Vitamin B12’s primary functions are in the formation of red blood cells, DNA synthesis and the maintenance of the nervous system. If B12 deficiency occurs, DNA production is disrupted and abnormal cells called megaloblasts manifest, which results in anemia. B12 protect the nerves which are surrounded by an insulating fatty sheath called the myelin. B12 plays a vital role in the metabolism of fatty acids essential for the maintenance of myelin. Prolonged B12 deficiency can lead to nerve degeneration and irreversible neurological damage. When deficiency occurs, it is more commonly linked to a failure to effectively absorb B12 from the intestine rather than the lack of B12-rich foods.

Vitamin B12 can be stored in small amounts by the body. Total body store is 2-5mg in adults. Around 80% of this is stored in the liver. Vitamin B12 is excreted in the bile and is then effectively reabsorbed - this is known as enterohepatic circulation. People on diets low in B12 may be obtaining more B12 from re-absorption than from the food they ingest. Re-absorption of the B12 from the bile is the reason it can take over 20 years for deficiency disease to develop. In comparison, if B12 deficiency is due to a failure in the absorption mechanisms it can take only 3 years for deficiency disease to occur.

The only reliable dietary sources of vitamin B12 are meat, dairy and eggs. The considerable research into possible plant food sources of B12 turned up few positive results. Fermented soya products, seaweeds and algae have all been proposed as possible sources of B12 because they are products which have been “pre-digested” into various amino acids, making them easier to absorb. However, analysis of fermented soya products, including tempeh, miso, shoyu and tamari, found no significant B12.

Spirulina, algae available as a dietary supplement in tablet form, and nori, a seaweed, have both appeared to contain significant amounts of B12 after analysis. However, it is thought that this is due to the presence of compounds structurally similar to B12, known as B12 analogues. These cannot be used satisfy dietary needs. The body is unable to differentiate between B12 and its analogues. Researchers have suggested that supposed B12 supplements such as spirulina may in fact increase the risk of B12 deficiency disease, as the B12 analogues can compete with B12 and inhibit metabolism. The current nutritional consensus is that no plant foods can be relied on as a safe source of vitamin B12.

Bacteria present in the large intestine are able to synthesize B12. In the past, it has been thought that the B12 produced by these colonic bacteria could be absorbed and utilized. However, the bacteria produce B12 too far down in the intestine, and as B12 is not absorbed through the colon lining, this B12 just gets flushed out of the system. Supplementations such as the injections or patch should be used if you begin to experience the symptoms of B12 deficiency and you know that you are at risk.

How does Vitamin B12 deficiency occur? What are my options if I need B12 supplementation? What will happen to me? These are the questions over 99 % of individuals with B12 deficiency ask themselves. This blog is designed to answer these and other questions concerning vitamin B12, its’ deficiency and its’ supplementation. With instructions concerning lifestyle and dietary changes, as well as information from scientific studies about this specific physiological problem, we hope you will feel 100% well again.  

The human physiology of vitamin B12 is very complicated, and due to this is prone to problems leading to vitamin B12 deficiency. Unlike most nutrients, absorption of vitamin B12 actually begins in the mouth where small amounts of unbound crystalline B12 can be absorbed through the mucosa membrane. In the stomach a specific gastric enzyme is needed to separate B12 from the food ingested, and a protein must bind with it for it to be absorbed and processed through the body. Proper absorption of vitamin B12 requires an intact and functioning stomach, exocrine pancreas, intrinsic factor, and small bowel. Problems with any one of these organs makes a vitamin B12 deficiency possible and likely.

However, there can be some genetic aspects in the problems associated with malabsorption, and due to the complexity of B12 assimilation in the body, geriatric patients, many of whom are hypo-acidic due to reduced GI tract cell function, have an increased risk of B12 deficiency. For these individuals supplementation becomes a necessary step, otherwise their life quality and life expectancy can plummet.

B12 supplements come in a few forms, most commonly though in an ingestible pill, sublingual pill or spray and the injection. With malabsorption in the GI tract, swallowing vitamin pills equals to flushing them down the toilet, as around 80%-90% of hard vitamins will not get absorbed. The sublingual B12 becomes the next possible step in supplementation; however this too is a fairly poor choice. Although researchers are not fully sure why this occurs, in most cases of sublingual use, only around 5% of the vitamin is absorbed by the body. The only truly viable choice in this case is to begin B12 injections, which unfortunately are not the most pleasant of experiences, and can be expensive.

The option of B12 patch was designed specifically for these sorts of situations, when the oral supplementation is no longer an option and a scheduled appointment for shots is not something you’re looking forward to. By avoiding the GI tract completely, in the same way that the injection does, the patch is able to deliver the required B12 to the system, without needing to involve all the complex mechanisms involved in B12 absorption. A study has shown that it is 95% more effective than the sublingual option, and a number of doctors are happy to report that it is as effective for their patients as the injection could have/had been. This patch is also a great option in case of B12 deficiency associated with autism, as the patch is not intrusive and easily removable. More information about autism and B12 will be available in later posts.

So if you are in need of B12 supplementation, or know someone who is struggling with the limited medical help available for their condition, or just want that extra energy kick that B12 delivers, consider the B12 Patch. Of course always consult your doctor before beginning any lifestyle changes or new regiments, but if and when you need a boost of B12, the patch is a greatly viable option. 

When it comes to nerves and nerve conduction vitamin B-12 plays a special role. One of the reasons the body needs this nutrient is to manufacture myelin, the fatty sheath that wraps around nerve fibers, insulating them and allowing them to conduct their electrical impulses at a better pace. A vitamin B12 deficiency can also raise blood levels of homo-cysteine, an amino acid that is thought to be toxic to nerves, which can cause subsequent ringing in the ears.  Vitamin B₁₂ in turn sheathes ear nerves and may help prevent tinnitus emergence and its symptoms.

    Vitamin B12 deficiency is associated with chronic tinnitus,” says Dr. Attias. “Long-term exposure to noise depletes the body’s levels of B12 and so makes the ears more vulnerable to noise-induced damage.” If you have tinnitus, and especially if you also have memory problems, ask your doctor to check your blood level of vitamin B₁₂.

Research from the Institute for Noise Hazards Research and Evoked Potentials Laboratory at Chaim-Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan and from Tel Aviv University, both in Israel, looked at a group of 385 people with tinnitus and found that 36 to 47 percent suffered from vitamin B₁₂ deficiency. All of the people low in B₁₂ received injections of 1,000 micrograms weekly for four to six months. At the end of that time, their hearing and tinnitus were evaluated. Fifty-four percent reported improvement in their tinnitus, and approximately one-fourth reported reductions in the measured loudness of their tinnitus.

     Most people get enough vitamin B₁₂ from foods but often an individual is unable to absorb the B12 in their GI tract, which will eventually cause a deficiency. Strict vegetarians, who eat no meats, dairy products or eggs, are also at risk for deficiency, since B12 comes only from animal products. If your doctor determines that you have issues with absorbing B12 the vitamin you will need to supplement it. Those with an absorption problem will need to opt for either injections of B12 by your doctor, sublingual B12 pills from your pharmacist (studies show this method can also be poor in terms of absorption)  or a transdermal B12 patch available online.

More than 70% of people over the age of 50 are thought to suffer from some form of vitamin b12 deficiency.  When this occurs your body is being deprived of an essential vitamin.  B12 is needed in order for your body to make red blood cells.  Therefore when your body does not have enough vitamin b12 it can lead to anemia. Red blood cells are critical as they carry oxygen through the body.  A person with vitamin b12 deficiency may feel very lethargic, weak, and tired.  There are different methods for a person to receive vitamin b12 such as through vitamin b12 injections or using vitamin b12 patch.  The b12 patch is very convenient for people rather than having to get monthly b12 shots all the time.  With the B12 patch they can avoid all the hassles associated with getting b12 shots.

Causes Of Vitamin B12 Deficiency

The daily requirement of vitamin B12 is 1-2 micrograms. About 5-7 micrograms of vitamin B12 is present in most types of western diet; however, many people do not eat enough of the right foods. The absorption of vitamin B12 is a complex process and the production of intrinsic acids within the stomach play a very significant role. Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause malfunction in some organs of the body.A deficiency of this vitamin can also cause some diseases, such as Megaloblastic anemia. Vitamin B12 deficiency is also known to be the cause of anemia macrocytosis. This type of anemia will result in a low white blood cell and platelet count. Vitamin B12 deficiency can also cause the irreversible death of nerve cells.

Visible Symptoms of Vitamin B12 Deficiency

The visible symptoms of Vitamin B12 deficiency are mainly the same as the symptoms of anemia. They commonly include weakness, fatigue, tiredness, feeling exhausted every now and then, shortness of breath even after a little exercise, brittleness of the nails, husky voice, inflammation of the tongue and difficulty in swallowing food and even saliva. It has been found that the deficiency will lead to sudden or acute anemia that shows symptoms of weakness, dizziness, difficulty in standing, sudden unconsciousness, extremely low blood pressure, difficulty in breathing, rapid pulse, and yellowing of the skin, nails and eyes.