Dr Oz: Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Dr Oz: B12 Deficiency

On today’s Doctor Oz Show (B12 Deficiency – Are You Missing Out On The Fountain Of Youth), Dr Oz told his fans about the superhero supplement, vitamin B12, and how you may not be getting enough of it.  This has been a hot topic lately, as Hoda recently spoke about her experience with Vitamin B12 boosting her energy on the Today Show (click here for the details: Hoda Vitamin B12). Vitamin B12, nature’s secret weapon, is necessary for turning back the clock and keeping you looking and feeling young. Is this your fountain of youth?

Exhausted and forgetting things?

How about depressed? Does this sound like you? If so, you may suffer from vitamin b12 deficiency. Dr Oz says 40 percent of the population has B12 deficiency. Could this be you?

Vitamin B protects your body from disease. It is a crucial component to help you feel young and is vital in the production of red blood cells. Vitamin B is found in foods and you can even get shots, so why are so many people deficient in it? Statistics show that 47 million Americans are B12 deficient. Some of the risk factors include changes in your diet and medications you take on a regular basis. Symptoms of B12 deficiency mimic Alzheimer’s, depression and stroke.

Before the show, Dr Oz’s medical team took test samples of audience members. One-third of the audience members had low levels of vitamin B12.

Medical professional, Dr. David Katz, MD stated that you may be prone to anemia if you are deficient in B12. Our bodies cannot make DNA without adequate levels of B12. Lack of B12 also ages us because you are unable to replenish cells. People with low-levels are increasing because of our change in diet (we eat a more highly processed diet) and because of more use of prescription drugs.

Kate Geagan, Registered Dietician, stated that we should be concerned for those that are deficient because if left unchecked, this condition may have irreversible damage. Dr Oz asked why people in other countries, such as Japan, are not as deficient as Americans. Kate told Dr Oz that the Japanese acceptable cut off is twice as high and the Japanese people tend to eat a lot more seafood, which is higher in vitamin B12, as well as, take less prescription medications.

Vitamin B12 Deficiency Symptoms

1. Do you suffer from an overall lack of energy?
2. Have you noticed any unusual mood changes?
3. Do you have difficulty concentrating or remembering?
4. Have you noticed tingling or numbness in your fingers or feet?
5. Has your tongue become inflamed?

Doctor Oz says that if you answer yes to even just one question, you may be deficient.

Dr Oz: B12 Deficiency Causes

-Medications: Aspirin and meds used for heartburn, such as proton pump inhibitors. Folic acid masks effects of B12 deficiency that doctors would otherwise see on blood test. B12 deficiency can progress with folate and at some point, it becomes irreversible. (Natural occurring folate in foods will not progress B12 deficiency, only fortified folate.)

-Cells in the stomach change and we don’t secrete as much acid. The gastric acid in our stomachs decrease as we get older. Over 30 percent over the age of 50 do not secrete enough acid.
The acid in the stomach has to separate vitamin B12 and protein. This is much easier to do when you’re younger. Over age of 50, the acid in the stomach changes and makes it more difficult to separate the protein and the B12.

-Animal proteins- Reliable natural animal proteins include chicken and seafood, which are two common staples in the Japanese diet. Americans should consider consuming more of these types of foods.

Alcohol has major affects on the gastrointestinal system. Excessive alcohol causes atrophy of the stomach and results in difficulty inside the stomach. Dr. Katz pointed out that moderate alcohol consumption was okay, more than that, it may become an issue.