If you’re getting your eight hours every night but struggle to keep your eyes open during the day, constantly have the shakes and suffer bouts of unexplained anxiety, you’re probably not getting enough vitamin B12.
Vitamin B12 (also called cobalamin because it contains the mineral cobalt) is an important member of the vitamin B-complex, a group of eight water-soluble nutrients. Vitamin B12 is essential for a healthy functioning body, and its principle role is to keep energy levels charged up throughout the day. It carries out this important function by synthesising red blood cells which deliver fresh oxygen to your organs. This powerhouse nutrient also impacts cognitive health, manufacturing messenger substances such as neurotransmitters and hormones in the central nervous system which control our mood and memory.
“In the UK, it is recommended that adults get 1.5 mcg per day of vitamin B12. Although a varied and balanced diet should provide much of your vitamin and mineral intake, many people struggle to get the recommended daily allowance (RDA),” explains nutritionist Naomi Newman Beinart.
For many, a varied diet is the best way to ace the RDA. “Vitamin B12 is naturally found in animal products such as meat, fish, eggs and dairy products and fortified foods like breakfast cereals and non-dairy milks. You can also find some in vegan foods like nori and nutritional yeast,” adds Newman Beinart.
Signs of vitamin B12 deficiency
Vitamin B12 functions a little differently to its sister B vitamins, most of which need to be replaced daily. Instead, vitamin B12 is stored in the liver until it’s required by the body, and these stores can last for several years. With that noted, you might assume that you don’t need to worry about levels dipping. On the contrary, you need be extra wary that your body is receiving adequate vitamin B12. This is because deficiency can be easily overlooked especially if the blood levels of the vitamin are borderline.
Watch out for fatigue, difficulty concentrating, mouth ulcers, pins and needles, low mood, shakiness and muscle weakness
Low levels can also be masked as it takes time for symptoms to show up. “Vitamin B12 is notoriously hard to absorb. Some of the key deficiency signs to watch out for include fatigue, difficulty concentrating, memory, mouth ulcers, pins and needles in hands and feet, low mood, shakiness and muscle weakness,” says Newman Beinart. These signs should be taken seriously and the best way to identify a dip is via a blood test which your GP can organise.
Who is at risk?
Vitamin B12 is one of those nutrients that some people can have difficulty obtaining, and a key factor in flagging levels is a lack in a special protein called intrinsic factor that helps your stomach absorb the vitamin. Some people don’t make enough of this protein, or suffer from an autoimmune condition like Crohn’s disease or pernicious anaemia which cause you to stop making intrinsic factor. In these conditions, the body’s immune system attack the healthy cells in the lining of your stomach that make the protein which means your body is unable to absorb vitamin B12 .
The latest research indicates that as many as one in 10 older people suffer from B12 deficiency, because with age, the stomach cells become less efficient at secreting a substance called hydrochloric acid which is also needed for proper B12 absorption.
“Aside from increasing age, eating a poor or limited diet can be a factor in diminishing levels. We’ve already mentioned that the main sources come from animal products, so B12 can especially difficult to find if you are vegetarian or vegan,” shares Newman Beinart. And with plant-based diets more mainstream than ever, (more than 46 per cent of Brits have considered reducing animal products in their diets), a diet devoid of animal products can massively zap levels.
“Furthermore, malabsorption due to drinking too much alcohol or gut problems, and having certain medical conditions or medications like those used to treat heartburn can also generally affect levels,” explains Newman Beinart.
How to top up B12 levels
Eating more B12-rich foods is the obvious way to get levels back on track, and popping a daily supplement can also be an effective measure. If you don’t mind taking pills, a daily capsule may be useful. Topical sprays and drops are also effective effective as absorption happens immediately via the mucous membranes in the mouth.
In severe cases, or if you fall into one of the categories that can’t naturally absorb the vitamin, your GP will advise regular high strength vitamin B12 injections. As with sprays and drops, these are absorbed without having to go through the digestive system and are considered the best way to treat extremely low levels of the vitamin.
Dose up on vitamin B12
3 supplements to protect against B12 deficiency:
BetterYou B12 Oral Spray
A pleasant-tasting raspberry oral spray which uses methylcobalamin, the most bio-available form of vitamin B12.
£12.45, betteryou.com
BioCare Nutrisorb Vitamin B12
This liquid formula is suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
£7, biocare.co.uk
Holland & Barrett High Strength Slow Release Vitamin B12
Keep energy levels sustained with this slow release formula.
