Vitamin B12 deficiency - causes, symptoms and effects

What are the causes of vitamin B12 deficiency?

The problem of vitamin B12 deficiency in most cases is the effect of a poorly balanced diet. One of the main sources of this substance are meat products, therefore its low level is often recorded among people who are vegans or vegetarians. An equally frequent cause of reduced vitamin B12 content is an inborn disorder associated with its metabolism - experts point here to the lack of the so-called Castle factor responsible for the proper absorption and assimilation of various active ingredients.

Other causes of vitamin BB12 deficiency include:

• celiac disease,
• Crohn's disease,
• atrophic gastritis,
• bowel disorders causing a malabsorption syndrome,
• conditions following a tapeworm infection, leading to an increase in vitamin B12 consumption,
• complete or nearly complete gastric resection of the stomach by surgery.

It is also worth adding that the total level of vitamin B12 in the daily diet is also influenced by some drugs that can be used during long-term pharmacotherapy.

What are the symptoms of a vitamin B12 deficiency?

A vitamin B12 deficiency is problematic in that its symptoms may indicate completely different causes. Symptoms associated with low levels of cobalamin include abnormalities affecting several areas, which may ultimately cause impairment of functioning on many levels. Here are the most common symptoms of a vitamin B12 deficiency:

• Headaches and dizziness
• Excessive weight loss
• Persistent feeling of weakness
• Seizures combined with a psychomotor anxiety
• Loss of taste and appetite with the associated tongue itching
• Well-being problems that can cause depressive moods
• Impairment of the proper functioning of the nervous system and a problematic feeling of fatigue

How to deal with the effects of a vitamin B12 deficiency?

Changing existing eating habits and introducing a varied diet is one of the best ways to counteract the adverse effects of a vitamin B12 deficiency. Unfortunately, the cobalamin contained in the food is not completely assimilated - this means that the food consumed can only cover part of the daily requirement.

That is why it is worth supplementing your daily diet with supplements that allow you to quickly and conveniently provide the optimal amount of the desired substance. The Olimp Sport Nutrition brand recommends the Vita-Min Multiple Sport - easy to swallow capsules containing essential minerals and vitamins (including B12), which have been chosen using well assimilable forms. The formula of the product was prepared in modern laboratories of the Olimp Laboratories pharmaceutical company based on high quality raw materials, which were subjected to a microbiological purity analysis.