Vitamin B12 Deficiency: What is the Link Between Vitamin Deficiency and Depression?

The vitamins you get through a proper diet don't just maintain your physical health, but your mental health as well. You may already know about the connection between depression and lack of Vitamin D (often absorbed through sun exposure), but deficiencies in dietary vitamins may also worsen depression: among them, Vitamin B-12. Read on to learn about how getting enough of these vitamins can help relieve symptoms of depression.

Vitamin B12

This vitamin is one of the most important in the human body, as it's involved in the metabolism of all of our cells. It's required for DNA synthesis, metabolizing fatty acids and amino acids, the development of red blood cells, and the creation of myelin, which insulates cells in the nervous system and allows them to travel faster and more effectively.

Vitamin Sources

Most people in developed countries obtain the necessary amounts of B12 through eating animal products. Vegan and even vegetarian diets may require additional sources.

• Animal products: meat, fish, eggs, and milk.
• Plants and algae: dried and fermented plant foods such as tempeh as well as seaweed products like nori and laver.
• Supplements: multivitamins or Vitamin B12-specific supplements.
• Fortified foods: some manufactured foods are fortfied with Vitamin B12, including grain-based foods like pasta and bread, soy products, cereal, energy bars, and nutritional yeast.
• Parenteral administration: injections of B12 can be administered in situations where digestive absorption is impaired.

Deficiency Symptoms

A Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause many serious conditions, the most common of which is the development of anemia, a disease in which the body does not produce enough red blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen throughout your body and lacking enough can cause many symptoms, including:

• Weakness or fatigue.
• Light-headedness.
• Heart palpitations.
• Shortness of breath.
• Paleness.
• Bruising or bleeding easily.
• Bleeding gums.
• A smooth, red tongue.
• Gastrointestinal issues: sore tongue, weight loss, diarrhea, constipation.
• Depression.

Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause even more complications. Its associated anemia is known as pernicious anemia, and has specific symptoms:

• Megaloblastic anemia: large immature and dysfunctional red blood cells.
• Gastrointestinal issues: diarrhea or constipation, loss of bladder or bowel control.
• Neurological issues: loss of reflexes, diminished ability to sense vibrations or touch, spinal cord degeneration, seizures, and dementia symptoms.

Pernicious anemia is very serious, as you can tell from those symptoms. It can lead to severe and irreversible damage to the brain and nervous system, as well as developmental delay and regression in children.

Deficiency Risk Factors:

• Gastrointestinal diseases affecting absorption: celiac disease, Crohn's disease, or bacterial or parasitic growth.
• Surgical procedures: some bariatric surgeries, removal of the small bowel.
• Atrophic gastritis: thinning of the stomach lining.
• Immune system disorders: Graves' disease and lupus.
• Inadequate intake of B12: vegans are particularly at risk.

Visit Mountainside Medical Equipment for Vitamin B12 Injections and the Best Vitamins, Minerals, and Supplements

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