Vitamin B12 Deficiency: Here’s All You Need To Know!
Vitamin B12 is crucial for the proper functioning of the human body.
While many of us are aware that vitamin B12 deficiency can cause a form of anemia, the effects of vitamin B12 deficiency are far-reaching:
Effects of vitamin B12 deficiency:
- Damage to the nervous system – seen initially as numbness and tingling in the hands and feet.
- Deficient infants may even show facial tremors and developmental issues.
- Higher risk of developing psychosis, mania and dementia
- Even mild deficiency can cause anemia, fatigue, confusion, memory problems and depression
- Other symptoms include constipation, weight loss and loss of appetite
Are you at risk of vitamin B12 deficiency?
The people at risk include:
- Vegans
- Those suffering from pernicious anemia
- Those with small intestine problems
- Those suffering from Crohn’s disease
- Chronic alcoholics
- Diabetics being treated with metformin
To understand the vitamin B12 status of the general population, we studied the levels of all those who did a vitamin B12 test as a part of routine health check-up at Suburban Diagnostics over the past 5 years.
From almost 1.3 lakh samples we found that:
1 in 5 people (overall) were vitamin B12 deficient.
While many consider anemia to be a good indicator of vitamin B12 deficiency, we found that 78% of those deficient in vitamin B12 had normal hemoglobin levels.
Surprisingly, the deficiency was seen more in men than women.
~1 in 4 men were deficient in vitamin B12.
~1 in 7 women were deficient in vitamin B12.
If one considered the age groups at which deficiency was more, then the most vulnerable age group in females were the 20-29 years of age group and in males, it was the 30-39 years of age group.
Percentage of people with vitamin B12 deficiency
Desirable levels: >200 pg/mL
Where do you stand?
Check your vitamin B12 TODAY!
A simple blood test can change your life.
