Vitamin B12 is best known as the metabolism vitamin, but it does a lot more. A deficiency can affect quite a few things including your memory. It is estimated that as many as 15 percent of American adults are deficient in this vitamin. The severity of deficiency varies, but any degree of deficiency will lead to some symptoms, with the more severe symptoms occurring with the most severe of deficiencies.

Am I Deficient?

In the early stages, you may not really notice the symptoms because they are pretty broad. Early symptoms may include:

• Feeling tired, weak or lightheaded

• Pale skin
• Bleeding or bruising easily
• Constipation or diarrhea
• Rapid breathing and heartbeat
• Sore tongue
• Weight loss and stomach upset

When this deficiency becomes more severe, you may experience the following:

• Toe and finger tingling or numbness
• Depression or mood changes
• Difficulty walking
• Disorientation, memory loss or dementia

The severe symptoms are associated with nerve cell damage so you definitely do not want this deficiency to get this far. Once the early symptoms start, it is a good idea to have them checked out. They may not be this deficiency at all, but it is always better to be safe than sorry.

To determine if you have the deficiency, your doctor just needs to get a quick blood test. So, this process is quick and easy and while you may feel a prick when the needle is inserted, there really is no discomfort involved. The results tend to come back pretty quickly so that you will not have to sit around wondering if you have this issue.

Correcting this Deficiency

It is important to try and get as many vitamins and minerals as possible from your diet. When you have a well-rounded diet, then deficiencies are less likely. However, if you have certain medical conditions or are vegan or vegetarian, your risk of a vitamin B12 deficiency are a lot higher. When it comes to diet, things like poultry, eggs, milk, fortified cereals and fish can provide good amounts of this critical vitamin. You should be getting 2.4 micrograms each day as an adult and the more you can get through food the better. If you are already deficient, you may need more than a good diet though.

Oral supplements are very common when it comes to this deficiency. These are generally taken once a day with a meal. These also come in a form where they dissolve under your tongue and these are said to have a better absorption rate than swallowed pills. These are also ideal for those that do not care to take pills. Some people will need to get B12 injections. How often you get these is something your doctor will determine based on the severity of your deficiency. If you have a condition that prevents you from absorbing vitamin B12 from food sources, such as pernicious anemia, you will likely need these injections for life to maintain a healthy level of this vitamin.