Are you feeling fatigued, weak, having difficulty maintaining your balance, encountering depression, confusion, poor memory and soreness of the mouth and tongue you just may be experiencing Vitamin B12 deficiency. I must admit I suffer from bouts of poor memory frequently and have just chalked it up to old age! I guess I could benefit from having my B12 levels checked after doing my research for this article.
Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble vitamin that is important for good health; it is responsible for the smooth functioning of several critical body processes such as helping maintain healthy nerve cells and red blood cells, as well as making DNA. The lower portion of the stomach produces both stomach acid and intrinsic factor. The amount of intrinsic factor available after RNY surgery varies from patient to patient. Vitamin B12 requires stomach acid and intrinsic factor to function properly in our bodies. After having weight loss surgery your body does not produce those vital substances in the amounts desired as it did prior to surgery and requires supplementation.
Vitamin B12 is only found in animal products such as meat, shellfish, milk, cheese, and eggs. Even if you think you are consuming all those foods in adequate amounts due to the surgery you will need supplementation for peak performance. The recommendations are 100-350 mcg daily or monthly shots of 1000 mcg of B12. It is critical that you have your levels checked according to your physician’s direction.
It is crucial that you take this information seriously because after years of low levels of B12 you can develop pernicious anemia which can damage the central nervous system and spinal cord. We can avoid these grave consequences by following your doctor’s orders as to how much B12 supplementation you should take based on your individual requirements.
For more information please contact Michelle at mstewart@thenutiritonplanner.com or call Michelle Stewart Consulting and Associates @ 954.547.5382.