Low B12 Levels Can Effect You
I went to my doctor earlier in the year and I mentioned how I had really low energy, problems concentrating and trouble sleeping. I thought I was taking pretty good care of myself. This was especially true since I exercised regularly, and ate a vegan diet consisting of: fresh juices, organic fresh fruit and vegetables, nuts, seeds and sprouts.
I was a little surprised when she suggested that I was deficient of Vitamin B12. She recommended that I look into taking a Sublingual B12 supplement. After taking it for just a few weeks, my energy levels increased dramatically, my memory cleared up and I was sleeping peacefully at night. I also noticed that my daily mood seemed a great deal more positive, which is always a nice plus.
While having this experience, I read up on the importance of B12 and the role that it plays in our health. I thought it might be interesting to some of you to share what I learned about the Symptoms of B12 Deficiency and the Benefits of a Vitamin B12 Supplement.
Symptoms of B12 Deficiency
If you feel like you are tired or lack energy much of your day; Experience difficulty concentrating or brain fog; Or perhaps feel blue, depressed and/or feeling a lot of stress, there is a strong chance that you might be deficient of Vitamin B-12 and need to take steps to remedy it.
The symptoms of a B12 deficiency include: restlessness, weakness, fatigue, anxiety, insomnia, restlessness, depression, and poor memory. A severe deficiency of vitamin B12 can result in apathy, back pain, bone loss, problems with balance, numbing of the tongue, eye disorders, hallucinations, migraine headaches, nausea, loss of appetite, loss of weight, constipation, diarrhea, gas, abdominal pain and problems with the nervous system such as tingling fingers and feet.
This is not something that can be ignored since left untreated; a Vitamin B-12 deficiency can potentially cause severe and irreversible damage, especially to the brain and nervous system.
Causes of B12 Deficiency
Having a B12 deficiency is quite common. In fact, it is estimated that over 39% of Americans are deficient of Vitamin B12. This is because there are many factors that can cause this deficiency. Causes include a lack of Vitamin B12 in your diet (especially true with vegan diets); but stress, alcohol, nicotine, and other drugs like most antacids, oral birth contraceptives, and antibiotics can also all effect B12 levels.
Can A Change in Diet Help A B12 Deficiency?
Vitamin B12 is only found in significant amounts in the bacteria found in animal foods like Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dairy and Eggs. Part of the problem is that there are only a few foods contain enough B12 (i.e., liver), and food like eggs actually also contain other ingredients which actually block the body’s ability to absorb B12. Vegetarians and vegans are particularly prone to B12 deficiency since plants don’t provide Vitamin B12.
The easiest solution to a B12 deficiency is to take a vitamin B-12 supplement. It is recommended that vitamin B12 should be taken in conjunction with a folic acid supplement and contain other B Vitamins like B6.
B12 Benefits
If you are Vitamin B12 deficient, one of the greatest benefits is the boost of energy you get; Plus a lot of relief from the other symptoms of B12 deficiency. From my experience, not only did I enjoy a boost of energy, I also found that it was very helpful in improving mental clarity, improved my sleep and lifted my mood.
