Vitamin B12 is one of the nutrients we should all understand better as we’re aging. Like other vitamins, if you’ve got enough of it it’s no problem. But if you’re deficient then it can lead to serious complications in your life. B12 has an impact on our health that most people, and even some doctors, are unaware of.
Vitamins are too important for the healthy functioning of our bodies to just trust, or hope, that we’re getting enough. This is why it’s so important to educate yourself on them and even get tested for some of them. But at the very least pay attention to your body and how you’re feeling. There are always signs to let you know things aren’t working right.
This NIH fact sheet reports that in the U.S. about 6% of adults under age 60 have a B12 deficiency while around 20% of those over 60 are deficient. This is why I’m writing about it. As we’re aging, this vitamin becomes more important to understand.
What is Vitamin B12?
Vitamin B12 is also known as Cobalamin and it’s a water-soluble vitamin. That means it doesn’t require fat for absorption like the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K do.
Most water-soluble vitamins (C and the other B’s) don’t get stored in our body’s tissues so we have to ingest them regularly in order to get what we need. Vitamin B12 is different. Our bodies do store it in our muscles and organs and it can take years of not getting enough of it before we become deficient.
Vitamin B12 does many things in our bodies. The following is a short list of the most important.
-
- it works with folate to make and grow red blood cells
- it helps to make DNA
- it helps our nerves to function properly
- it helps to reduce the risk of heart disease, memory loss, osteoporosis, and depression
Related article: Vitamin C and its effects on our immunity.
Where do we get it from?
One of the problems with Vitamin B12 is that we can’t get it from very many sources other than some animal products. But even that can’t be completely relied upon. The animal products with the most B12 are clams, beef liver and ground beef, organ meats, salmon, and tuna.
So if you’re a meat-eater you’re probably fine if you’re still under 60 years old. But some meat-eaters can have problems absorbing it from those foods due to age or other problems. I now have two family members that are meat eaters that were both found to be deficient. One is under 60, the other is almost 90.
If you’re a vegan then you need to get your B12 from fortified foods and drinks, or supplements. Which is pretty easy to do. It used to be thought that vegans could get enough B12 from sources like spirulina, tempeh, nori, or wheatgrass. However, The Vegan Society notes that “such claims have not stood the test of time”. So make sure you educate yourself thoroughly.
Related article: Are you getting enough nutrients for good health?
Symptoms and causes of a B12 deficiency
According to the Merck Manual, and other sources, a serious B12 deficiency can cause the following symptoms:
-
- nerve damage leading to tingling or loss of sensation in the extremities
- muscle weaknesses, lowered reflexes, and problems walking
- Pernicious Anemia, an autoimmune disease caused by not being able to absorb Vitamin B12
- confusion, irritability, depression, dementia, and memory problems
- dizziness, fatigue, and shortness of breath
- sore tongue or mouth ulcers, called Glossitis
There are a number of conditions that can cause people to have trouble absorbing Vitamin B12 like they should including:
-
- AIDS
- a folate deficiency
- Celiac disease
- too much bacteria in the small intestines
- bariatric surgery for weight loss
- a decrease in stomach acid which can happen with age
- not enough intrinsic factor which is a protein produced in the stomach that helps break down B12. This is caused by Pernicious Anemia.
As you can gather from these lists, Vitamin B12 has a big impact on our health! And because we can start to have absorption problems as we age I think it’s a nutrient that we need to be more aware of.
Do you need a supplement?
As I mentioned earlier, you may need to take a supplement if you’re a vegan and don’t eat any animal products. At least have yourself checked for a deficiency occasionally so you can be sure. Because if it’s caught early it’s an easy fix. But at least know the symptoms of a deficiency if your diet is absent of animal products.
I’ve heard stories of people having memory problems and it’s assumed that they’re developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, the symptoms of a B12 deficiency can be mistaken for Alzheimer’s. But unlike AD this problem is reversible if it’s caught early.
Both Vitamin B12 and folate (a.k.a. Vitamin B9) are connected and can cause many of the same symptoms. Either way, it’s important enough to know what to look for and to pay attention to what’s going on in your body. If you think you could have a deficiency then ask your doctor about testing after reading up on it more yourself.
I always recommend eating a healthy diet first then adding supplements where they may be needed. But if you are considering supplements then start by educating yourself with good resources.
Helpful resources
In past articles, I’ve mentioned the book “Doctor Yourself: Natural healing that works” by Andrew Saul, Ph.D. I have this book and I trust his advice because of his lifetime commitment to nutrition and health education. When it comes to Vitamin B12 he says that there are “no side effects whatsoever with a B12 overdose”. So there’s one less thing to worry about!
You can also watch the documentaries “Foodmatters” or “That Vitamin Movie” to hear what he has to say about health and nutrition. Maybe you can find these at a library if not online somewhere. They’re really worth checking out!
My final thoughts
Nutrients not only fuel our bodies but they also make sure our bodies work the way they’re supposed to. I’m choosing to write about them because they have such a huge impact on our health. That impact has been taken for granted in favor of pharmaceuticals, oftentimes with negative side effects.
Whether you’re having a physical or psychological problem, the first and easiest thing to check into is your nutrient levels. Most of the time getting those levels where they should be will solve a problem. While synthetic drugs usually just treat symptoms and mask a problem.
We can prevent a lot of illness and disease as we age through better nutrition and taking care of our bodies. I know we can’t live forever and our bodies will malfunction sometimes no matter what. But we do have some control by educating ourselves better and feeding our bodies what they need.
So learn what you can about adopting a healthy lifestyle and take control where you can. What you eat and how you move your body are two very important ways to slow down the aging process. And Vitamin B12 is one of those nutrients that we all need understand better as we age.