Once common among the elderly, vitamin B12 deficiency is increasingly affecting children and adults as well. The main causes of this problem are toxic utensils, junk food, weak immunity, and poor absorption. Nowadays, parents think their children should play indoors and never get their clothes dirty, causing them not to develop the immunity needed to survive in this toxic world.
However, that doesn’t mean you let your children play in the mud all day, exposure to such elements and bad bacteria is essential to develop a strong immunity. While avoiding bad bacteria, parents also restrict their children’s exposure to good bacteria. And then, the vegetables and fruits they eat are cleaned so many times that they lose the essential vitamins required for good health.
Vegetables should be washed gently. People do not understand this and then they become vitamin B12 deficient. And it seems like you are among them. If we have guessed it right, let’s take a deep dive into this blog by dietitian Lavleen to learn about the top vitamin B12 sources for vegetarians. Let’s get going!
All You Need to Know About Vitamin B12 Deficiency
Memory loss, lack of energy, pins and needles, are the most common symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency. You should consult your healthcare provider for a proper diagnosis if you notice these symptoms. Once you know you are vitamin B12 deficient, begin your treatment as soon as possible.
Generally, doctors recommend taking vitamin B12 supplements with diet for better recovery. Better digestion and proper absorption are a must for faster recovery. It may take longer than expected to recover if your body doesn’t absorb supplements efficiently. Prolonged vitamin B6, B12, and folic acid deficiency can increase homocysteine levels, increasing the risk of blood clotting.
RBCs and Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 plays a vital role in the production of red blood cells and its deficiency can impair the body’s ability to produce RBCs. Red blood cells carry oxygen to the other parts of your body and their deficiency can cause the feeling of breathlessness, rapid heartbeat, dizziness, cold hands and feet, etc. Vitamin B12 deficiency causes anaemia that is often characterized by the production of large, immature red blood cells, known as macrocytes, and the condition is called Macrocytic Anemia.
Mud and Vitamin B12
As mentioned above, parents don’t let their children play in the mud. This might seem like a minor issue, but it is not because it can impact children’s immunity significantly. While parents do this to protect their children from bad bacteria, it also limits their exposure to good bacteria, which is necessary for their immune system development. This leads to a weakened immune system and also causes a deficiency of nutrients like vitamin B12.
Vitamin B12 Absorption
Doctors recommend vitamin B12 supplements to those who are deficient in it. However, some individual patients’ bodies don’t absorb the supplements and they never successfully recover from this problem. Here are some common reasons why people face problems absorbing the supplements:
Chronic Gut Issues:
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
Digestion Issues:
- Acidity
- Bloating
- Flatulence
- Constipation
Lifestyle Factors:
- Excessive smoking
- Alcohol consumption
Medication:
- Antacid consumption
- PCOD, and diabetes medication
Medications and Vitamin B12
Certain medications can reduce the absorption of vitamin B12. You should avoid taking those medications. Doing so can help you prevent and overcome vitamin B12 deficiency. Here is the list of medicines you should avoid if possible:
- Antibiotics
- H2 Blockers
- Metformin
- Anticonvulsants
- Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs)
Lavleen Kaur’s Pro Tip: Avoid cyanocobalamin to overcome vitamin B12 deficiency because it is a synthetic form of vitamin B12.
Overcome Vitamin B12 Deficiency | Formulas by Diet Insight
If you have vitamin B12 deficiency and want to overcome it, here are some ways to do it:
Take the Right Medication
While it is possible to overcome vitamin B12 deficiency naturally, you can take Methylcoboblamain if required. You should avoid certain medications during treatment to overcome the deficiency faster. The list of medicines you should avoid to help overcome vitamin B12 deficiency is mentioned above.
Consider These Dietary Changes
To overcome vitamin B12 deficiency, consider adding probiotics to your diet as they can help increase vitamin B12 absorption. Here are the items that are rich in probiotics:
- Aachar (Pickle)
- Dhaniya (Coriander)
- Pudina (Mint) chutney
In addition to adding the probiotics to your diet, consider these vitamin B12 veg foods also:
- Milk
- Sprouts
- Rooted veggies
- Black chickpeas
- Wheatgrass juice
- Drumstick powder
Pro Tip: Eat raw vegetables 30 minutes before meals to enhance vitamin B12 absorption.
Make Changes to Your Lifestyle
If you want to overcome vitamin B12 deficiency, you will need to make some changes to your lifestyle. The changes include the addition of vitamin B12 vegetarian foods and the subtraction of things that interfere with the absorption of vitamin B12. You should avoid or limit smoking and the consumption of alcoholic beverages. Besides, you should embrace gardening and provide your kids and yourself with a clean environment to thrive.
Let Your Kids Play
Do you think playing in the mud and soil can make your kids sick? If yes, you might be shocked to know that the truth is the opposite of what you think. Exposure to mud and soil doesn’t harm your kids unless it is really contaminated, but it can help them develop a strong immunity. As mentioned above, while protecting your kids from bad bacteria, do not keep them away from the good ones.
Wash Fruits and Veggies Gently
A small but most important piece of advice is to stop washing the veggies and fruits harshly. When we wash the produce roughly, they lose the essential vitamins required for strong immunity and good health. Also, people think that not even a small particle should enter their mouth. But that is wrong. A few particles of soil won’t harm us if we accidentally leave them on the produce.
On the Final Note
An ever-increasing number of individuals are now suffering from a deficiency of vitamin B12. Most patients are vegetarians. The reason is that vitamin B12 is found more in meat products. However, that doesn’t mean that vegetarian people have to suffer like this all their lives. It is possible to overcome vitamin B12 deficiency with lifestyle changes, supplements, or a combination of both. The most effective tips to overcome vitamin B12 deficiency are mentioned above in this blog. But there is one last piece of advice we didn’t mention above, which is to keep a smile on your face – no matter what!
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