7 Signs You’re Low in Vitamin B12 (And Why It Matters More Than You Think) | Ep. 154

Vitamin B12 plays a major role in your energy, mood, memory, nerve health and red blood cell formation - yet B12 deficiency is one of the most overlooked health issues. The tricky part is that its symptoms often mimic other deficiencies, especially iron, which makes it easy to miss or misdiagnose.

In this episode, we break down seven clear signs you may be low in B12, how it affects your body and why testing matters more than guessing. You’ll also hear how B12 interacts with folate, why stomach acid is crucial for absorption and the common mistakes people make when trying to supplement on their own.

We cover:
• unexplained fatigue and low energy
• numbness, tingling and nerve issues
• unsteady legs or poor coordination
• memory problems and concentration issues
• brain fog and difficulty completing tasks
• anxiety, mood swings or low mood
• mouth ulcers, tongue changes and oral health problems

You’ll also learn about the most common causes of B12 deficiency, including vegan diets, low stomach acid, antacid medication, metformin, coeliac disease, Crohn’s disease, pancreatitis and age-related absorption issues.

If you’ve ever wondered whether your symptoms could be linked to B12 - or you’ve been diagnosed with “stress”, “anxiety” or “dementia-like symptoms” without a nutrient check - this episode gives you a clear starting point. A simple blood test can make all the difference.

If you find this helpful, please like, subscribe and share it with someone who might need it.

Learn more about Fiona's speaking and media services: https://fionakane.com.au/

Credit for the music used in this podcast:

• Intro Music by  Musinova from Pixabay
• Outro Music from Pixabay

Transcript

Fiona Kane 0:14

Hello and welcome to the Wellness Connection podcast. I'm your host, Fiona Kane. Today I'm going to be talking to you about vitamin B12, and I'm going to start with seven signs that you may be deficient in

Welcome And Why B12 Matters

Fiona Kane 0:27

B12. Now, those of you who have been listening for a long time know that I have talked about vitamin and mineral deficiencies before. I talked about them just checking here. I did a whole episode of all sorts of nutritional deficiencies, episode 46. So if you go back to episode 46, you can listen to a general uh episode about nutritional deficiencies. Today I'm going to zero in on vitamin B6. So I'm going to just talk to you about those signs that you may have a B12 deficiency. The thing about this, as in health issues, and as in if you listen to the episode 46, you'll get the idea that nutritional deficiencies, a lot of these things can look similar to each other. So it's, you know, there's sort of one sign can be many things. So just keep that in mind. But here are some signs and symptoms that you may, it's seven signs and symptoms that you may be B12 deficient. So one is fatigue and muscle weakness. Another one is memory loss and confusion. Let me just actually, I'm not doing this in any great order. So I'm going to get myself organized and get back into a bit of order again, just to make it a bit simpler. When I talk when I do my podcast away, my brain works. It's uh, if you haven't noticed, it's all over the place. I'm going to try and do this in a clear way. So let's just start again with the list. So with B12 deficiencies, but look, first of all, B12, it's essential for a functioning healthy nervous system, healthy, red blood cell formation. Um, often

How B12 Supports Blood And Brain

Fiona Kane 2:12

when I used to be in my physical clinic and doing, I used to do uh live blood, uh, used to look at live blood under a microscope. And what you see actually in B12 deficiencies is their blood cell is enlarged. So if someone's got an iron deficiency, which is a type of a mineral deficiency, the blood cell is too small. If someone has a B12 deficiency, the blood cell blood cell is too large. So the small blood cell is a microcyte, the large blood cell is a macrocyte. And the problem with both of them is your red blood cells carry oxygen around your body. And so the it's that sort of um that space on that red blood cell is really, really important. That surface area of where it can carry all of these uh this oxygen. If it's too small, it just can't carry enough. But also when it's too small, it can't really connect with where it needs to connect to in the blood vessels on the way through the body. So it doesn't sort of it doesn't efficiently carry much oxygen and it doesn't efficiently transfer uh oxygen and take all the things that it needs to do. Uh with a large red blood cell, it's actually the same problem, even though it's too large, because what it does is it folds and because it folds to get through the cell, so it reduces the surface area that's available to carry oxygen. So that is one of the reasons why you will find a lot of symptoms related to B12 deficiency can be similar to iron deficiency. So it is important to um to always get checked. Don't make assumptions about what your deficiency is. Go on and get a blood test and get it checked out because you might think you're B12 deficient and you're iron deficient, or it might be the other way around. So always get it checked out. But uh, but yeah, anyway. So it is it plays like the B12 plays a role in conversion of protein and fat into energy. So the ability of your body to make energy from your food, it's involved in the formation of neurotransmitters in your brain. So things like serotonin and melatonin and dopamine and oxytocin, the neurotransmitters that I've talked about a lot over the years that sort of make you either happy or calm or sleep well, all of those things. Uh, B12 is very much involved in making those along with other new other nutrients. Uh, so it's very much involved in um brain function and very much involved in the metabolism of folate as well. So that can be a real issue around pregnancy, where we know that folate is really important. You might have enough folate, but if you don't have enough B12, maybe your body can't use it properly. Um, they kind of they work together basically. And that's the thing about vitamins and minerals as well, is that sometimes people sort of say, uh or even with studies in the past, they've done studies where they look at say B9, which is folate, but then they don't look at B12 and they work together. So if you test one and not the other, you can say, oh no, it's does it's not helpful, but they work together, so that's not going to be helpful necessarily. So it is important to understand these things all do work together. Uh, but anyway, really, really important uh important role in the body, B12. So let's just go through, in order, not sort of all over the place like I was trying to do before, the symptoms that you might find in regards to a B12 deficiency. So you might find a lack of energy, so the unexplained general tiredness and fatigue, maybe breathlessness, breathlessness too. Breathlessness can also relate to iron deficiency

Seven Signs To Watch For

Fiona Kane 5:45

because again, it's about how much oxygen you can get around the body, like I was talking about before. So both can cause that symptom. Uh so uh if B12s are low, B12 levels are low, the red blood cells will struggle to form, which means you won't have enough oxygen delivered to any part of your body or your organs. Um, where whether it's kidneys, brain, heart, or lungs. So number one is lack of energy. Number two is strange sensations. So these could include burning, numbness, or pins and needles in the hands, legs, or feet. Now, again, these symptoms can mean other things, but one of the common things that they relate to is B12 deficiency. So we need B12 to make the myelin sheath, which is the protective layer of fat that surrounds our nerve cells. Um, and um, the layer allows, these layers allow for the efficient transmission of our nerve signals. So the ability for me to move my arm and do what I need to do is because the the successful transmission along these nerves. Uh, myelin sheath is what disappears for people with MS. And so they they might think, well, I want to move my arm, they go to move it, but the myelin sheath is no longer there, and they that so the transmission, it doesn't the conduction, it's the conduction, the transmission of that nerve, um, that nerve signal doesn't go through. So uh so basically this ability for nerve signals to travel, and so without it, you stop conducting so well, and if it goes on for long enough, you can get nerve damage. So you can actually end up with permanent nerve damage and permanent brain damage actually from a B12 deficiency, which is one of the reasons why it's really important to know about these things and get them tested regularly, uh, especially if you're in one of the risk factor groups, which I'll go through shortly, but at the moment I'm just going through the symptoms. So that was strained sensations. Strange sensations. You don't realize until you do a podcast that you don't know how to pronounce words. You hear yourself say them and think, oops, that doesn't sound right. So, number three is unsteadiness on the legs. So um, any sort of difficulties with coordination and walking. So the damage to the nerves and the spinal cord can also lead to impaired balance, unsteadiness, as well as difficulty with motor skills. So be aware of that sort of unsteadiness can relate to B12 deficiency. Number four is memory loss. So we need, like I said, we need B12 to make those neurotransmitters. Um, so nerve damage and brain, what they call brain atrophy, which is the dying off of the brain cells, shrinkage and dying off of brain cells caused by B12 deficiency, can mirror the symptoms of dementia. Important to know these things because sometimes people have all these other symptoms and they're actually caused by something that can be very simply rectified. So that's why you get regular blood tests just to make sure. Number five is brain fog. So difficulty thinking and reasoning. People with a vitamin B12 deficiency will often describe being unable to focus or concentrate and experience difficulties completing tasks. You'll struggle to activate, i.e., start tasks and continue tasks, which is a symptom of dementia as well, right? So just know that sometimes dementia symptoms are B12 deficiency, sometimes they're dementia. It's good to know that they, you know, rule it out first, rule out the B12 deficiency first. Um, so uh your mental and physical systems are all struggling when you have a B12 deficiency. Number six is depression, agitation, anxiety, and mood swings. So again, because B12 is important for the formation of those neurotransmitters in the brain, you're not going to make enough serotonin or oxytocin or dopamine or the things you need in your brain to feel balanced, to feel good, to feel happy if you don't have enough B12. So it can really, really affect your mood. So number seven is poor oral health. So recurrent mouth ulcers, painful cracks in the corners of your mouth, um, and sore inflamed tongue. And again, some of these symptoms can relate to iron deficiency as well. Um, so um, often with iron deficiency, the tongue will kind of be swollen. And this is probably the same in the B12, I imagine. And you can see almost you can see the teeth indentation in the tongue. So if you're getting those kinds of symptoms, go on get it, get a blood test. Check your iron, check your B12. Um, and so yeah, it says that the tongue almost becomes smooth and glossy, like the inside of your cheeks, where usually the tongue should be rough. So it's called glossitis and probably caused by a lack of oxygen and nutrients reaching the tongue. And with the iron deficiency, it's more like you get that indentation of the teeth into the tongue, but that can sort of your tongue can swell up. So, how to diagnose it, get a blood test, that's how you diagnose it. But I'm going to talk about, and there's different ways of treating it. There's uh there's different, you might need you might need an injection, you might need an um an under-the-tongue

Diagnosis And Treatment Options

Fiona Kane 10:58

type uh supplement, or just a regular one that you swallow. There's all different kinds of B12s. Uh, so it's good to get advice about what it is that you need, what's right for you. And keep in mind that we need to understand what your folate and iron and other things are like because just treating one on it on its own without being aware of the others, um, you can end up with you know you're just imbalance and it doesn't always fix the problem, it might even compound a problem. Uh, so one of the biggest causes of B12 deficiency is a vegan diet because there's hardly any B12 available that's bioavailable in a vegan diet. So there

Common Causes And High-Risk Groups

Fiona Kane 11:38

might be B12 in lots of plant foods, but it's not B12 that you can actually use. Now, there is some in shiitake mushrooms, but you have to eat an awful lot to get enough of the bio-available B12. So, more often than not, people with B12, uh people uh with on a vegan diet, you need to get your levels checked to your B12. You probably need to take B12 or get injections or something, but don't underestimate how quickly. And see, sometimes if you've got a lot, if you've got a good amount of nutrients in your system when you start your vegan diet, you might be alright for a while, but then you won't be, and then you really won't be, and the damage can be permanent and can be nasty. So please, especially if you have a vegan diet, get checked regularly for your B12, talk to your doctor about what to do about that, or go and see a nutritionist or a naturopath or someone like that. So the other one is low stomach acid. So your stomach is very much involved in how your body metabolizes and so creates B12 or how it absorbs it, sort of thing. Um, but because of that, anyone with any stomach issues will often have an issue with B12. If you've had your stomach removed, like my grandfather had his stomach removed, he had stomach cancer, he had to have B12 injections. So uh, but the the people who have those issues are very definitely people on proton pump inhibitors to reduce acid in their stomach. So think of anyone who's on any antiacid or acid-reducing medications, they are all going to reduce your B12. And so people on those medications often need to take B12 or have B12 injections. So if you're on medications that reduce your stomach acid, you really, or if you've got a stomach issue, uh, it might even be in the case of like if you've had stomach surgery, stomach stapling surgery, anything like that, please be aware that you are quite high risk of having that B12 deficiency. Um, so you know, when you B12, when it's bound up in protein, you need stomach acid to release that. So um so without that stomach acid, you can't uh use that B12. So be aware that um your stomach is really an important part of it. And if there's any issues with your stomach or any medications affecting your stomach, you could could very well be deficient in B12. Um, also, some other medications will cause a B12 deficiency. One of those is metformin, which is a really, really common medication that people take for insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. So be aware of that. And there's a lot of medications that cause B12 deficiency. So if you're not sure, talk to your pharmacist, talk to your doctor, so you are aware if you are at risk. Another common cause is celiac disease. So if you are have an which is essentially quite a severe allergy to wheat, then you're you're basically because your gut is so inflamed and damaged, it's not going to be able to absorb the nutrients, so you're not going to be able to absorb your B12. So it can cause all sorts of deficiencies, including a B12 deficiency. Um, so just be aware of that. Also, Crohn's disease, for the same reason that Crohn's disease damages your gut and your ability to absorb your nutrients, can also cause a deficiency. Pancreatitis will also cause a deficiency of B12. The other things that will affect your uh your risk of uh or your ability to absorb B12 is your age. So the it becomes more common as we age. So effects affecting around one in 10 people age 75 and over, and um one in 20 people age 65 and

Age Pregnancy And Medication Risks

Fiona Kane 15:19

over. So just be aware of that as we get older because our stomach acid decreases, and maybe by then as well, we're on medications and things. But essentially, the older we get, the more we need to really be aware of our B12 levels, or also it look if you're if you're a woman of um childbearing age, be aware of your nutrient levels all of the time. If you're able to get pregnant, then you really need to make sure your nutrition is tip-top if there's any risk that you can be pregnant, so that um because a lot of the issues around uh folate and B12 and things like that happen really early in the pregnancy. So just um that the people in that situation, if you're a woman who can get pregnant, who's at risk of getting pregnant, and who is sexually active, then you really, really need to uh be on top of your nutrition and make sure that your levels are really good of all of your nutrients. Um, so the other one is uh there's uh pernicious anemia. So pernicious anemia is an autoimmune disease which prevents the absorption of B12. So uh so if you have that um condition, you will need to get B12 injections, most likely. Well, you will need to get B12 injections. Um, and that and whether or not you have injections or tablets and things depends on your stomach because a tablet uh might not be able to bypass your stomach depending on what the tablet is and stuff. So you might actually need either something that's under the tongue that that is absorbed in your mouth, or something that is an injection, so that it bypasses the issue that you might have with your stomach. Um, so there's sort of like some common uh B12 deficiencies and um and like deficiency symptoms and uh reasons why you might be B12 deficient. The other reason, of course, is if you just have a generally poor diet. If you have a generally poor diet, then you are going to be at risk of B12 um deficiency. Now remember, B12 is mostly in animal foods. Uh so uh so B12 is what you'll find in things like meat, fish, and dairy. Uh, and or you'll also get it in um in eggs as well, so animal foods, uh, so anything that comes of and from an animal. Uh now uh just a moment, I'll be back in a moment. So just reviewing the seven signs of B12 deficiency very, very quickly now. So the first, and remembering you need to go and have a blood test to know about this, the first is lack

Fast Recap And Next Steps

Fiona Kane 17:53

of energy. So any unexplained general tiredness and fatigue. The second is strange sensations, and this could be numbness, pins and needles in the hands, legs and feet. The third is unsteadiness in the on the legs, so have being unsteady on your legs and um just having difficulties with coordination. The fourth is memory loss, the fifth is brain fog, sixth is depression, agitation, anxiety, and mood swings. And number seven is poor oral health. So if you have those cracks in the corner of your mouth, or if your tongue becomes kind of smooth, um, they can be signs and symptoms, or in general, if you have any sort of if you feel like you're getting symptoms of dementia, check out your nutrients because quite often people are deficient in the nutrients. So uh even if you've got a great diet, there might be some reason why your stomach's not absorbing those nutrients. There might be some underlying health condition that's preventing the absorption of those nutrients. And you know, if you're not sure about your nutrition, if you're getting the right nutrients or if you're taking the right type of nutrient, then you can book in with someone like me or any health professional that can help you, whether it's a nutritionist, naturopath, GP, whoever it is, but just get some advice about what the right thing to take for you is and um and whether or not, you know, how you need to manage it if you've got multiple deficiencies. Anyway, um, I hope you found that useful. Uh, like to have conversations about things that matter, and sometimes that's straight up nutritional deficiencies. So I think that's a really useful topic and really something that's very, very common. So we really need to know about it. So please like, subscribe, please rate and review, please share this episode with your friends and family. The more people that know about it, the more I'll be able to keep doing this. Uh, and um, I hope you have a great week, and I'll talk to you all again next week. Thanks.

Subscribe Share And Closing

Fiona Kane 19:52

Bye bye.