Women's Health: Let’s Know All About Vitamin B12 Deficiency in Women!

By Ruchi Sharma

Getting tired and feeling a lot of fatigue? It could be a sign of Vitamin B deficiency. You might be wondering what type of a new Vitamin deficiency this is? Already we are overloaded with calcium, iron and what not deficiency. But, Vitamin B12 deficiency and folate deficiency anaemia is not so uncommon and could be a reason for a lot of common issues you might be facing. So, what is it all about? Let’s deep dive into it.

Types of Vitamin B

Vitamin B is actually a group of 8 nutrients that have a vital role in keeping our body healthy. In medical terms, these are called Vitamin B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6 (pyridoxine), B7 (biotin), B9 (folate) and B12 (cobalamin). They together play a major role in keeping our body healthy and full of energy.

Why is Vitamin B important?

As we already know, Biotin and folate are really important for women. Lots of cosmetic products we use contain biotin as it helps in strengthening hair and nails. While folate is important for women before they get pregnant and also during early stages of pregnancy. All the nutrients and minerals are important for the body and that’s why it’s recommended that you take a balanced diet. Other Vitamin B deficiencies are not so common but off late signs of vitamin B12 deficiency in women are becoming common.

Which women are vulnerable to get Vitamin B12 deficiency?

Though there can be many underlying causes behind a vitamin deficiency, some women might be more susceptible to it. Here are some of the reasons that can make you more vulnerable to Vitamin B12 deficiency.

During menopause and postmenopause: Hormonal imbalances can lead to Vitamin B12 deficiency in women.

Vegetarians: There are not a lot of vitamin b12 rich foods in vegetarian and vegan diets. Plant based diets have a lot of minerals and vitamins. But Vitamin B12 is more commonly found in animal products.

Health Conditions: Women who suffer from Chrohn’s disease, Celiac disease or similar health issues face difficulties and their body is not able to absorb Vitamin B. If someone suffers from acid reflux, it can also lead to lower absorption of Vitamin B due to stomach acids.

Age: As women age, absorption of vitamins and minerals by the body decreases which can lead to deficiencies.

Surgeries: If one recently had a surgery that involved stomach or small intestine like the weight loss surgery, it can affect the natural absorption of Vitamin B.

Medications: If you are taking medications like Metformin (which is commonly prescribed to PCOS patients or for type 2 diabetes) or similar medicines it can also up the odds for vitamin deficiencies.

Symptoms

Some of the Vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms are so generic that you might confuse them with general weakness or some other issue. Here’s some common symptoms that might occur because of Vitamin B12 deficiency:

• Weakness and Fatigue
• Pale or Yellow Skin
• Headache
• Anaemia
• Depression
• Constipation / Loss of Appetite / Other digestive issue
• Numbness and tingling in hand and feet
• Jaundice
• Weight Loss
• Palpitation
• Breathlessness
• Disorientation

These can be some of the most common symptoms but they may occur due to many other issues too.

Is Anaemia and Vitamin B deficiency the same?

You might have noticed that one of the symptoms above is anaemia. Now that confuses a lot of us as we generally link being anaemic with iron deficiency. But it can occur because of Vitamin B12 too. Our body needs enough Vitamin B12 for making healthy red blood cells (RBC), white blood cells (WBC) and platelets. Vitamin B deficiency anaemia or folate deficiency anaemia happens when our body is not able to produce enough red blood cells due to Vitamin B deficiency. If one develops vitamin deficiency anaemia or folate deficiency anaemia, you may face additional symptoms like diarrhoea, muscle weakness, reduced sense of taste etc. 

Why does it go unnoticed?

Early detection and treatment of any deficiency is important. Because the symptoms are often not associated with particularly Vitamin B12 deficiency, it might go unnoticed. If you feel any symptoms like anaemia etc. you must always reach out to your family doctor immediately. Most commonly it can be diagnosed by a blood test. Vitamin b deficiency diseases list can be quite serious and you must not ignore any signs your body is telling you.

Food items that are a natural source of Vitamin B12:

As they say prevention is better than cure, some of the Vitamin B rich foods that you must include in your diet are:

Non-Veg

• Shellfish like Clams
• Animal liver and kidneys
• Saltwater fish like Sardines
• Fishes like Tuna, Salmon and Trout
• Eggs
• Chicken

Vegetarian

• Fortified Cereals
• Yeast
• Milk and dairy products (like cheese and yoghurt)
• Fortified Milk and Fortified Tofu (they aren’t 100% natural but they are added with additional vitamins and minerals)

Natural vegetarian food sources that are rich in folate are Broccoli, Peas, Chickpeas, Brown Rice, Asparagus and Brussel Sprouts.

Other treatment

Vitamin B deficiency treatment for women can include taking supplements apart from the natural intake. You must follow your doctor's advice carefully and not take any supplements without informing them first. 

So, now that we know all about Vitamin B12 deficiency let’s incorporate a balanced diet in our life, and ensure we take steps towards a healthier us. All women reading this, let’s give ourselves the boon of good health.

Cheers to a happier and healthier you!