Vitamins are important components of our diet and the body needs different vitamins to function properly. Among them, Vitamin B12 is an important place. According to the Indian Medical Association (IMA), a large part of the Indian population is suffering from vitamin B12 deficiency.
Vitamin B12 or Kobalmin is one of the eight Vitamin B required for proper functioning of nervous tissues, health, brain processes and red blood cells. It also helps in the production of DNA, RNA and neurotransmitters.
Problem of this vitamin deficiency:
- Due to the long-term deficiency of this vitamin, problems like anemia, fatigue, memory loss, mood swings, irritability.
- In addition, tingling or numbness in sight, vision defects, mouth ulcers, constipation, diarrhea, cerebral disorders, and infertility, may be.
- However, a deficiency of B12 can compensate.
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Blood cells are not developed :
- K.K., Chairman, IMA Agarwal said that every minute our body produces millions of red blood cells.
- However, these cells do not grow without vitamin B12, consequently the anemia may complain.
- In such infants there is often a lack of vitamin B12, which completely depend on mother’s milk and do not take any external nutrition.
Why not vitamin B12 absorption?
- He said that vegetarians often lack it.
- Due to stress, deteriorating eating habits, genetic factors and diseases of the intestines such as Crohn’s disease, B12 can not be absorbed properly.
- Often, people over 50 years of age have less energy to absorb it. Due to water-soluble vitamins, insufficient drinking water can affect its absorption.
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How To Know That Vitamin B12 Is Low?
- Agrawal said that the diagnosisof B12 deficiency can done by blood tests, such as absolute blood count (CBC) and vitamin B12 levels tested in blood. The level of folate (another B vitamins) is usually tested for the related condition, which is called foil deficiency anemia.
- He said that after diagnosis, such a person is usually sent to a specialist.
- For example, hematologist for blood conditions, digestive disorder is advised to consult a dietician for advice on gastroenterologists and food products containing vitamin B12.
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Some tips for preventing vitamin B12 deficiency:
- Avoid excessive consumption of alcohol. Drinking more alcohol leads to gastrointestinal and damage the intestinal lining. This can hamper the absorption of vitamin B12.
- Quit smoking. It has found that usually smokers have low levels of serum Vitamin B12.
- Take supplements. Vitamin B12 deficiency in vegetarian diet. Therefore it is good to take multipitamin containing B12.
- Also, take soya-rich foods and eat vitamin B12 supplements.
- Include vitamin B6 in your diet. This will help in the absorption and storage of vitamin B12. Spinach, walnuts, eggs and bananas etc. are good sources of B6.
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