Vitamin B12 is needed for many of the body's basic functions, including making red blood cells, keeping nerves healthy and producing energy from food. A study has found that about one in four American adults has low or borderline-low levels of B12 in the blood.
B12 is found naturally only in foods from animals (meat, fish, eggs and dairy), so people who eat only plant foods need fortified foods or supplements. A lack of it can affect the nerves, mood and memory.
Older people are at greater risk of B12 deficiency, for two reasons: less of the vitamin in their food, and less ability to absorb it. Stomach acid is needed to release B12 from food, so anything that reduces it lowers absorption: ageing, long-term use of antacid medicines, and infection with the stomach bacterium Helicobacter pylori. The diabetes medicine metformin also reduces B12 absorption.
Deficiency is common in countries where many people eat little or no animal food, such as India.
B12 helps form healthy red blood cells, helps the body use fats and carbohydrates, and keeps the nervous system in good shape: it is needed for the protective sheath around nerve fibres, which supports memory, clear thinking and concentration.
Possible signs of B12 deficiency
- Tiredness or exhaustion
- Weakness, numbness or tingling in the hands and feet
- Loss of appetite or unwanted weight loss
- Constipation or wind
- Mood changes or irritability
- Poor memory or confusion
- Pale skin, or a sore, red tongue
These signs have many possible causes. If you have them, see a doctor: a simple blood test can check your B12 level, and deficiency is easy to treat.
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