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Signs of a B12 Shortage

Vitamin B12 is an essential nutrient that is mostly found in foods of animal origin such as meat and dairy. For this reason, vitamin B12 deficiency can affect people who eat a primarily plant-based diet. Individuals who suffer from stomach ailments also sometimes have difficulty accessing the vitamin B12 in the foods they consume and, therefore, exhibit signs of vitamin B12 deficiency.

  1. Anemia

    • Vitamin B12 is instrumental in the production of red blood cells, and a deficiency in the nutrient can cause anemia. Anemia symptoms include fatigue, paleness, shortness of breath and low blood pressure. Anemia that is specifically caused by a vitamin B12 deficiency also tends to be characterized by jaundice, and numbness or tingling in the hands and feet. Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia is usually not caused by a lack of the nutrient in your diet. Rather, this anemia tends to stem from an inability of the stomach to access the B12 in the foods you eat, for example, following stomach surgery.

    Brain Function

    • A vitamin B12 shortage can also affect your brain function. You may experience confusion or depression, or have difficulty concentrating. In particularly severe cases, it can cause dementia dramatic enough to affect your ability to function day to day. According to a British study reported in the journal "Neurology" and commented on in the "New York Times," researchers noted a correlation between low levels of vitamin B12 and brain shrinkage over time in elderly patients they monitored.

    Neurological Symptoms

    • Perhaps the most troubling sign of a vitamin B12 shortage is a negative impact on the central nervous system, which is known as subacute combined degeneration, or SCD. B12 deficiency can upset the balance of hormones that keeps the nervous system functioning optimally, causing nerve damage. In addition, this shortage can interfere with production of fatty acids that help to create nerve sheets, altering neurological function. Symptoms of neurological damage from a shortage of vitamin B12 include hyperactive reflexes, tingling in the extremities and numbness.

    Additional Symptoms

    • Additional symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency include lethargy, a pale skin tone, redness of the tongue or bleeding gums, nausea, unexplained weight loss, dizziness, enlargement of the liver, visual problems, insomnia, headaches and ringing in your ears.

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