A doctor has shared the symptoms of a vitamin deficiency that could lead to “memory issues, confusion, or cognitive changes”
A doctor has warned that a certain vitamin deficiency could lead to “memory issues, confusion, or cognitive changes”, as well as some painful problems with your mouth. These signs might suggest a lack of vitamin B12 in your system.
We rely on a range of vitamins and minerals, ideally obtained from a balanced diet, for our overall health. A deficiency in these vital nutrients can impede the body’s ability to function properly.
Vitamin B12, primarily found in animal products such as meat, cheese, and eggs, is an essential nutrient. This makes its deficiency more common among vegans and vegetarians.
B12 plays a crucial role in the production of red blood cells, affecting the oxygen levels in your body. According to the NHS, a lack of it can result in extreme fatigue, pins and needles, mouth ulcers, muscle weakness, vision problems, and issues with memory, understanding and judgement.
Doctor O’Donovan, who holds a medical degree (MBBS), Masters Degree (MRes) in Ageing and Health, and PhD (DPhil) in Digital Education, shares information and advice with his nearly 491k subscribers on YouTube. In a video, he highlighted the risks of vitamin B12 deficiency.
In the video, he said: “If you’re experiencing vague symptoms like forgetfulness, feeling tired and weak, or even numbness and tingling in your hands or feet these could all be signs of a vitamin B12 deficiency. Now this is a very treatable condition that happens if you’re not consuming enough vitamin B12 in your diet or if your body isn’t absorbing it properly. It can affect anyone at any age but typically people aged over 60 are most affected.”
Explaining the causes of B12 deficiency, the doctor added: “Vitamin B12 deficiency happens if you aren’t eating enough vitamin B12 or your body isn’t absorbing the B12 that you’re consuming properly.
“Now, one of the most common causes of vitamin B12 deficiency is from people who don’t eat enough foods that are naturally have vitamin B12 in them or they don’t eat foods that are fortified with vitamin B12. Another reason for not getting enough vitamin B12 is that your body isn’t absorbing enough of it.
“Causes for this could include gastritis which is inflammation of the stomach lining and it’s a common cause of B12 deficiency, it can cause this due to a lack of hydrochloric acid in your stomach which is needed for the absorption.
“People who’ve got something called pentious anemia, which is a rare medical condition, can’t make enough intrinsic factor which is the protein that is made by your stomach to help absorb B12.
“Diseases that affect the digestive system like Crohn’s disease and celiac disease can also prevent your body from fully absorbing B12, similarly people who’ve had gastrointestinal surgery like gastric bypass, which is a type of weight loss surgery, can also have difficulty in absorbing enough vitamin B12.
“Similarly alcohol use disorder can damage your digestive system and cause the deficiency. Finally, a rare condition that’s called Transcobalamin 2 deficiency, which is a rare genetic disorder, impairs the transport of vitamin B12 within the body.”
Signs of Vitamin B12 deficiency
Discussing the tell-tale signs of vitamin B12 deficiency, Dr O’Donovan explained: “It can cause a range of different things including physical, neurological and even psychological symptoms. Now the symptoms of the vitamin B12 deficiency can develop slowly and they can get worse over time, some people may not actually have any symptoms despite having low levels of B12 in their bodies.”
He continued: “People with vitamin B12 deficiency can have neurological symptoms and or damage without anaemia which as I mentioned was the lack of red blood cells.
“General physical symptoms can include feeling very tired or weak, experiencing nausea vomiting or diarrhoea, not feeling as hungry as usual and even having weight loss, a sore mouth or tongue or developing yellowish looking skin.
“Neurological symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency which are those affecting the brain can include numbness or tingling in your hands and feet, vision problems, having a hard time remembering things or getting confused easily or having a difficult time walking or speaking like you usually do.
“Psychological symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency can include feeling depressed, feeling irritable, experiencing a change in the way you feel or behave so as you can see it’s a huge range of potential symptoms that could display if you have a B12 deficiency.”
Underneath the video, the doctor added: “Maintaining adequate Vitamin B12 levels is vital for energy, healthy blood cells, and proper neurological function. If you suspect a deficiency, consult with a healthcare professional for testing and personalised advice.”