Symptoms of vitamin B 12 deficiency may manifest as abnormal neurological symptoms, such as a shaky and unsteady gait, muscle weakness, dementia, psychoses., fatigue, depression, memory loss, inflammation of the tongue, and pernicious anemia. Studies indicate that the levels of vitamin B12 deficiency , may not necessarily have to be much lower, than what is considered to be normal.
Food sources of vitamin B 12 are meat, particularly liver, kidney, eggs, oily fish, oysters, milk and dairy products, soy products, and some sea vegetables. Vitamin B 12 is also synthesized by bacteria in the gut, provided the bacteria have not been knocked out by antibiotics. Vegetarians, particularly vegans may need to be particularly diligent about adding B12 to their diet. Neurological damage caused by a deficiency of B12, may not appear until it is too late to rectify the condition.
Vitamin B12 will not be absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract, unless the intrinsic factor is present in the stomach.
Drugs which cause deficiency of B12 include: methotrexate, cholestyramine, neomycin, colchine, sodium aminosalicylate, slow release potassium chloride, mteformin, phenformin, sodium nitroprussidem and oral contraceptives.
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