Our our bodies depend on sure vitamins and vitamins to make sure they will perform to one of the best of their skills.
Therefore, some deficiencies might be critical, leading to ongoing well being issues.
This is the case with vitamin B12, a vitamin utilized by the physique to create wholesome pink blood cells.
Long-term B12 deficiency might be harmful with potential lasting negative effects similar to nerve injury, coronary heart failure and even abdomen most cancers.
Therefore, any warning indicators of the situation ought to be investigated as quickly as doable.
Claire Lynch, dietitian at Plant Based Health Professionals, spoke solely with Express.co.uk about two signs to search for.
“Two early signs of B12 deficiency are fatigue and tingling in the hands or feet,” she stated.
She defined: “Vitamin B12 supports nerve function, so deficiency can ultimately cause permanent nerve damage resulting in cognitive decline (dementia).
“An early sign of B12-related nerve damage can be tingling in the hands or feet.
“To complicate matters further, vitamin B12 also helps the body to clear homocysteine, which is a by-product of protein metabolism.
“Studies have shown that vegans who don’t supplement with B12 have high levels of homocysteine.
“B12 deficiency and/or high homocysteine levels have been shown to increase the risk of cognitive impairment, stroke and early mortality.”
Ms Lynch additionally warned that fatigue is a standard signal.
“Vitamin B12 is vital for red blood cell production – for red blood cells to divide and become active,” she stated.
“Red blood cells carry oxygen around the body, so a lack of B12 causes fatigue due to the lack of oxygen-carrying capacity in the blood. This is called megaloblastic anaemia.
“But, what is worth noting is that folate is another B vitamin that helps red blood cells to divide.
“People eating a plant-based diet often consume high levels of folate as this is found in abundance in plants.
“So even with low vitamin B12 levels their red blood cells may continue to divide, therefore this can prevent fatigue and mask a B12 deficiency.”
Other signs can embody:
Vitamin B12 is present in animal product meals together with meat, fish, cheese, eggs and butter.
However, it may also be present in yeast extract similar to Marmite and sure fortified meals like cereals.
If you might be vegetarian or vegan and subsequently extra liable to changing into poor, Ms Lynch beneficial taking dietary supplements.
“There are some food sources of vitamin B12 in a plant-based diet, such as fortified plant milks, nutritional yeast and other processed foods such as some meat alternatives,” she stated.
“But these sources have not been shown to provide a reliable, adequate amount of vitamin B12.
“Therefore, supplementation is essential at all ages if on a plant-based or vegan diet.
“The usual recommended dose of vitamin B12 is 25-50 micrograms daily as an oral tablet.
“Adults over the age of 50, or with conditions like coeliac disease and inflammatory bowel disease that may affect absorption, may need at least 50µg daily.”
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