Symptoms of Vitamin B12 deficiency in old age

Every vitamins and mineral content in the food item has its power of nurturing the health of human beings. Vitamin B12 is also one of such vitamins that help individuals improve memory system. If an individual is having low level of vitamin B 12 in their body, this will give rise to poor memory of those individuals who have passed their young age and stepped in to the category of elderly people. According to a research conducted, maximum people having lower level of vitamin B12 scored very poor in a cognitive test. Also they had quite small brain volume as reported after MRI.

With age every individual declines with regards to physical capacity and brain work. Since there is a massive decrease in vitamin B12 in their body, they gets adverse effect of

Deficiency of vitamin B12 in old age people

Top foods with high vitamin B12

Even though deficiency of vitamin B12 will be having negative impact on every individual, it would be more vigorous among the old age people. It is really important to have awareness about people suffering from the deficiency of vitamin B12. There are good lists of symptoms that will make you identify about deficiency of vitamin B12. These symptoms are as follows:

  • Difficulty in walking
  • Yellowing of skin
  • Strange sensation, tingling in hands, feet and legs
  • Inflamed or swollen tongue
  • Fatigue
  • Hallucinations or paranoia
  • Cognitive difficulties or difficulties in thinking
  • Memory loss

If you are still not sure whether you are suffering from the deficiency of vitamin B12, it will be the time for you to see an experienced physician. He will ask you to go for a good physical examination as well as blood test in order to be sure about the condition. There can be various severe problems if you do not treat at an early stage. Several neurological problems can also take place in an individual if adequate quantity of vitamin B12 is not provided.

Level of vitamin B12

Several people with different age limit has different requirement of vitamin B12 with regards to its quantity. If you have crossed 50 years of age, you cannot consume the quantity of vitamin which is consumed by people with young age.  If you are s strict vegetarian, B proactive level will be different. You can also take a proton pump inhibitor as suggested by your doctor. If you have gone through the weight loss surgery, capacity of absorbing food will be quite different. In such a situation you need to take advice from your physician and take a particular quantity of vitamin B12.  Since vegetarian people will never have the non vegan items where vitamin B12 will be present very well, they are suggested to have breads, grains and cereals where vitamin B12 is present. Or you can also take the daily supplement of vitamin B12 through which deficiency of specific vitamin will be prevented. You can also avail multi vitamins that are readily available in the pharmaceutical shop which contains 6 micrograms of vitamin. It is enough to fulfill the daily need of average body.

As soon as you reach to the age range of 50, you will be recommended by the institute of medicine to consume vitamin B12 in an excess amount that the quantity which you used to consume. In young age people can easily consume the amount of vitamin from the food that they consume. But, as soon as they become aged their capacity of consuming and absorbing vitamins from food decreases. Thus, it becomes necessary for them to consume the vitamin supplement.

Role of vitamin B12

How to choose right food for health

Vitamin B12 being one of the vital nutrients is really necessary for the maintenance as well as development of individual’s healthy nervous system. If you have been suffering from the deficiency of vitamin B12, getting a healthy nervous system will be a problem. After adequate supply of vitamin B12 in your diet, you will be able overcome the symptoms such as mood disorder, low blood pressure, depression, unsteady gait, shakiness etc. If the vitamin B12 levels in adults falls below 250 picograms, it means that he is suffering from the deficiency of vitamin B12. Immediate supply of adequate vitamins must be provided for gaining healthy body condition.