Are you lacking an essential vitamin?

By Debrah Santi

Symptoms of Vitamin B12 Deficiency

  • ●  Depression/Anxiety

  • ●  Impaired cognition- brain fog, memory loss

  • ●  Weakness, tiredness, or lightheadedness.

  • ●  Heart palpitations and shortness of breath.

  • ●  Pale skin.

  • ●  A smooth tongue.

  • ●  Constipation, diarrhea, loss of appetite, or gas.

  • ●  Nerve problems like numbness or tingling, muscle weakness, and

    problems walking.

  • ●  Vision loss.

  • ●  Peripheral neuropathy

    You may also be more likely to develop vitamin B12 deficiency if you have:

  • ●  Atrophic gastritis, in which your stomach lining has thinned

  • ●  Pernicious anemia, which makes it hard for your body to absorb

    vitamin B12

  • ●  Conditions that affect your small intestine, such as Crohn's disease,

    celiac disease, bacterial growth, or a parasite

  • ●  Immune system disorders, such as Graves' disease or lupus

  • ●  Been taking certain medications that interfere with the absorption of

    B12. This includes some heartburn medicines including proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) such as rabeprazole, omeprazole, esomeprazole, lansoprazole and pantoprazole; H2 Blockers such as cimetidine, famotidine and ranitidine; and certain diabetes medicines such as metformin.

    You can also get vitamin B12 deficiency if you follow a vegan diet (meaning you don't eat any animal products, fortified foods to your diet or take supplements to meet this need.including meat, milk, cheese, and eggs) or you are a vegetarian who doesn't eat enough eggs or dairy products to meet your vitamin B12 needs. In both of those cases, you can add or take supplements to meet this need.

“We know that B12 deficiency is very bad for the nervous system,” says Dr. Jonathan Woodcock, an associate professor of neurology and psychiatry at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Aurora, Colorado. It can cause problems with cognition and memory, as well as peripheral neuropathy, where the nerves going to the arms and legs degenerate, among many other issues. He notes that B12 deficiency is also associated with depression and anxiety.

“There’s two types of B12 deficiency,” points out Dr. Rif El-Mallakh, a professor of psychiatry and director of the Mood Disorders Research Program at the University of Louisville School of Medicine. “There’s a deficiency that’s related to poor intake – so there isn’t enough B12 in your diet; and then there’s a deficiency that’s related to poor absorption – so you’re eating B12, but you’re not absorbing it.” B12 shots are recommended, in particular, for those who don’t have a protein called intrinsic factor that helps the intestines to absorb the vitamin. “If you don’t have that protein you get a deficiency that has to be replaced with a shot,” El-Mallakh says. For individuals with this condition, referred to as pernicious anemia – in which the body isn’t able to make enough healthy red blood cells – it’s usually recommended they get a B12 shot once a month.

B12 and Depression

“A couple long-term studies have found that regular dosing of vitamin B12 may reduce relapse rates of depression,” Frye says. “When we see an abnormality, we want to treat it, recognizing that there is a nutritional deficit that in some way is impacting brain neurotransmission. But we would never have that be a

primary focus of treatment for depression, or an exclusive focus for treatment of depression.”

In short, if you’re depressed, experts don’t advise shelving traditional treatment, such as medication and therapy, in favor of focusing on B12 supplementation instead. Rather, it’s suggested that B12 deficits be addressed as part of a well-rounded approach to improving overall wellness. That can also dovetail into a discussion (for those whose B12 deficiency is diet-related) about how dietary improvements can be helpful to bolster mental and physical health.
Research shows that vegans and vegetarians who eat very little animal products (the main dietary source of B12) are also more likely to have low B12 levels and benefit from supplementation. For anyone suffering from depression who suspects they may have low B12 levels, mental health experts recommend having B12 levels tested.

Vitamin B12 Shots $25 Available : Wed. 1-5 ~ Thurs. 10- 2 ~ Sun. 10-3

Sylvia Salcedo