Who needs a vitamin B12 supplement?

Vitamin B12 is a trace element that is very important for the normal development of the body. Vitamin B12 is involved in many cellular structures and processes. However, up to 15% of people have vitamin B12 deficiency and nearly 40% are at the threshold of vitamin B12 deficiency. So who needs vitamin B12 supplements?

Vitamin B12, also known as cobalamin, is an important water-soluble vitamin in the body. The roles of vitamin B12 in the human body include:
Vitamin B12 helps keep the body's nerve cells and blood cells healthy. Vitamin B12 helps prevent a type of anemia called megaloblastic anemia, which makes the body tired and weak. Vitamin B12 is found in foods of animal origin, including meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and dairy. However, it can also be found in plant-based foods such as some breads and plant-based milks.
All animals and plants cannot synthesize B12 on their own, but synthetic bacteria are required. In foods, vitamin B12 is in complex form with protein.
It takes two steps for the body to absorb vitamin B12 from food. The hydrochloric acid in the stomach first separates vitamin B12 from the protein it attaches to, and then it combines with another protein made by the stomach called intrinsic factor and absorbed by the body.
Some people with pernicious anemia who cannot make intrinsic factor have difficulty absorbing vitamin B12 from all foods.

Most people get adequate amounts of vitamin B12 from food every day. But there are still some people who have difficulty absorbing this vitamin from food. Cases at risk of vitamin B12 deficiency include:
People with a history of partial gastrectomy or have been taking medicine to reduce gastric secretion for a long time. Their body is less able to secrete enough hydrochloric acid in the stomach to be able to absorb vitamin B12 found in food. People with pernicious anemia: their bodies do not make the intrinsic factor needed to absorb vitamin B12. Physicians treat vitamin B12 by injection, although very high doses of oral vitamin B12 can also be effective. People who have had gastrointestinal surgery such as gastric bypass surgery, or have digestive disorders such as Crohn's disease or celiac disease are often evaluated as possibly impaired absorption. Vegetarians or vegans. Vitamin B12 is natural, almost exclusively found in foods of animal origin. When pregnant and breastfeeding women follow strict vegetarian diets, babies may not get enough vitamin B12. To prevent vitamin B12 deficiency, you should regularly add foods rich in vitamin B12 such as milk, liver, eggs, beef, tuna, salmon, oysters, oysters, crabs, soybeans, broccoli green...

Vitamin B12 deficiency can happen silently, it can take many years after the body has a deficiency of this vitamin, before symptoms appear. Therefore, the diagnosis of vitamin B12 deficiency is also relatively complicated. Also, a vitamin B12 deficiency can sometimes be confused with a folate deficiency.
Real vitamin B12 deficiency signs and symptoms include:
Pale or yellow skin: Pale, yellow skin and eyes are typical signs of vitamin B12 deficiency. Because the lack of vitamin B12 will cause problems in the body's production of red blood cells. Vitamin B12 plays an important role in the production of DNA needed to make normal red blood cells. Therefore, a lack of vitamin B12 causes the body to produce abnormal red blood cells. This causes a type of anemia called megaloblastic anemia, in which the red blood cells produced are very large and fragile. At the same time, these cells are fragile, and when they burst, they cause an excess of bilirubin, causing your skin and eyes to appear yellow. Weakness and fatigue: This is a common symptom of vitamin B12 deficiency, because your body doesn't have enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen around your body. Causes cells not to receive enough oxygen, causing a feeling of fatigue and weakness. In the elderly, megaloblastic anemia often results from an autoimmune condition called pernicious anemia. People with this pernicious anemia don't produce enough of an important protein called intrinsic factor to combine with vitamin B12 in the gut, reducing its ability to absorb the vitamin.
Tingling sensation in the skin : one of the more serious effects of a prolonged vitamin B12 deficiency is nerve damage . A common symptom of nerve damage from vitamin B12 deficiency is a tingling sensation in the hands and feet. Neurological symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency often occur with anemia. So, if this symptom is present, it is not usually a sign of vitamin B12 deficiency. If this condition is left untreated, the nervous system damage caused by vitamin B12 deficiency makes it difficult to control your walking. It can even affect your balance and coordination, making you more likely to fall. Possible glossitis, mouth ulcers: At this time, the tongue is often swollen and inflamed, with a long straight wound on the tongue. In addition, some people with vitamin B12 deficiency may experience other oral symptoms such as mouth ulcers, a tingling sensation in the tongue, or a burning and itchy sensation in the mouth. Shortness of breath and dizziness: Shortness of breath and dizziness are also typical signs of vitamin B12 deficiency. This happens when your body can't transport enough oxygen to all of your cells. Blurred vision: In rare cases, nervous system damage from vitamin B12 deficiency can affect the optic nerve, resulting in blurred vision or confusion. Mood changes: Some people with a vitamin B12 deficiency may experience a depressed mood because it affects the production of dopamine and serotonin - neurotransmitters that help regulate mood. Or have manifestations characterized by a decline in brain function such as dementia.

Vitamin B12 has a good effect on many patients, when it helps the division and regeneration of the organs, helps in protein synthesis and lipid metabolism, thus helping the body's maturation. Vitamin B12 participates in the synthesis of thymidylate - this is a component in the DNA molecule, providing raw materials for DNA synthesis, contributing to the division and maturation of cells in the body. But with cancer patients, malignant tumors have biochemical manifestations of a rapidly growing organization such as:
Increased protein with small weight. Increases the type of amino acid isomer D. In addition, it also increases unsaturated fatty acids, increases phospholipids, lecithin and cholesterol. This is why doctors recommend not using vitamin B12 for cancer patients, because it can speed up the growth of malignant cells, making cancer grow faster.
In addition, B12 should not be used for people with acne, people with a history of drug allergies, patients with anemia of unknown cause.

Many people know that if a pregnant woman is deficient in folic acid (vitamin B9), there is an increased risk of having a baby or having spina bifida. But a study by scientists from Nijmegen University of Medicine, the Netherlands, published in 2004 added that if folic acid alone is not enough, pregnant women also need to supplement with vitamins. B12.
This study was conducted on 45 mothers whose children had spina bifida and another 83 mothers whose children did not have spina bifida. The results showed that mothers of children with spina bifida had 21% lower blood levels of vitamin B12 than other mothers. The researchers also said that, with severe vitamin B12 deficiency, the incidence of spina bifida in infants can increase three times.

Research results from the University of Oxford UK have informed the effect of vitamin B12 on the brain of the elderly.
Researchers quantified vitamin B12 in the blood of 1,000 people aged 61-87, and performed brain scans and tested their memory. These people were followed for 5 consecutive years. The results of the study showed that people who received vitamin B12 supplements, or had high levels of vitamin B12 in their blood, lost only one-sixth of the brain volume in older people with lower blood levels of vitamin B12.
However, there are many factors that affect brain activity and function that researchers cannot control. Therefore, they recommend that people only need to change their diet, including increasing foods rich in vitamin B12, which can help limit brain atrophy in the elderly and improve memory significantly.

Supplementing vitamin B12 from food is the safest and most effective way to supplement. Because vitamin B12 is water-soluble, if you get too much from food, the body can excrete the excess through the urine. But if you add too much vitamin B12 through high doses and long-term drugs, it can cause side effects such as:
Digestive disorders: Anorexia, loss of appetite. Nausea. Diarrhea,... Headache, fatigue Rash, itching. Hands, feet, and facial muscles are often numb and weak. Can lead to cardiovascular complications such as: chest pain, fast heart rate, shortness of breath, high blood pressure, can even cause heart failure,... Excess vitamin B12 can also increase the activation of substances. Coagulation increases blood clotting, potentially causing embolism. Increased risk of prostate cancer Damage to the optic nerve for people with congenital retinal pigment degeneration, causing blindness in children. It can even cause anaphylaxis due to an allergy to vitamin B12, which can lead to death if not treated promptly. However, this reaction is very rare in normal people, can only be seen in people with a sensitive location. Therefore, the use of vitamin B12 supplements should be consulted by a doctor. To figure out the appropriate amount of vitamin B12 needed for each person, through which the doctor may ask you to do a blood test to measure vitamin B12 levels to determine the condition to have the best advice.
To help customers determine whether their body is overweight or deficient in vitamin B12 as well as the appropriate dose of supplements, Vinmec International General Hospital has developed a comprehensive health check package for each age, gender and age group. customers' unique needs.
After the examination, the doctor will advise on the diet, sleep, and activities to best improve the patient's health. The examination is always performed by a team of qualified doctors, combined with modern equipment, so patients are completely assured of the quality of medical care at the hospital.