Vitamin B12 Cobalamin Deficiency
Vitamin B12 Cobalamin is a water soluble vitamin which is part of the B complex of vitamins. Vitamin B12 Cobalamin is also important for the health of DNA, RNA, fatty acids, and the metabolism of energy in the human body. Being a water soluble vitamin the body has a difficult time storing enough of the vitamin. The body will take the amount of Vitamin B12 Cobalamin from a healthy diet, and the rest will pass through the urinary tract of the body. The body needs to take in Vitamin B12 Cobalamin from it caloric intake every day.
Recommended Daily Allowance of Vitamin B12 Cobalamin
The recommended daily allowance according to the Mayo Clinic is: Recommended dietary allowances (RDAs) are 2.4 micrograms per day for adults and adolescents aged 14 years and older, 2.6 micrograms per day for adult and adolescent pregnant females, and 2.8 micrograms per day for adult and adolescent lactating females. Because 10-30% of older people do not absorb food-bound vitamin B12 efficiently, those over 50 years of age should meet the RDA by eating foods fortified with B12 or by taking a vitamin B12 supplement.
It is a recommendation for children under 18 years of age, according to the Mayo Clinic is: Recommended dietary allowances (RDAs) have not been established for all pediatric age groups; therefore Adequate Intake (AI) levels have been used instead. The RDA and AI of vitamin B12 are: infants 0-6 months, 0.4 micrograms (AI); infants 7-12 months, 0.5 micrograms (AI); children 1-3 years, 0.9 micrograms; children 4-8 years, 1.2 micrograms; and children 9-13 years, 1.8 micrograms.
Common Symptoms of Vitamin B12 Cobalamin Deficiency
There are some common signs which occur when people are suffering from Vitamin B12 Cobalamin Deficiency: fatigue, weakness, weight loss, loss of appetite, Neurological changes, megaloblastic anemia, depression, confusion, poor memory, soreness of the mouth, soreness of the tongue, dementia, and confusion. Some of the signs of Vitamin B12 Cobalamin Deficiency among infants include: failure to thrive, development delays, movement disorders, and megaloblastic anemia. While all of these symptoms are linked to Vitamin B12 Cobalamin Deficiency, there are many other medical disorders which also include these symptoms.
Causes of Vitamin B12 Cobalamin Deficiency
Like many other water soluble vitamin deficiencies, Vitamin B12 Cobalamin Deficiency occurs at a much lower rate in developed countries around the world. There are really two major reasons for this. First, a person in a developed country, even a person who is “poor,” still has access to a much larger variety of foods which contain Vitamin B12 Cobalamin. Second, most of the grains and cereals in the developed countries of the world are fortified with extra vitamins and minerals. One of these vitamins is Vitamin B12 Cobalamin.
Another cause of Vitamin B12 Cobalamin Deficiency is a person who is taking too much Vitamin B9 Folic Acid. One of the causes of toxicity of Vitamin B9 Folic Acid is a masking of the symptoms of Vitamin B12 Cobalamin Deficiency. Recent studies have actually shown that a person who has too much Vitamin B9 Folic Acid will actually prevent their bodies from taking in enough Vitamin B12 Cobalamin.
Those at Higher Risks of Vitamin B12 Cobalamin Deficiency
Vegans are at a very high risk of not getting a proper amount of Vitamin B12 Cobalamin in their diets. The amounts of Vitamin B12 Cobalamin in non-animal products are very low. Vegetarians are able to get their Vitamin B12 Cobalamin from milk and dairy products, but Vegans who don’t eat any products which come from an animal source find it very difficult to get enough Vitamin B12 Cobalamin in their diet. Claimed sources of Vitamin B12 Cobalamin, like laver, seaweed, barley grass, and human gut bacteria, have been shown to be inadequate for the human diet through consumption. According to the UK Vegan Society, Vitamin B12 Cobalamin in plants is likely unavailable to humans because B12 analogues can compete with B12 and inhibit metabolism. It is recommended that vegans get their proper amount of Vitamin B12 Cobalamin through good supplementation, like taking a good daily multivitamin; or by eating foods which are fortified with Vitamin B12 Cobalamin, like fortified breakfast cereal, fortified soy products, and fortified energy bars.
Vegans not only need to be worried for themselves, but vegans and vegetarians also need to be worried if they are women who are pregnant or lactacting. Those women who follow strict vegan or vegetarian beliefs while pregnant or lactacting could cause serious harm to their child—the child will have increased chances of permanent neurological damage. The American Dietetic Association recommends supplemental Vitamin B12 Cobalamin for vegans and lacto-ovo vegetarians during both pregnancy and lactation, for the health of the infant or fetus.
Older Adults are also at a much higher risk of Vitamin B12 Cobalamin Deficiency. 10-30% of older adults suffer from Atrophic Gastritis. It is a condition which decreases secretion of Hydrochloric Acid in the stomach. The decrease of Hydrochloric Acid in the stomach will also lower the levels of absorption of Vitamin B12 Cobalamin. This means an older adult with Atrophic Gastritis cannot get sufficient amounts of Vitamin B12 Cobalamin from natural food sources. It is recommended that they get their daily amounts of Vitamin B12 Cobalamin from fortified cereals and grains, plus it is also recommended that they take a form of Vitamin B12 Cobalamin supplementation. A good Vitamin B12 Cobalamin supplement is a simple daily multivitamin.
Suggestions for Getting Enough Vitamin B12 Cobalamin
The best way of course to get Vitamin B12 Cobalamin is through a healthy low fat diet of lean meats, fish, vegetables, fruits, and grains. People without some kind of preexisting condition should be able to get enough Vitamin B12 Cobalamin through diet. Yet, there are many people who simply cannot eat a perfect diet, and there are people who have difficulty absorbing Vitamin B12 Cobalamin.
It is recommended that these people seek out proper supplementation to get enough Vitamin B12 Cobalamin in their diet. There are many good supplements which will not only help a person to have better health, but also help a person to lose weight. A Lipotropic Fat Burner is a great way to help your body to accelerate its natural metabolism, and also add additional Vitamin B12 Cobalamin to a diet.
