Are you suffering with fatigue and low energy? Do you struggle to get through your day? Are you no longer motivated to hit the gym? You might have a vitamin B12 deficiency.
While there are many causes of fatigue, we’re going to dig a little deeper and look at how a vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to fatigue and low vitality.
Role of Vitamin B12 in our body-
- MAINTAINS ENERGY LEVELS- Vitamin B12, or cobalamin, is one of eight essential B-vitamins, and essential for maintaining your energy levels via the production of your red blood cells, the oxygen- and nutrient-carrying “taxis” traveling through your bloodstream.
- IMPORTANT FOR GOOD SLEEP- It helps in melatonin production, your sleep hormone critical for recovery, rejuvenation and building resiliency. It’s also important for myelin formation, which keeps your nerves and nervous system running on all cylinders.
- MAKES HEART HEALTHY- B12 works together as a team with other B-vitamins to convert your food to energy (crucial for fighting winter fatigue) and also keeps your heart healthy by controlling pro-inflammatory homocysteine levels, a reliable marker associated with heart disease.
- It helps in production of healthy red blood cells that carry oxygen to all of our tissues.
- It helps in production of neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine that contribute to a positive mood.
- Improves Brain health
THIS IS WHY VITAMIN B12 SO IMPORTANT- The human body needs vitamin B12 to make red blood cells, nerves, DNA, and carry out other functions. The average adult should get 2.4 micrograms a day.
Vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms
- strange sensations, numbness, or tingling in the hands, legs, or feet
- difficulty walking (staggering, balance problems)
- a swollen, inflamed tongue
- difficulty thinking and reasoning (cognitive difficulties), or memory loss
- weakness
- fatigue
- anemia
Early detection and treatment is important. If left untreated, the deficiency can cause severe neurologic problems and blood diseases.
Frequently asked questions to me in my consultation, So thought to share the info on same
Question 1.
Why Is My B12 Too Low?
Common causes of low B12 that you may have already read about are vegan/vegetarian diets. However, if we dig a little deeper, we find a few more very commonly seen causes mentioned below.
1. Your Stomach Acid Is Too Low
Your stomach plays a key role in supporting the absorption of B12 via the production of a protein called intrinsic factor (IF), which is needed to effectively take up B12 into your cells.(3) If your stomach acid levels are too low – due to stress, vegan/vegetarian diet, heartburn drugs, aging, etc – then your stomach can’t produce adequate IF, leading to vitamin B12 deficiency. A gentle fix for supporting optimal stomach acidity is to take apple cider vinegar before your meals.
2. Genetic SNiPs
Your DNA may be holding you back from achieving optimal B12 levels. Genetic single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNiPs, pronounced “snips”) are small genetic variants or blips that occur in your DNA can lead to inadequate production of key enzymes needed to absorb certain vitamins. It simply means you’ll need to take extra steps to ensure your diet is rich in B12 foods.
3. Medications
Certain drugs are designed to treat like one for heartburn by reducing stomach acid that can lower your B12 levels. There is a whole host of other drugs that can lead to low B12 levels and fatigue; metformin (to treat diabetes), antibiotics, methotrexate (used in chemotherapy), colchicine (used to treat gout) and a group of cholesterol-lowering drugs (e.g. cholestyramine). If you’re on one of these medications, talk to your doctor about getting your B12 levels assessed.
Question 2.
How Do I Get Tested?
The classic method for assessing vitamin B12 status is to perform a blood draw. A frank deficiency is typically classified as blood levels below approximately 150-200pg/mL (depending on the lab). Most functional medicine doctors aim for about 550-1,000pg/mL; anything less is considered insufficient.
Question 3.
What Are the Best Foods to Increase My B12 Levels?
For a “food first” approach to upping your B12 levels, here are five food sources that deliver a significant amount of B12:
- Salmon – coming in just shy of 5 mcg per 3oz. serving, salmon is both an excellent source of B12, as well as a source of protein and omega 3 fatty acids.
- Beef – Steak, burgers, ribs… no matter how you cut it, beef contains B12. A single 3oz. serving provides more than half of the daily recommended intake of this vitamin.
- Milk and yogurt – If you already enjoy your daily serving of dairy for its calcium benefits, you can now take heart that you’re also getting Vitamin B12. *BONUS: Calcium is needed to facilitate B12 absorption, so they make a happy pair.
- Eggs – Maybe salmon, beef and dairy aren’t in your nutrition plan. Eggs also contain Vitamin B12. And don’t forget to eat that egg yolk to get your choline, another member of the B vitamin team.
- Fortified Cereals– Vitamin B12 is naturally found in animal foods, and generally not present in plant foods. Fortified breakfast cereals provide a good option for those who prefer an alternative to animal foods.
Question 4.
What About B12 Shots, Are They A Good Option?
If find you have insufficient or deficient B12 levels and need to restore your levels quickly to fight off fatigue and low energy, then B12 shots can be a great option. B12 shots can help restore ideal levels and provide a nice energy boost. But remember, your diet is the foundation for good health and performance, so be sure to include B12-rich animal protein to keep your levels topped up throughout the year.
Supplemental support
When looking for a B12 supplement, many people prefer the methylated, or active, form. B12 in form of methycobalamine.
Despite being a vitamin commonly found in animal products and by-products, plant-based eaters will be happy to know that all MegaFood B12 supplement options are suitable for a vegetarian diet.
A serious vitamin B12 deficiency can be corrected two ways: weekly shots of vitamin B12 or daily high-dose B12 pills. A mild B12 deficiency can be corrected with a standard multivitamin.
So if you need to good energy levels, Check vitamin b12 and get to an optimal levels with help of your health providers.
Stay tune for the next blog which talk about the importance of vitamin D levels. My job is to provide awareness towards good health so will keep doing same through my blogs. Be Happy Be Healthy always.