9 subtle symptoms of a Vitamin B12 deficiency
Ella Scott
Featured Image Credit: Maria Korneeva/Getty Images
Vitamin B12 plays a key role in making and repairing DNA; creating healthy red blood cells, and converts carbohydrates, fats and proteins into energy - and your body will definitely give you the heads up if you’re not getting enough of it in your diet.
The Pernicious Anaemia Society suggests that around six percent of those under 60 in the UK and the United States have a vitamin B12 deficiency.
20 percent of those aged more than 60 years are likely not getting enough, and neither are 11 percent of vegans, NHS South West London warns.
Unfortunately, it can take years for a vitamin B12 deficiency to develop, due to the small daily requirement (1-2 micrograms/day) and even longer to be diagnosed, as blood tests are not entirely reliable or accurate.
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However, there are some key signs that you’re lacking in the water-soluble nutrient. Here are nine of them:
Fatigue, as defined by the Better Health Channel, is the feeling of constant exhaustion, burnout or lack of energy.
If you’re struggling to get out of bed, complete daily tasks, or socialise due to debilitating tiredness, then this could be a sure sign that you need more vitamin B12 in your diet.
Animal products like liver and kidneys are great sources, as are eggs, dairy, and some fortified plant-based foods.
Melanie Karmazin, who was told she had a lack of B12 in her body, explained to Prevention earlier this year that she experienced tingling in her feet before her diagnosis.
“It felt like electricity was running from my head to my feet,” the 44-year-old shared.
You may also experience a prickling or numbing sensation similar to ‘pins and needles’ in your hands and other limbs, making it difficult to operate, as per experts at Medical News Today.
Balance problems often take place when your brain cannot process signals from your eyes, ears and body correctly.
However, those who don’t have enough vitamin B12 may experience the issue alongside vertigo - the false sensation that you or your surroundings are spinning or moving.
A study published in 2021 suggested that muscle weakness is linked to early mortality and may increase the risk of premature death by approximately 50 percent.
Those lacking in the essential nutrient may find it difficult to carry grocery bags or lift weights they were previously used to.
Muscle strength can be improved by engaging in resistance training, consuming adequate protein, and making sure you’re resting between sessions.
If you’re looking in the mirror and notice your skin is paler than usual or has taken on a yellow hue then low B12 could be the cause.
Prevention wrote that a deficiency can cause red blood cells to become fragile.
When they break, they release bilirubin, a yellow-orange pigment that can cause your skin to change colour.
This one is arguably the kicker: low vitamin B12 levels can cause you to fall out of love with your favourite foods.
For example, dark chocolate, which experts from the University of Surrey found may have broad cardiovascular health benefits, may not taste of anything.
According to research published in BMC Oral Health, this is because people can lose papillae, which house taste buds, rendering food utterly bland.
Mental health is complicated. However, your anxiety and/or depression may be worse than usual because you’re not consuming enough vitamin B12, as per Angela Grassi, a registered dietitian nutritionist and founder of the PCOS Nutrition Centre.
She told the publication that a lack of the nutrient can ‘wreak havoc on your mood’.
Brain fog can impact your thinking, memory and concentration by creating a ‘fuzzy’ feeling in your mind, the Cleveland Clinic reported.
People who are stressed, have had chemotherapy, and COVID-19 are likely to suffer from brain fog, as are those who are undersuppling their bodies with vitamin B12.
Lisa Cimperman, a registered dietitian and senior medical science liaison for Soleno Therapeutics, told Prevention: “I’ve seen this deficiency mistaken for Alzheimer’s in elderly patients.
“But once they have a blood test and it reveals a B12 deficiency, they start taking a supplement and their symptoms start to fade.”
Eyesight often worsens with age, often due to an eye condition known as presbyopia, according to Specsavers.
The opticians explained that presbyopia is the gradual loss of your eyes' ability to focus on objects up close.
But a lack of vitamin B12 may also be the cause of your vision changes.
It was suggested in a Cureus study that ophthalmic manifestations - eye-related symptoms or diseases signalling underlying systemic conditions - are a presenting symptom of deficiency.
These vision changes can cause a painless, progressive, bilateral, and symmetrical reduction in visual acuity and are often accompanied by colour vision impairment, as per the published research.