“B vitamins are essential for proper cellular respiration,” as explained by Dr. Roxanne Sukol, medical director of Cleveland Clinic’s Wellness Enterprise.
Without enough intake of B12, most cells in your body will struggle to take in enough oxygen, which can affect everything from your energy levels to your mood and concentration, Dr. Sukol says.
Vitamin B12 helps human body to produce red blood cells and DNA, but our body can not generate this vitamin by its own.
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The main symptoms of a vitamin B12 deficiency also include diarrhea or constipation, pale skin, and shortness of breath, according to the National Institutes of Health.
You may start to change the way you walk or move around the house, or have subtle changes to your vision.
Some people even have an increasingly swollen tongue or persistent mouth ulcers.
The symptoms may be caused indirectly by a lack of red blood cells – which is also known as anaemia.
Vitamin B12 deficiency may lead to the following symptoms:
- Pale yellow tinge to your skin
- Sores with a halo around them and thick red tongue (glossitis)
- Mouth ulcers – Swollen grey/white balloon under your tongue
- Pins and needles (paraesthesia)
- Changes in the way that you walk and move around
- Disturbed vision
- Irritability
- Depression
- Changes in the way you think, feel, and behave
- Decline in your mental abilities, such as memory, understanding and judgement (dementia)
If you’re seeing any of these symptoms of vitamin B12 or folate deficiency anaemia, you must see your doctor.
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The best sources of vitamin B12 include meat, dairy products, eggs, fish, and poultry.