Among the various vitamins, vitamin B12 is a class of B vitamins that are not in high demand by the human body, but have a significant role. Since the human body itself can not synthesize this vitamin, so we usually need to eat through the external diet intake, although a small amount of storage can be formed in the liver, we still need to regularly consume vitamin B12 to meet the needs of the human body. What is the role of vitamin B12 on the human body? What are the symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency, and how to supplement it reasonably? In today's popular science article, let's talk to you about this topic.
Small vitamin B12 has a big effect
According to the relevant dietary guidelines, the daily intake of vitamin B12 required by adults is only 2.4 micrograms, which is really very small when compared with the daily supplement amount of other vitamin milligrams such as vitamin C, but this humble vitamin B12 is an important member of the vitamin family.
As a member of the B vitamins, vitamin B12 has an important auxiliary role in promoting the formation of DNA in cells, so vitamin B12 plays an important role in promoting nerve cell development and promoting red blood cell production.
In addition, for another important nutrient - the metabolic conversion of amino acids, vitamin B12 is also an important nutrient, the homocysteine in the blood is elevated, which will increase the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and vitamin B12 is an important coenzyme that promotes the further transformation of this amino acid intermediate metabolite, and the lack of vitamin B12 is one of the important reasons for hyperhomocysteinemia.
6 categories of people are the focus of vitamin B12 deficiency
In terms of vitamin B12 intake, vitamin B12 in food, usually in the form of binding to other proteins, when we ingest food, vitamin B12 first in the role of stomach acid downstream of the separation, and then in the stomach with the relevant internal factors, after entering the intestine is absorbed by the body, therefore, compared to other vitamin substances, vitamin B12 absorption process is more "tortuous", leading to more influencing factors of deficiency. Who is susceptible to vitamin B12 deficiency? The following 6 situations deserve special attention -
1. The elderly. With the increase of age, the digestion and absorption capacity of the elderly body will decline, and the absorption of vitamin B12 will also decrease, if there is a long-term vegetarian habit of the elderly friends, it is more important to pay attention to the risk of vitamin B12 deficiency.
2. People with gastrointestinal absorption problems. Vitamin B12 is absorbed from the diet, to have the role of stomach acid, but also need to form an effective absorption in the intestine, therefore, friends with atrophic gastritis, insufficient secretion of gastric acid, will seriously affect the absorption of vitamin B12, in addition to chronic intestinal diseases, such as Crohn's disease, celiac disease and intestinal flora disorders in the population, will also form malabsorption disorders, resulting in vitamin B12 deficiency.
3. People who drink a lot of alcohol for a long time. Drinking alcohol can make it more difficult for the body to absorb nutrients, especially the absorption of vitamin B12 will be greatly affected.
4. People with immune system diseases and pernicious anemia. For example, graves disease, lupus and other diseases, abnormal immune system, will also affect the absorption of vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 deficiency will increase the risk of anemia, and in turn, people with pernicious anemia will also affect the absorption of vitamin B12 in the body, resulting in vitamin B12 deficiency, and the two will form a vicious circle.
5. People taking certain drugs. There are many drugs that interfere with the absorption of vitamin B12, such as some drugs that inhibit gastric acid secretion, such as esomeprazole, omeprazole and other prazole proton pump inhibitors, as well as H2 receptor antagonists such as cimetidine, famotidine, etc., metformin for the treatment of diabetes, etc. Long-term use will have an impact on the normal absorption of vitamin B12.
Lack of vitamin B12, the body will appear 4 kinds of "early warning signals"
Through the above introduction, we will know that if the body lacks vitamin B12, it will affect the body's hematopoietic function and lead to the problem of megaloblastic anemia, but if you are in terms of symptoms, the lack of vitamin B12, the following 4 symptoms deserve special attention.
The first is physical and mental changes. The body always feels weak, tired, often dizzy, and mentally, there will be depression, memory loss, poor concentration, and even behavioral changes, which may be related symptoms caused by vitamin B12 deficiency. Physical weakness, tiredness, dizziness and other symptoms may be caused by anemia caused by vitamin B12 deficiency, and mental changes are not only related to anemia, but also have a close relationship with the nervous system health problems caused by vitamin B12 deficiency.
Second, palpitations, shortness of breath, and pale skin. These symptoms, or with the effect of vitamin B12 on hematopoietic function is closely related, lack of vitamin B12 will lead to anemia, and anemia problems will bring palpitations, shortness of breath, pale skin and other symptoms, if it is easy to lack vitamin B12 high-risk population, once the above symptoms appear, we must check the lack of vitamin B12 to bring the possibility of anemia.
Third, the tongue becomes smooth and swollen. This is a typical symptom of vitamin B12 deficiency, our tongue usually contains taste buds, has a certain roughness, and if the lack of vitamin B12, it may bring about the problem of "glossitis", the typical symptom is that the tongue is red in pieces, and it becomes smooth, but also may be accompanied by swelling and inflammation problems, vitamin B12 deficiency caused by long-term heavy drinking, common this problem.
Fourth, symptoms related to the nervous system. Vitamin B12 is an important vitamin for nourishing the nerves, and if there is a long-term lack of vitamin B12, it may also lead to the health of the nervous system being endangered, which may be manifested as skin paresthesia, numbness, tingling, muscle weakness and walking difficulties, etc., and may also be accompanied by eye fatigue, vision loss and other issues.
How to check if the body is deficient in vitamin B12? Usually the simplest way is to detect serum vitamin B12 levels, in addition, you can also detect serum methylmalonic acid (vitamin B12 related metabolites, is a sensitivity indicator) levels, as well as blood homocysteine levels, if the serum vitamin B12 level is lower than normal levels, or methylmalonic acid levels or homocysteine levels are higher than normal levels at the same time, it means that we do lack vitamin B12, should pay attention to reasonable supplementation.
It is important to supplement with vitamin B12 properly
Through the above introduction, we can understand that for elderly friends, as well as some friends with the above problems, it is very important to pay reasonable attention to vitamin B12 supplementation, if it is already because of vitamin B12 deficiency, has led to anemia or other related disease problems of friends, you can consider the use of drugs to supplement, there are gastrointestinal malabsorption disorders of the population, you can consider the use of injection to improve the problem of vitamin B12 deficiency.
If you are not yet a related disease problem, but there is a risk of insufficient intake or lack of vitamin B12 intake, in daily life, it is also very important to pay more attention to supplementing vitamin B12 from the diet, and the ingredients rich in vitamin B12 include -
Seafood: such as shellfish food, tuna, salmon, etc.;
Animal meat and offal: such as animal liver, beef, chicken, etc.;
Egg milk: milk, cheese, eggs, etc.;
Other fortified foods: such as some nutritional yeast, fortified oatmeal, etc.
If you have any questions about vitamin B12 deficiency and supplementation, you are also welcome to leave a message below, and we can continue to discuss and learn together.