There are six main vitamin groups that the human body needs for proper functioning. These are A, B, C, D, E, and K. Vitamins, A, D, E and K are fat-soluble, and are stored by the body to some extent in its fat reserves.
B and C, however, are water-soluble and are excreted away as urine, when taken in excess. So these have more possibilities of being in deficit than the others.
Vitamin B is a family of substances grouped under the letter B that cause a number of significant body processes to go at a better place and in a more orderly manner.
Out of these, Vitamin B12, also called cobalamin, is a particularly crucial cofactor in DNA production and fatty and amino acid metabolism.
The Wikipedia page on this particular substance besides listing it as the most structurally complex protein also states in quite the bone-chilling manner:
“Vitamin B12 deficiency can potentially cause severe and irreversible damage, especially to the brain and nervous system […] especially in elderly people (over age 60) who produce less stomach acid as they age, thereby increasing their probability of B12 deficiencies. Vitamin B12 deficiency can also cause symptoms of mania and psychosis.”
So, you better keep this particular vitamin in mind when planning a diet.
Here are some of the red-light signs of a deficit of this particular vitamin.
1. Unexplained fatigue
If you find yourself getting tired doing things that you could complete with ease before, that might be because of a cobalamin deficiency. What you need to do is start eating foods richer in vitamin B12.
2. Feeling light-headed and dizzy
This is also a trigger sign because vitamin B12 plays a large role in maintaining adequate blood pressure; when blood pressure falls, people feel light-headed and dizzy.
This is usually an accompaniment to other symptoms of serious diseases, so if it persists, you might want to get yourself looked at by a doctor.
3. Forgetting things
Brain function is one of the primary things that concerns Vitamin B12. This is why when there is a Vitamin B12 deficiency, there is a noticeable effect on brain function more than anything else.
Forgetting things is one of the many signs that should be a trigger sign for something being wrong with your body. Again, if it persists, however, do see a doctor.
4. Muscular dysfunction
Muscles are largely dependent on nerves for their existence and when your nerves fail, they take them down with them.
5. Pins and needles
That eerie feeling of having pins and needles being stuck inside your body is a result of your nerves going haywire or their myelin sheath thinning. One of the many things that cause this is a deficiency of Vitamin B12.
So what does one do?
Vitamin B12 is easily available in over-the-counter drugs. Most of the common nonvegetarian goods we consume on a daily basis have copious amounts of it. If you want to take a step further, brew a tea of cumin seeds and drink it before bed. Every night and increase your consumption of things like eggs and liver.