Vitamin B12 plays an important role in our body.
A possible deficiency often only becomes noticeable after years.
This is what you should pay attention to.
Frankfurt - The human body needs a multitude of vitamins, minerals and trace elements in order to function. - this also includes vitamin B12. It is involved in a wide variety of body functions. Those who eat a varied diet are usually well supplied with this vitamin. But even in Germany there can be a deficiency of vitamin B12 in some people. Who is at high risk of insufficient supply, how a vitamin B12 deficiency manifests itself and what those affected can do about it - an overview.
There is no single vitamin behind the term vitamin B12, but a whole group of compounds with the same effect - the so-called cobalamins.
They are vital for the body.
According to the German Nutrition Society (DGE), they help with the formation of blood and new genetic material (DNA), but also with cell division and the breakdown of certain fatty acids.
A vitamin B12 deficiency can impair these processes, which can have serious health consequences.
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Vitamin B12 deficiency: those affected usually feel tired and exhausted.
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© Ute Grabowsky / Imago
Vitamin B12: It is only absorbed through foods of animal origin
The symptoms and causes of a vitamin B12 deficiency can be very diverse.
If you notice a deficiency, you should first take a closer look at your eating habits.
Because our body cannot produce B12 itself, it can only absorb and use it from animal foods.
It is mainly stored in the liver.
Good suppliers are meat, fish, eggs, milk and dairy products, according to a report by the pharmacies Umschau.
But seafood also provides vitamin B12.
Traces of the vitamin can also be found in herbal products such as sauerkraut.
Group (from 15 years) | age | Vitamin B12 micrograms (µg) / day |
baby | 0 to under 4 months \ t | 0.5 |
4 to less than 12 months \ t | 1.4 | |
children | 1 to under 4 years \ t | 1.5 |
4 to under 7 years \ t | 2.0 | |
7 to under 10 years \ t | 2.5 | |
10 to under 13 years \ t | 3.5 | |
13 to under 15 years \ t | 4.0 | |
Teenagers and adults | 15 to 65 years | 4.0 |
Pregnant women | 4.5 | |
Breastfeeding | 5.5 | |
(Source: AOK) |
The German Nutrition Society (DGE) gives an estimated value for an adequate intake of vitamin B12.
For adolescents aged 13 and over and adults, this is 4.0 micrograms per day.
To put it into perspective: Around 100 grams of mountain cheese contain around 0.81 micrograms of B12.
The vitamin B12 content is particularly high in meat or fish, for example, salmon has 2 to 3 micrograms per 100 grams. But who is at high risk of a deficiency?
Vitamin B12: There are a few things that need to be considered, especially when it comes to a vegan diet
A vitamin B12 deficiency is rather rare, because the body is more likely to be oversupplied by the Western diet.
However, there are certain groups that are at higher risk of inadequate care.
Especially with a vegan diet, vitamin B12 comes more into focus.
Because if you follow a vegan diet, you completely dispense with animal foods and thus the supply of vitamin B12.
According to the DGE, it is not possible to meet the needs of the vital vitamin only with plant-based foods.
However, there are many vitamin B12 supplements that people who follow a vegan diet can take permanently in consultation with a doctor.
Vitamin B-12 is also often added to some vegan foods.
Vitamin B12 deficiency: There are these risk groups
Certain stomach and intestinal diseases such as Crohn's disease and gastritis can also make it difficult to absorb vitamin B12. Medicines that suppress gastric acid formation can also lead to a deficiency in the long term. "Older people over 65 years of age suffer from a deficiency more often," explains the Umschau pharmacy. The risk groups also include pregnant and breastfeeding women who need a little more vitamin B12 than normal. But which symptoms are typical of a vitamin B12 deficiency?
A vitamin B12 deficiency sometimes only shows up after years.
"There are B12 stores in the body that provide us with the vitamin for years, even when we actually do not consume enough of it," explains nutritionist and book author Prof. Hans Konrad Biesalski in an article by quarks.de.
But when it does, the health effects can be severe relatively quickly.
How is a deficiency in vitamin B12 manifested?
Beware of these symptoms
Those affected by chronic deficiency often feel weak and exhausted, plus pale skin and symptoms that are similar to those of iron deficiency *.
Fatigue and exhaustion with a vitamin B12 deficiency is due, among other things, to anemia, because without vitamin B12 enough blood cells can no longer be formed.
Mental disorders can also be the result of a deficit, such as poor memory, fatigue, attention problems, but also neurological abnormalities.
However, the symptoms are very diverse and can differ depending on the person and the deficiency.
Symptoms that may indicate a vitamin B12 deficiency:
Anemia and paleness,
tiredness, poor
memory,
tingling,
burning tongue,
numbness,
confusion,
unsteadiness of gait
A deficiency should be investigated and treated very quickly.
Because in the worst case, the symptoms of those acutely affected can no longer be completely reversed.
For people who suspect they are suffering from a vitamin B12 deficiency, it is important to have a specialist examine them immediately.
This also applies to other deficiency symptoms, such as magnesium deficiency * or calcium deficiency *.
In the event of a vitamin B12 deficiency, the AOK health insurance company recommends “to have the vitamin B12 level checked in a blood test by laboratory diagnostics”.
Dietary supplements, on the other hand, should not simply be taken on suspicion, but should be discussed with a doctor beforehand and given therapeutic support.
(Svenja Wallocha)
The information given in this article is no substitute for a visit to a doctor. Only professionals can make the correct diagnosis and initiate appropriate therapy. The use of medication or nutritional supplements should be discussed with a doctor beforehand. * fr.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.
List of rubric lists: © Ute Grabowsky / Imago
