Vitamin B12 Deficiency: The Troubling Mental Signs You Shouldn’t Ignore

Taking a B12 supplement is one of the easiest ways to combat this problem. Adults need around 1.5 mcg per day.

Taking a B12 supplement is one of the easiest ways to combat this problem. Adults need around 1.5 mcg per day.

Depression can be a sign of vitamin B12 deficiency, another study finds.

People with low levels of vitamin B12 are at a 50 percent higher risk of depression.

Around one-in-eight older adults in Ireland, where the study was carried out, have a vitamin B12 deficiency.

Many more people are not deficient but, nevertheless have low levels of vitamin B12.

Other signs of a prolonged vitamin B12 deficiency include memory issues, confusion, irritability, depression and even psychosis, which is starting to believe things that are not true.

Physical rather than mental symptoms of a vitamin B12 deficiency include headaches, fatigue, breathlessness and pale skin.

Taking a B12 supplement is one of the easiest ways to combat this problem.

Adults need around 1.5 mcg per day.

For those who have problems with absorption, regular shots may be required.

Usually, symptoms of a vitamin B12 deficiency will clear up with treatment over time.

Dr Eamon Laird, the study’s first author, said that food fortification is one option:

“There is a growing momentum to introduce a mandatory food fortification policy of B-vitamins in Europe and the UK, especially since mandatory food fortification with folic acid in the US has showed positive results, with folate deficiency or low status rates of just 1.2% in those aged 60 years and older.”

The results come from an Irish study that followed almost 4,000 people across four years.

While a vitamin B12 deficiency was linked to depression, there was no connection with a folate deficiency.

Professor Rose Anne Kenny, study co-author, said:

“Given the rise in loneliness and depression in older adults after the onset of COVID-19 restrictions, this study highlights the importance of increasing B12 intake or supplementation to help mitigate against potential risk factors of depression in older adults. “

The study was published in the British Journal of Nutrition (Laird et al., 2021).

The Vitamin That Reduces Cancer Risk By 40%

Taking this supplement can fight cancer and greatly reduce the risk of dying from the disease.

Taking this supplement can fight cancer and greatly reduce the risk of dying from the disease.

Daily supplementation of cholecalciferol, also known as vitamin D3, can reduce the risk of fatal cancer by nearly 40 percent.

The link between vitamin D and cancer has captivated experts’ mind for years.

People in areas that receive higher amounts of sunshine and so high amounts of vitamin D have lower rates of death from many types of cancer.

Animal studies show that vitamin D slows the progression of cancer cells, but clinical studies on humans couldn’t give a certain answer until now.

The Vitamin D and Omega-3 Trial (VITAL) examined whether higher serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (vitamin D levels in the blood) has any connection with reducing the risk of lethal cancers.

They found that daily intakes of 2,000 IU of vitamin D3 were associated with a 17 percent reduced risk in cancer.

But, an examination of participants with a normal BMI (body mass index) showed a risk reduction of 38 percent in these individuals.

This means that factors related to obesity such as excess body fat could lower the beneficial effect of vitamin D supplements.

Obesity has also been shown to damage the immune system, including destruction of natural killer cell function and long-term inflammation.

Dr Paulette Chandler, the study’s first author, said:

“These findings suggest that vitamin D may reduce the risk of developing advanced cancers.

Vitamin D is a supplement that’s readily available, cheap and has been used and studied for decades.

Our findings, especially the strong risk reduction seen in individuals with normal weight, provide new information about the relationship between vitamin D and advanced cancer.”

The five years VITAL research involved 25,871 adults who had no cancer at the start of the trial.

The study wanted to see the possible reduction in cancer death by a combination or individual effects of omega-3 and vitamin D supplementations.

Participants were put into four groups:

  • 2,000 IU vitamin D plus 1 g fish oil per day,
  • vitamin D plus placebo,
  • omega-3 plus placebo,
  • and the fourth group received only placebos instead of vitamin D with fish oil.

The discovery that BMI influences the role of vitamin D has also been suggested in previous studies.

Moreover, inflammation due to obesity would reduced vitamin D effectiveness by changes in vitamin D receptor function or vitamin D response.

Cancer patients have been found to be low in vitamin D with research suggesting that the deficiency rate is 72 percent among these sufferers.

More evidence also confirms that the higher someone’s body fat the bigger the risk of developing cancers.

Dr Chandler said:

“Our findings, along with results from previous studies, support the ongoing evaluation of vitamin D supplementation for preventing metastatic cancer—a connection that is biologically plausible.

Additional studies focusing on cancer patients and investigating the role of BMI are warranted.”

The study was published in the journal JAMA Network Open (Chandler et al., 2020).

Eating This Food Is A Sign You Are Extraverted

What your diet says about your personality.

What your diet says about your personality.

Eating more meat is a sign of being extraverted, new research finds.

Vegetarians and vegans, meanwhile, are more likely to be introverted.

However, vegetarians also tend to be slimmer than their meat- eating peers.

This is probably because avoiding animal foods reduces the intake of fat and sugar.

Dr Veronica Witte, study co-author, is not sure exactly why vegetarians tend to be more introverted:

“It could be because more introverted people tend to have more restrictive eating habits or because they are more socially segregated because of their eating habits.”

The conclusions come from a study of 8,943 people in Germany who were given a test of personality, along with other measures.

The researchers had expected to find a link between diet and neuroticism, but did not.

Dr Witte said:

“Earlier analyses had found that more neurotic people were generally more likely to avoid certain groups of foods and to behave more restrictively.

We focused here solely on the avoidance of animal products and could not observe any correlation.”

People who are neurotic are more likely to experience depression and anxiety.

Indeed, some research finds that plant-based diets are linked to depression.

However, there was no evidence of this in the current study.

Dr Witte said:

“It is possible that in previous analyses other factors had blurred the results, including the BMI or conspicuous personality traits that are known to be associated with depression.

We accounted for them.”

The lower weight of vegetarians and vegans is less mysterious.

Ms Evelyn Medawar, the study’s first author, said:

“Products that are excessively rich in fat and sugar are particularly fattening.

They stimulate the appetite and delay the feeling of satiety.

If you avoid animal foods, you consume fewer such products on average.

People who eat predominantly vegetable foods may therefore absorb less energy.”

The study was published in the journal Nutrients (Medawar et al., 2020).

The Popular Drink That Reduces Liver Disease Risk

The type of drink that reduces the risk of liver disease and common liver conditions.

The type of drink that reduces the risk of liver disease and common liver conditions.

People who drink any type of coffee are less likely to develop chronic liver disease, fatty liver disease, or die from liver disease.

Drinking any type of coffee — no matter if it is caffeinated or decaf, instant or ground coffee — has been linked to lowering the odds of liver disease and related liver problems.

According to a study, drinking three or four cups of coffee will promote liver health condition and lower the risk of developing long-term liver disease and death compared to non-coffee drinkers.

The researchers analysed data from the UK Biobank on half a million people and followed them for almost 11 years to see if any of the participants developed liver disease or related liver problems.

Coffee drinkers were 21 percent less likely to develop chronic liver disease, 20 percent less likely to develop fatty liver disease, and 49 percent less likely to die from liver disease than those non-coffee drinkers.

Those who drank ground coffee (including espresso) saw the maximum effect.

Ground coffee is rich in cafestol and kahweol, which have been found to have a protective effect on the liver.

Instant coffee contains low levels of these two ingredients, however, the reduced risk was also seen in instant coffee drinkers to some extent.

This possibly indicates that besides cafestol and kahweol, other ingredients in coffee have some beneficial effects.

Dr Oliver Kennedy, the study’s first author, said:

“Coffee is widely accessible and the benefits we see from our study may mean it could offer a potential preventative treatment for chronic liver disease.

This would be especially valuable in countries with lower income and worse access to healthcare and where the burden of chronic liver disease is highest.”

The research team noted that the study’s participants were mostly white with higher socioeconomic status therefore it would be hard to generalize these findings to different populations.

The study was published in the journal BMC Public Health (Kennedy et al., 2021).

A Mental Sign of Vitamin D Deficiency

The vitamin may have a direct effect on the brain and has also been linked to Parkinson’s disease and dementia.

The vitamin may have a direct effect on the brain and has also been linked to Parkinson’s disease and dementia.

Depression can be a sign of vitamin D deficiency, recent research suggests.

Vitamin D deficiency is linked to a 75 percent higher risk of depression.

Symptoms of depression include moodiness, lack of motivation and tiredness.

Depression is also linked to physical symptoms such as headaches, stomach aches, dizziness and muscle pain.

The results come from a study of almost 4,000 older adults in Ireland.

They were followed up over 4 years for any depression symptoms and vitamin D levels.

The results showed that people with vitamin D deficiency were 75 percent more likely to have depression symptoms.

Vitamin D may have a direct effect on the brain and has also been linked to Parkinson’s disease and dementia.

Dr Robert Briggs, the study’s first author, said:

“This is the largest representative and most comprehensive study of depression risk and vitamin D status in older adults ever conducted in Ireland.

Our findings will provide useful information to help inform public health policy – particularly regarding the proposition of the usefulness of vitamin D treatment/supplementation for depression.”

The link between vitamin D and depression is not confined to older adults.

One recent study found that vitamin D deficiency is linked to depressive symptoms and more negative thoughts in young women.

Dr Eamon Laird, study co-author, said:

“This study shows that vitamin D is associated with a health condition other than bone health.

What is surprising is the large effect on depression even after accounting for other control variables.

This is highly relevant for Ireland as our previous research has shown that one in eight older adults are deficient in the summer and one in four during the winter.

Moreover, only around 8% of older Irish adults report taking a vitamin D supplement.”

The study was published in the The Journal of Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine (Briggs et al., 2018).

An Irritating Sign Of Vitamin B12 Deficiency Around The Eyes

A symptom of vitamin B12 deficiency that can be irritating.

A symptom of vitamin B12 deficiency that can be irritating.

Eye-twitching or facial pain can be signs of vitamin B12 deficiency.

While the symptom is not normally painful, it can be irritating.

The twitches normally occur in one eye at a time, or sometimes below them.

Eye twitching — known to doctors as myokymia — can also be caused by stress, tiredness, allergies or dry eyes, among other things.

Other common symptoms of a vitamin B12 deficiency include feeling faint, tired, experiencing muscle weakness and being constipated.

Vitamin B12 is used by the body to make red blood cells and to keep the nervous system healthy.

Certain types of people may have difficulties getting enough vitamin B12 in their diet: these include older people, those with Crohn’s disease and vegetarians.

Foods that contain good levels of vitamin B12 include liver, salmon, eggs and dairy, as well as breakfast cereals that have been fortified.

Vitamin B12 deficiency can also be treated by taking supplements.

If it remains uncorrected, vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to neuropathy, which is experienced as a tingling sensation in the legs, feet or hands.

Dr John D. England, a neurologist at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans, said:

“People with suspected nerve problems should talk to their doctors about screening tests, especially blood glucose, vitamin B12 level and serum protein levels, since these tests can often point to common causes of neuropathy.”

Dr England continued:

“There are many people with a neuropathy who have been walking around for years without having been diagnosed and treated.

Both neurologists and people with neuropathy need to know that the appropriate choice of tests is critical to accurate diagnosis.”

The guidelines were published in the American Academy of Neurology.

A Night-Time Sign of Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Around one-quarter of people could have a deficiency in vitamin B12.

Around one-quarter of people could have a deficiency in vitamin B12.

Poor sleep can be a sign of vitamin B12 deficiency, research suggests.

Deficiency in this vitamin, as well as other micronutrients, is linked to poor sleep quality and having to use medications to sleep by the study.

Researchers have found that deficiencies in niacin, magnesium, calcium and dietary fibre are all linked to short sleep.

More common signs, specifically of vitamin B12 deficiency, include pale or jaundiced skin.

This is a yellow tinge around the eyes and/or in the whites of the eyes.

Vitamin B12 deficiency has also been linked to nerve problems.

This may manifest as pins and needles or numbness, especially in the legs.

Other psychological symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency include problems concentrating, depression, confusion and even forgetfulness.

It can be difficult to trace these symptoms directly to vitamin B12 deficiency as they can be related to a variety of other causes.

Around one-quarter of people may have a vitamin B12 deficiency.

Adults under 65 need around 1.5 micrograms of vitamin B12 per day.

Vitamin B12 is normally acquired by the body through diet.

Foods that contain vitamin B12 include dairy, liver, salmon and eggs.

Other good sources of vitamin B12 include poultry and low-fat milk.

Fortified breakfast cereals also contain vitamin B12.

The conclusions about diet and micronutrients come from a study that analysed data from the National Health and Nutrition Evaluation Survey, which regularly surveys many thousands of people in the US.

The study’s authors explain the results:

“…short sleep was significantly associated with the greatest number of nutrients; showing an inverse association with magnesium, niacin, vitamin D, calcium, and dietary fiber intake.”

The study also linked lower levels of vitamin B12 with worse sleep.

The study was published in the journal Current Developments in Nutrition (Ikonte et al., 2019).

A Physical Sign Of Vitamin D Deficiency

A variety of vitamin and mineral deficiencies have been linked to this problem.

A variety of vitamin and mineral deficiencies have been linked to this problem.

Headaches and migraines can be a sign of vitamin D deficiency, research finds.

Having an unexplained headache once a week or more could be considered a problem.

A migraine, meanwhile, is a type of severe headache in which typically one half of the head feels as though it is pulsating.

It may also be accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

Some people also experience visual disturbances before the migraine begins.

A variety of vitamin and mineral deficiencies have been linked to migraines.

This study also found that deficiencies in riboflavin (vitamin B2) and coenzyme Q10 are linked to migraines.

The conclusions come from thousands of headache patients whose vitamin levels were measured.

Vitamin D deficiency was particularly high in young men with migraines, the researchers found.

Coenzyme Q10 deficiencies, however, were more likely in young women with migraines.

The study’s authors conclude:

“Neutraceuticals have been widely used in migraine prevention.

Deficiency in vitamins may be related to the underlying pathophysiology and supplementation may help with response to treatment.

This suggests that a high percentage of pediatric migraine patients in the general population may be deficient in riboflavin, coenzyme Q10, vitamin D, and folate and when identified as deficient, may benefit from supplementation of these vitamins.”

However, it is not yet clear if supplementation will help the headaches, said Dr Suzanne Hagler, the study’s first author:

“Further studies are needed to elucidate whether vitamin supplementation is effective in migraine patients in general, and whether patients with mild deficiency are more likely to benefit from supplementation.”

The study was presented at the 2016 annual meeting of the American Headache Society (Hagler et al., 2016).

A Stressful Sign Of Omega-3 Deficiency

Low levels of an omega-3 fatty acid can cause this problem.

Low levels of an omega-3 fatty acid can cause this problem.

Poor sleep can be a sign of omega-3 deficiency, research finds.

Poor sleep can also cause cognitive and behavioural problems and general poor health.

DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) is an omega‐3 fatty acids found in algae, fish and other seafoods and it is a major structural fat in the brain and retina of the eye.

Higher blood levels of DHA are associated with better sleep, fewer sleep disturbances and less parasomnias, including abnormal movements during sleep, nightmares and sleepwalking.

A study on a group of children with poor sleep shows that 16 weeks daily supplementation with 600 mg of DHA from algal sources had considerably restored their sleep.

It also lowered problems like sleep anxiety, resistance to bedtime, and continual waking through the night.

Children who were supplemented with omega-3 DHA had one hour more sleep and seven fewer wake episodes each night.

Low levels of DHA are associated with lower levels of melatonin, a hormone mainly produced in the brain, which regulates the sleep–wake cycle.

The sleep–wake cycle maintains sleep rhythm: leading to going to sleep regularly each night and waking up at a regular time every morning.

Professor Paul Montgomery, lead author of the study,said:

“To find clinical level sleep problems in four in ten of this general population sample is a cause for concern.

Various substances made within the body from omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids have long been known to play key roles in the regulation of sleep.

For example, lower ratios of DHA have been linked with lower levels of melatonin, and that would fit with our finding that sleep problems are greater in children with lower levels of DHA in their blood.”

The balance of omega-3 DHA and omega-6 fatty acid AA (arachidonic acid) in the pineal gland of our brain is important for the regulation of melatonin production.

Increased DHA to omega-6 fatty acid AA ratios increase the secretion of melatonin and so can reduce sleep problems.

Dr Alex Richardson, study co-author, said:

“Previous studies we have published showed that blood levels of omega-3 DHA in this general population sample of 7-9 year olds were alarmingly low overall, and this could be directly related to the children’s behavior and learning.

Poor sleep could well help to explain some of those associations.”

The study was published in the Journal of Sleep Research (Montgomery et al., 2014).

A Mental Sign Of Vitamin B12 Deficiency

B12 deficiency is relatively easy to correct with a change in diet or supplementation.

B12 deficiency is relatively easy to correct with a change in diet or supplementation.

Difficulties with memory and thinking skills can be a sign of vitamin B12 deficiency, research finds.

Low levels of the vital vitamin are linked to accelerated cognitive aging.

With age, people’s brains generally work more slowly, their reasoning is not as sharp and their memory less clear.

However, people with normal vitamin B12 levels age better cognitively.

Vitamin B12 deficiency has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease and brain shrinkage by some research.

The good news is that B12 deficiency is relatively easy to correct with a change in diet or supplementation.

Good sources of vitamin B12 include fish, poultry, eggs and low-fat milk.

Fortified breakfast cereals also contain vitamin B12.

For the study, 549 people, average age 75, were split into groups based on their vitamin B12 levels.

The results showed that being in the two lowest groups for vitamin B12 was linked to a more rapid cognitive decline over eight years.

Dr Martha Savaria Morris, the study’s first author, said:

“Men and women in the second lowest group did not fare any better in terms of cognitive decline than those with the worst vitamin B12 blood levels.

Rapid neuropsychiatric decline is a well-known consequence of severe vitamin B12 deficiency, but our findings suggest that adverse cognitive effects of low vitamin B-12 status may affect a much larger proportion of seniors than previously thought.”

People who may have difficulty getting enough vitamin B12 include vegetarians, older people and those with some digestive disorders, such as Crohn’s disease.

Dr Paul Jacques, study co-author, said:

“While we emphasize our study does not show causation, our associations raise the concern that some cognitive decline may be the result of inadequate vitamin B-12 in older adults, for whom maintaining normal blood levels can be a challenge.”

The study was published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (Morris et al., 2012).