According to Mount Sinai, a vitamin B12 deficiency can cause permanent nerve damage if left untreated. Two signs of this being the case can appear on someone’s hands and feet; specifically, if they notice a numbness or tingling sensation.
The NHS reflects on this complication, adding that other complications may include:
• Eye sight problems
• Memory loss
• Tingling
• Loss of physical coordination
• Damage to parts of the nervous system
• Infertility
• Stomach cancer.
On stomach cancer, the NHS writes: “If you have a vitamin B12 deficiency caused by pernicious anemia, your risk of developing stomach cancer is increased.”
Pernicious anemia it is one of several causes of vitamin B12 deficiency along with diet, conditions that affect the stomach or intestines, and medications.
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What is pernicious anemia?
Pernicious anemia is an autoimmune condition where the body’s immune system attacks itself; it is the most common cause of vitamin B12 deficiency in the UK.
How does it affect the stomach?
In the stomach, vitamin B12 combines with a protein known as intrinsic factor; this mixture then allows the B12 to be absorbed by the rest of the body.
Pernicious anemia causes the immune system to attack the cells in the stomach that produce this intrinsic factor; this means that the body can no longer absorb the vitamin.
At the time of this writing, scientists don’t yet know why pernicious anemia occurs, but they do know that women over the age of 60 are at higher risk for the condition, particularly if there is a family history.
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How is a B12 deficiency treated?
Each treatment will depend on what is causing the deficiency. In the case of diet, a GP may recommend increasing your intake of vitamin-rich foods, such as:
• Meat
• Fish
• Milk
• Cheese
• Eggs
• Select fortified breakfast cereals.
If dietary changes are not enough, vitamin B12 injections may be prescribed. There are two types of B12 injection: hydroxocobalamin and cyanocobalamin.
On the timing of these injections, the NHS added: “Initially, you will receive these injections every other day for two weeks or until your symptoms have started to improve.”
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How much vitamin B12 does the human body need?
The RDA for adults ages 19 to 64 is about one and a half micrograms a day; a level that one should be able to maintain through proper diet.
However, this all depends on the diet. Someone who is vegan may not be able to get all the vitamin B12 she needs and may need to use other means, such as supplementation, to get a healthy amount.
While it’s possible to experience health problems as a result of not getting enough vitamin B12, there’s less evidence about what happens if someone gets too much.
The NHS writes about vitamin B12 overdoses: “There is not enough evidence to show what the effects of taking high doses of vitamin B12 supplements every day may be.”
While the health risks of taking an overdose of vitamin B12 are unknown, what is known are the health problems that can result from an overdose of another common vitamin, vitamin D.
Vitamin D is the chemical that the body produces when exposed to sunlight. While it is not possible to overdose on vitamin D from the sun, it is possible to overdose through supplements.
When this happens, a condition known as hypercalcemia develops; this weakens the bones and damages the heart and kidneys.
The UK recommended dose of vitamin D for adults is 100 micrograms, however the vitamin can also be found in oily fish, red meat, egg yolks and liver.
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