minute quantities in animal products, the risk of getting vitamin B12 deficiency increases among those on a vegetarian or vegan diet because plant-based foods do not contain nearly enough vitamin B12 for the body.

Continuous use of diet without sufficient vitamin B12 intake diminishes the levels of this vitamin overtime.

Low levels of this vitamin can cause a condition in the body that leads to feelings of fatigue, weakness, and even cognitive dysfunction.

People on vegetarian or vegan diets require fortified foods or vitamin B12 supplements not to be pushed to deficiency.

It is a protein secreted from the stomach, and without it, it becomes impossible for vitamin B12 to penetrate into the small intestine, and thus the body cannot absorb it well, resulting in deficiency.

Pernicious anemia is an illness that develops when the immune system of the body attacks the cells inside the stomach that produce intrinsic factor; it is an autoimmune disease that brings about the absence of intrinsic factor and subsequent deficiency of vitamin B12.

Pernicious anemia is the most common cause of deficiency in vitamin B12, usually in older people. Patients with this disease could not gain enough vitamin B12 from their diet, regardless of whether they take the right amount from it or not.

Supplements or injections of vitamin B12 would thus be the most recommended treatment by your doctor to prevent inadequate levels of vitamin B12.

In addition to deficiency of the factor, there is another set of gastrointestinal disorders that causes a disruption in the process of vitamin B12 absorption in the body.

For instance, stomach and intestinal diseases, surgeries, as well as some medicines can influence the absorption of vitamin B12.

Crohn's disease, celiac disease, and IBD can damage the lining of the intestine that is in charge of absorbing Vitamin B12. Generally, most patients with gastrointestinal disorders develop chronic deficiencies for nutrients like vitamin B12.

There are cases of stomach operations whereby it fails to carry out normal functions. These operations reduce the amount of stomach acid and intrinsic factor produced in the stomach. The result will be vitamin B12 deficiency because the absorption of the vitamin will be reduced.

PPIs and H2 blockers decrease the production of stomach acid that facilitates the absorption of vitamin B12. Both have been shown to impair vitamin B12 absorption and are associated with the development of deficiency, especially with long-term use.

Metformin is a pharmacologic agent used in the first-line treatment for type 2 diabetes. It impairs absorption of vitamin B12.

A large proportion of older adults within the geriatric age group suffer from deficiency disorders of vitamin B12, because with advancing age, physiological changes occur in the process of digestion within the stomach.

The stomach of older adults produces very little or no acid, which is needed to release the vitamin B12 from food. With the minimum production of acidic stomach juice, the absorption of vitamin B12 from food becomes ineffective and therefore leads to deficiency.

Older adults are also susceptible to disorders like atrophic gastritis, where the stomach lining becomes thin and inflamed. As the stomach produces less intrinic factor and stomach acids, atrophic gastritis prevents the Vitamin B12-soaked digestive body from being absorbed.

Testing for vitamin B12 levels must be repeated in people over the age of 50 years, and in case of deficiency, these should be supplemented with vitamin B12.

Chronic alcoholism itself brings about malnutrition and prevents the proper absorption of nutrients into the body, amongst them vitamin B12. Alcohol is a poison that can poison the stomach and intestines hence interfering with the absorption of vitamins and minerals.

The two major contributing factors for developing a deficiency of vitamin B12 in the case of chronic alcoholism are nutritional deficiencies or simply poor dietary intake coupled with the inability of the body to absorb some nutrients.

Aside from these causes, some genetic mutations alter the metabolism and absorption of vitamin B12 by the body. Loss of the intrinsic factor gene or another similar gene is a consequence of some genetic disorder.

This disorder causes a deficiency of vitamin B12 within the body. Some genetic condition makes other people more prone to this deficiency even if they receive appropriate amounts of the vitamin.

The symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency differ from one person to another. This is because signs of deficiency also depend on the degree of deficiency, as well as how long it existed before it was corrected. General symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency are generally seen as follows.

The most common symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency include:

• Weakness and feeling unwell

• Dizziness and dizziness

• Pale skin or jaundiced

• Carrying shortness of breath

• Numbness or prickling sensation in the hands and feet

• The patient has problems walking and has a sense of imbalance

• Memory loss and issues of concentration in mental functions

• Mood fluctuations, depression and irritability

• Glossitis, Inflammation of the tongue

In medical conditions, if it is not treated, vitamin B12 deficiency causes many critical conditions of nerve damage and irreversible damage to cognition.

It may even lead to Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia that is the definition for low red blood cell count in the body resulting due to vitamin B12 deficiency.

Prevention of vitamin B12 deficiency is essentially ensuring that the body gets sufficient vitamin B12 from diet or supplement.

There are persons who must take specific steps to prevent vitamin B12 deficiency in their life such as vegans and vegetarians, older adults, and persons with gastrointestinal conditions.

This including meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy products. In addition, foods can be fortified with vitamin B12, such as plant-based milk, or breakfast cereals.

You will have to take vitamin B12 supplements if it is impossible for you to get sufficient vitamin B12 through the food. Such supplements can be in tablets, capsules, or injections.

The kind of supplement will depend on how severe the deficiency is; your doctor will guide you on which best addresses the condition.

Treatment of Malabsorption Problem: If your vitamin B12 deficiency results from malabsorption like pernicious anemia or gastrointestinal disease, your doctor probably is to prescribe vitamin B12 injections or high-dose oral supplements so that you maintain adequate levels of vitamin B12 in your body and prevent the complication due to deficiency.

Vitamin B12 deficiency is quite a common health issue that receives less attention than it deserves. If not treated, it leads to serious complications.

Some of the common causes of vitamin B12 deficiency are poor dietary intake and malabsorption while few medical conditions include pernicious anemia.

However, a critical need is to determine the symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency and preventive or curative actions so that overall health and well-being could be maintained.

Adequate dietary consumption of vitamins B12 or supplementation, therefore, prevents the signs of vitamin B12 deficiency and all that the symptom may lead to, like a healthy red blood cell count, proper nerve functions, and normal cognitive abilities.

Consult a health care provider if you suspect you are vitamin B12 deficient to have yourself tested and properly treated.

* Medical Disclaimer - The following information is for educational purposes only. No information provided on this website, including text, graphic, and images, are intended as substitutes for professional medical advice. Please consult with your doctor about specific medical advice pertaining to your condition(s).