Vitamin B12 deficiency, Addison-Biermer’s anemia- Pernicious anemia (PA) has been called many things.  Though we have a cure in vitamin B12 supplements, symptoms of pernicious anemia remain similar to historical descriptions of this once fatal disease.

“Starvation in the midst of plenty”

In 1849, if a doctor diagnosed you with pernicious anemia, he would have told you to say your prayers.  That’s because back then, the survival rate was 1-3 years.  Many scientists tried various experiments to find out what caused this fatal disease, which was as dreaded as leukemia or cancer is today, causing symptoms like tiredness, painful tingling in the arms and legs, muscular weakness, and finally, death.

Pernicious Anemia: Your 13 Most Frequently Asked Questions, Answered!

Anybody care for a shot of liver juice?

Finally, Dr. William B. Castle made an important scientific breakthrough.  He conducted an experiment that involved feeding regurgitated raw hamburger meat to patients of pernicious anemia, and discovered the presence of intrinsic factor, an essential chemical found in gastric juices that is lacking in pernicious anemia patients.  Like many medical discoveries, the next one that occurred somewhat by accident.  In trying to find a cure for anemia resulting from blood loss, Dr. George Whipple produced the first cure for pernicious anemia- raw liver. Later, in 1926, scientists developed a more concentrated antidote based on the same therapy- raw liver juice, to be swallowed or injected.

Juvenile Vitamin B12 Deficiency- the Dinosaur of all Disorders, say Scientists

Vitamin B12 is born

It wasn’t until two decades later that scientists finally discovered the potent ingredient in raw liver juice. In 1948, two chemists from the US and Britain isolated cobalamin as the health-giving nutrient, and named it vitamin B12.  For patients of pernicious anemia, dosages of 1000 to 4000 mcg, prescribed daily, were given orally as vitamin B12 pills or through intramuscular injection, as a vitamin B12 shot. Other methods of supplementing vitamin B12 are sublingual B12 tablets and behind-the-ear vitamin B12 patches.

Painful Tingling in Hands and Feet- What’s Up with That?

Pernicious anemia symptoms

Scientists today understand that pernicious anemia is a form of megaloblastic anemia, resulting from weakened DNA synthesis in red blood cells.  People with pernicious anemia suffer from an autoimmune condition that inhibits your body’s ability to produce intrinsic factor, thus resulting in vitamin B12 deficiency.  Rarely does pernicious anemia ever result in death, since doctors today know how to diagnose the symptoms early on, and confirm diagnosis with a vitamin B12 blood test. Still, many of the symptoms of pernicious anemia are disabling, and often confused with other conditions like clinical depression, thyroid disorder, and diabetes.

Typical symptoms of pernicious anemia are:

• Diarrhea
• Chronic fatigue
• Pale complexion
• Decreased appetite
• Dizziness
• Loss of concentration
• Shortness of breath while exercising
• Painful tingling or numbness in the hands and feet
• Sore, red swollen tongue
• Bleeding gums
• Altered taste perception
• Depression
• Short-term memory loss
• Frequent stumbling
• Clumsiness

Read more about pernicious anemia and B12:

Vitamin B12 Deficiency- 4 Causes, 1 Solution

Top Ten Signs of a Vitamin B12 Deficiency

What is vitamin B12, and why is it so important?

Sources:

William B. Castle

Pernicious anemia

Images, from top:

HikingArtist.com, Frank Muckenheim, Mario Caruso, genericlook

Do you know how much B12 you need in order to avoid vitamin B12 deficiency? Unless you supplement B12 levels with a weekly B12 shot or B12 patch, you could wind up with dangerously low B12.  Find out if your B12 blood levels are normal and how much you need to meet the FDA’s RDA of vitamin B12.

What are the symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency?

Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin) is a water-soluble nutrient that your body gets from protein sources, such as beef, chicken, liver, fish, eggs, and dairy products.  Your body uses vitamin B12 for DNA synthesis, protecting your nervous system, and strengthening cognitive skills.  Symptoms that indicate a low vitamin B12 level include constant fatigue, difficulty concentrating, memory loss, tingling or numbness in your hands and feet, depression, agitation, altered taste perception, and red, swollen tongue.

How much B12 is in my blood right now?

By performing a blood test, your doctor can tell you if you are deficient in vitamin B12, or if you have normal B12 levels.  Vitamin B12 blood screening requires a 6-8 hour fast before testing.  Laboratory tests will measure how many picograms (pg) of cobalamin you have per milliliter (ml) of blood in your body.

How much B12 should I have?

• Scientists agree that a normal level of vitamin B12 in your blood is 200 – 900 picograms per milliliter (200-900 pg/ml).
• Test results showing less than 200 pg/ml signal vitamin B12 deficiency.
• For elderly adults, the recommended vitamin B12 level is much higher- Test results showing less than 500 pg/ml indicates B12 deficiency.
• In order to find the cause of a vitamin B12 deficiency, doctors may perform a Schilling test.

What is the recommended dose of vitamin B12?

• The FDA’s RDA of vitamin B12 for healthy adults is approximately three mcg daily for males and females alike, including pregnant and nursing moms.
• For elderly individuals, the recommended dose of vitamin B12 is 25-100 mcg per day.

Scientific study proves that the RDA for B12 is off.

• According to a study conducted in the Netherlands, elderly sufferers of vitamin B12 deficiency need more than the recommended daily allowance (RDA) in order to achieve normal levels of B12.
• Using methylmalonic acid (MMA) levels as a gauge, scientists established that cyanocobalamin supplementation amounting to 200 times the RDA of vitamin B12 is required in order to stabilize B12 levels in patients showing signs of vitamin B12 deficiency.

How much vitamin B12 do you really need?

• Vitamin B12 shots administering a daily dose of 1,000 mcg of cobalamin are  prescribed for the first 10 days following diagnosis of vitamin B12 deficiency, continuing with a weekly dose of 1,000 mcg for a consecutive 4-week period.
• One vitamin B12 patch contains a 1,000-mcg dose of b12 based on a B12 injection.

Read more about B12 deficiency:

• Vitamin B12 deficiency after Bariatric Surgery Weight Loss
• The Vitamin B12 Patch for Energy
• Cruising for a Bruising? Choose Vitamin B12 Shots or Anemia

Sources:

• Vitamin B12 level: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia
• Vitamin B12 Level – Tests, Test Results & Diagnosis – NY Times Health Information
• Vitamin B12: Dosing – MayoClinic.com
• Oral cyanocobalamin supplementation in older people with vitamin B12 deficiency: a dose-finding trial- PubMed NCBI
• Learn More about Vitamin B12 Deficiency.
• USDA: National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference: B-12

Image credits (from top):

Danilo Rizzuti, mconnors, jscreationzs

Vitamin b12 shots for weight loss are the new trend in weight loss programs. Vitamin b12 is vital to metabolism and energy.

The Theory

The theory behind vitamin b12 shots for weight loss is that many diets fail because the dieter feels sluggish during the diet; vitamin b12 raises the metabolism so the dieter will not have these side effects. In reality, this may or may not be true.

The Practice

Vitamin b12 shots for weight loss do not induce weight loss but instead assists the dieter with feeling motivated to stick to a diet. Vitamin b12 shots for weight loss are used in conjunction with a low carbohydrate diet. Typically carbohydrates provide the body with energy. Unfortunately most people do not seek out the healthy low-glycemic carbohydrates that release energy over time but instead choose the carbohydrates with high-glycemic values that release a burst of energy than store the rest as fat. This practice piles weight on. Low carbohydrate diets are geared toward teaching the body how to value the carbohydrates and to keep the body from storing the carbohydrates as fat. A low carbohydrate diet will initially result in less energy leaving the body craving for more carbohydrates, so in place of more carbohydrates the body is supplied additional natural energy in the form of a vitamin b12 shot for weight loss. The vitamin b12 shot for weight loss should satisfy the body’s desire for additional carbohydrates.

Does It Work?

Whether it works or not all depends on who is asked. If someone is asked that has lost weight whether the vitamin b12 shot for weight loss worked, they will agree that it does work. Asking someone who has not lost much weight if the vitamin b12 shot worked they may disagree. There is not enough scientific study to really determine either way.

How To Find the Vitamin b12 shot for Weight Loss

There are medical diet centers across the United States that are staffed with medical professionals that offer the vitamin b12 shot for weight loss. These centers can be located in the local yellow pages and online. Typing in vitamin b12 shot for weight loss into any online search engine will bring up additional information and a directory or providers.
Cost will include the vitamin b12 shot  and the visits that are needed to participate in the program.