New Delhi: Vitamin-B12 is an essential nutrient, which is very important for the functioning of our body. This vitamin is essential for DNA synthesis, energy production and central nervous system function. Research says that 20 percent of people above the age of 60 are deficient in this vitamin. Which can usually be caused by an inadequate diet or a medical condition.
With ageing, our body is not able to properly absorb Vitamin-B12 from food, due to which this deficiency is seen in the elderly. But this does not mean that the youth cannot be deficient in this vitamin. Like all other nutrients, B vitamins are essential for health, yet they are often overlooked.
1. Fatigue
If your body is deficient in Vitamin B12 then you will feel tired. Your body needs B12 to function properly. If B12 levels deteriorate, red blood cells begin to decline. When your body can’t make enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen to the tissues, you feel weak and tired.
2. Yellowing of the skin
Vitamin-B12 deficiency can cause pale or yellowing of the skin. B12 anemia can cause discoloration of the skin due to the lack of healthy red blood cells in the body. B12 deficiency can also cause jaundice, which causes your skin and eyes to turn yellow.
3. Headache
B12 deficiency can also cause neurological side effects, including headache. Headache is also the most common symptom of vitamin B12 deficiency. Research has shown that B12 deficiency is common in people who have frequent headaches.
4. Depression-like symptoms
Vitamin B12 is essential for central nervous system function, so a deficiency in this nutrient can affect your mental health. Specifically, B12 deficiency may increase the risk of developing depression. Along with depression, vitamin B12 deficiency can trigger other mental problems including psychosis and mood swings.
5. Stomach problem
B12 deficiency can cause diarrhea, nausea, constipation, bloating, gas and other stomach problems. This problem can be felt by both adults and children.
6. Difficulty Concentrating
Because B12 deficiency has negative effects on the central nervous system, it can cause people to feel fuzzy, as well as have difficulty concentrating or completing tasks. Older people may especially experience these symptoms, as vitamin B12 deficiency increases with age.
7. Pain or swelling in the mouth or tongue
Glossitis is a condition in which the tongue becomes swollen, red and sore. The reason for this is the deficiency of Vitamin B12 in the body. Stomatitis is also common with glossitis, which causes inflammation and ulcers in the mouth. By the way, both these problems are common in those people in whom vitamin-B12 deficiency causes anemia. It can also occur without anemia, which is an early symptom of vitamin B12 deficiency.
