If you believe you do not require vitamin B12 pills, you should reconsider. Most individuals obtain enough B12 through foods—meat, fish, dairy products, eggs, and fortified breakfast cereals—and do not require supplements. However, our body’s capacity to absorb it from these sources is only as good as our stomach. We require stomach acid, the enzyme pepsin, and a gastric protein called intrinsic factor to absorb dietary B12 in the small intestine.
How Does Vitamin B12 Interact With Your Body?
Vitamin B12 has water-soluble properties and is found mainly in animal products, although dietary supplements and medications can also be found. Vitamin b12 is separated from protein by stomach enzymes, which combine with the intrinsic factor, which allows it to be absorbed into the small intestine.
Who needs more B12?
The majority of individuals acquire adequate vitamin B12 from their diet. However, some people have difficulty absorbing vitamin B12 from their diet. As a result, vitamin B12 insufficiency affects between 1.5 and 15% of the general population. Your doctor can do a vitamin B12 deficiency test to determine whether you are deficient.
Certain people may not obtain enough vitamin B12 or may have difficulty absorbing it:
- Many older people may not have enough hydrochloric acid in their stomach to absorb vitamin B12 from meals. People over the age of 50 should acquire most of their vitamin B12 from fortified foods or dietary supplements since their systems can absorb vitamin B12 from these sources in most situations.
- People who suffer from pernicious anemia do not produce the intrinsic factor required for vitamin B12 absorption. Pernicious anemia is often treated with vitamin B12 injections; however, high oral doses of vitamin B12 may also be beneficial.
- People who have had gastrointestinal surgery, such as weight loss surgery, or suffer from digestive illnesses such as celiac disease or Crohn’s disease. These disorders have the potential to reduce the amount of vitamin B12 that the body can absorb.
- Vegetarians and vegans are persons who eat little or no animal products. Vitamin B12 is naturally found only in animal diets. When pregnant women and mothers who nurse their children are strict vegetarians or vegans, their children may not receive enough vitamin B12.
Symptoms of B12 deficiency
Vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms include poor memory, dementia, depression, and neurological symptoms such as numbness and tingling sensations. High-dose vitamin B12 may have potentially rescued Mary Todd Lincoln, who was supposed to have suffered pernicious anemia from the health problems that led to her stint in a mental institution. Vitamin B12 is also one of several B vitamins that may aid to protect against cognitive decline in elderly persons who have minor memory problems and low vitamin status.
What Should We Do About It?
B12 is necessary for our health at any age. A simple blood test can determine if we have adequate quantities of this crucial vitamin. It might be just what our brains require to remain sharp as we age. Most persons who consume animal products, such as milk or cheese, will not develop this B12 deficient anemia. Vegans can avoid it by taking a daily vitamin supplement or consuming foods fortified with B12. A doctor should evaluate babies born to vegan mothers to see whether they require additional vitamin B12. If you have pernicious anemia or cannot absorb enough vitamin B12 for another reason, your doctor will give you vitamin B12 injections or tablets to avoid deficiency.
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