Experiencing an energy crisis? You may just need more vitamin B12. Fatigue, muscle weakness, and mental brain fog are all symptoms of a hidden vitamin B12 deficiency, which can be easily treated with regular supplementation of vitamin B12 (cobalamin).
Untreated, vitamin B12 deficiency can worsen, resulting in severe pernicious anemia, causing irreversible nerve damage. To catch it early, it’s important to recognize the symptoms, such as loss of energy, difficulty thinking straight, and arms or legs always “falling asleep.”
Vitamin B12 deficiency is epidemic
It’s normal to get the blah’s every now and then, but if it seems like your life has been one endless cycle of tiredness, depression, and allover yucky feelings, then you may be a candidate for vitamin B12 deficiency. In fact, vitamin B12 anemia often slips past the radar, as people often assume that if they eat healthy, then they are immune to vitamin deficiency.
Not so- read more to learn why.
Signs of Vitamin B12 deficiency
Your body needs vitamin B12 for energy, good metabolism, cognitive health, nerve cell protection, and red blood cell production.
When your vitamin B12 levels dip to an unhealthy low, you may experience some of the following telltale symptoms- many of which can be misdiagnosed as chronic depression, adrenaline disorders, or multiple sclerosis (MS).
Signs of vitamin B12 deficiency include:
- Constant overbearing tiredness, despite sleeping well
- Loss of mental clarity (brain fog)
- Confusion
- Memory problems
- Dizziness
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Paranoia
- Unusual aggression
- Painful tingling and numbness in the hands and feet
- Weakness in the muscles
- Muscle spasms and pain
- Difficulty controlling arm and leg movements
- Constantly dropping things
- Frequent falling
How did this happen?
First, it’s important to understand that even if you eat lots of foods containing vitamin B12, such as beef, chicken, fish, eggs, and dairy products, you still run the risk of becoming deficient in this essential nutrient.
The absolute richest sources of vitamin B12 are organ meats and shellfish. Eat any fried liver or stewed clams lately? I didn’t think so.
Secondly, there are a host of medical conditions that can interfere with vitamin B12 absorption– your ability to digest vitamin B12 properly from the protein foods that you do eat, and many of these medical scenarios are becoming more commonplace.
They include:
- Bariatric surgery
- Medications for diabetes, gastrointestinal disorders, and depression
- Autoimmune illnesses, such as Crohn’s disease, celiac, lupus, and chronic fatigue syndrome
- Gastritis from GERD, fibromyalgia, migraine, or colitis
- Old age
Finally, if you follow a strict vegan diet, then you will not replenish vitamin B12 stores without constant supplementation. There are no rich dietary sources of vitamin B12 that are plant-based. Zilch.
How can I boost Vitamin B12?
If you’re low in vitamin B12 despite eating healthy, then you will need to add it to your blood supply in a non-dietary form. There are many products on the market that boost energy and contain high doses of vitamin B12 without the need for painful B12 injections.
Get more B12!
The Vitamin B12 Patch is a topical B12 patch that was developed by leading scientists… Read more
Maxasorb™ B-12 Serum by Vita Sciences is a highly absorbable Vitamin B-12 Cream containing a superior form of B12 (methylcobalamin) for maximum effectiveness. Read more
Nervex™ Neuropathy Pain Relieving Cream by Vita Sciences is a highly effective, clinically tested , deep penetrating cream. Read more