Vitamin B12 is a water soluble vitamin. It is one of the type of B vitamins ranging from B1 to B12. It is very important for vital body functions. Deficiency of this vitamin causes various symptoms in body. Some of which are insomnia, anaemia and blindness. It also cause birth defects and memory problems. Lets have a look at each of these symptoms in detail.

Vitamin B12 is very important vitamin. It helps in synthesis of DNA. It also helps in formation of RBC with help of folate. It also helps in synthesis of myelin sheath of neurons of nervous system that control brain. It also play a vital role in cellular repair and carbohydrates metabolism. Deficiency of vitamin B12 disrupt all these functions that vitamin B12 control.

Disruption in these functions cause symptoms.

Vitamin B12 deficiency Symptoms

1) Decrease in sleep-

Vitamin B12 deficiency cause decrease in sleep. Insomnia is a medical term for that. How vitamin B12 deficiency cause sleeplessness? It cause that by affecting melatonin hormone. Melatonin hormone is a sleep hormone that induce sleep. Deficiency of vitamin B12 decrease production of melatonin hormone. Decrease in this hormone leads to decrease in sleep. Out of this decreased sleep, affected person does not feel refreshed in morning.

2) Anemia-

Vitamin B12 deficiency cause macrocytic anemia. What is this macrocytic anemia? Macrocytic anemia is that type of anemia in which size of red blood cell increase. These large size red blood cells does not pass through medium and small size blood vessels. Decrease in number of normal red blood cells in circulation, decrease amount of oxygen carried through them. That leads to tiredness all time. Weak body that gets tired from slight work.

3) Blindness-

Deficiency of vitamin B12 cause blindness. How it cause that? It cause that by causing pre-patellar macular degeneration of eye tissue. Normally, blindness is caused by macular degeneration of eye tissue with aging. But, with deficiency of vitamin B12 this occurs pre-maturely before appropriate stage of old age.

4) Complications in pregnancy and birth defects-

Deficiency of vitamin B12 causes complications in pregnancy. Those complications sometimes leads to birth defects. How it cause pregnancy complications and birth defects? It do that because of  decreasing homocysteine level of blood. Vitamin B12 deficiency decrease blood clotting time. Deficiency of this vitamin in pregnancy cause profuse hemorrhage from a wound. That profuse hemorrhage decrease hemoglobin. Decrease in hemoglobin cause complications in pregnancy. 

Vitamin B12 helps in synthesis of DNA. Deficiency of this vitamin cause improper synthesis of DNA, which leads to birth defects in foetus because of chromosomal defects in improper DNA formed. It also leads to decrease in sperm count as well as sperm mobility.

5) Memory problems like forgetting things-

Deficiency of vitamin B12 cause memory problems like forgetting things. Person deficient with this vitamin forget what he has done and what next to be done. Because of this forgetfulness, there always remain confusion in mind. This occurs because of chemical alterations of serotonin, melatonin and dopamine that control memory. Deficiency of  vitamin B12 cause pre-maturely slowly progressing dementia.

Conclusion-

Conclusion is that you need to consume vitamin B12 foods. Otherwise you will be going to suffer from above deficiency symptoms. The problem with this vitamin is that it is not found in any fruit or vegetable. It is only found in gut of animals. That is reason vitamin B12 rich sources are meat of animals, fish, and their derivative products for example- milk and dairy products. 

Dr.Simran

Doctor, Professional Medical Writer and Moderator

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