Vitamin deficiencies, although seemingly harmless, can cause serious health complications when undetected.
Among the more serious deficiencies are those in vitamin B12, otherwise known as the backbone of neurological health.
Registered dietitian and nutritionist for Consumer Health Digest, Shelley Balls, explained that certain signs could be hinting a person has been deficient for years.
She told GB News: “Vitamin B12 is needed for a few very important functions in the body including DNA synthesis, nerve and blood cell health, and anaemia prevention.”
“A vitamin B12 deficiency can damage your nervous system so it’s important to treat a deficiency as soon as possible in one is suspected.”
Data released at the end of 2023 shows admissions for vitamin or iron deficiency are up by more than 10 per cent year on year.
Even more concerning is that diagnoses for vitamin deficiencies have jumped tenfold since 1998-99.
Anaemia caused by vitamin B12 or B12 deficiency led to 3,490 hospital admissions in 2023/2034.
The slow development of symptoms leads many patients to adapt to declining health without noticing the underlying deficiency, Shelley warned.
She noted: “The most common symptom of a vitamin B12 deficiency is fatigue.
“There are many other reasons to feel fatigued though, so some other symptoms can include weakness, depression, pale skin, heart palpitations, tingly hands or feet, loss of appetite, weight loss and sometimes fertility.”
She continued: “Symptoms of a vitamin B12 deficiency can take several years to appear as the body can store B12, but megaloblastic anaemia can be a sign you’ve been extended time.”
Medical Director at Wellbridge, Edmond Hakim, warned about other potential complications like optic nerve damage, and mood disturbances like depression and anxiety.
“Some of these effects, particularly those related to nerve damage, may become permanent without proper treatment.”
Tingling in the hands could be hinting at an underlying deficiency
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Non-dietary causes of vitamin B12 deficiency
Certain medications can increase the risk of a deficiency such as metformin used to manage diabetes, as it can reduce absorption of vitamin B12.
Shelley noted that metformin, the common medication used to manage diabetes, can reduce the body’s ability to absorb the nutrient.
Any bodily changes are worth monitoring closely, as experts will likely make a diagnosis of vitamin B12 based on symptoms and the results of blood tests.
