It turns out that not getting enough vitamin B12 can contribute to stroke among people of all ages
Vitamin B12 is among the most important macronutrients that help create your DNA and red blood cells. It elevates the functioning of your central nervous system, which includes your brain and spinal cord, apart from keeping your hair, nails, and skin healthy.
Since vitamin B12 contains the mineral cobalt, it is sometimes also known as cobalamin.
Your body does not make B and so you have to get it from animal foods like meat, or from supplements. While B12 gets stored in your liver for up to five years, you can eventually become deficient in it if you don't take in enough. According to AIIMS neurologist, Dr. Priyanka Sehrawat, a lack of vitamin B12 in your body can affect your nervous system in these five ways:
Forgetfulness in young people
If you do not have enough B12 in your body, you can forget things faster, along with other cognitive issues. According to doctors, this can occur in young people as well, not just the elderly. “Vitamin B12 is very important for your neurological health. Its deficiency can lead to memory loss,” she said on her social media channel.
Sehrawat said it causes trouble in finding the right word while speaking or often forgetting things after keeping it somewhere. The symptoms can be long-term or short-term, depending on the complexity of your situation.
Increases the risk of stroke
It turns out that not getting enough vitamin B12 can contribute to stroke among people of all ages, and it can lead to an increased risk of stroke among children and pregnant women as well. “A lack of B12 leads to an increase in homocysteine which increases the tendency of clotting, putting you at a risk of stroke,” she said.
Excessive homocysteine creates two problems: inflammation of the blood vessels and oxidative stress. Inflammation is a major contributor to stroke due to the buildup of white blood cells that are intended to fight infection. However, the unnecessary inflammation associated with vitamin B12 deficiency results in damage to the blood vessels and excess deposits inside the blood vessels. This buildup can ultimately lead to an interruption of normal blood flow in the brain — which is a stroke.
Vision issues
Vitamin B12 deficiency also causes disturbed or blurred vision, which happens when the deficiency leads to damage to the optic nerve that leads to your eyes. The nervous signal that travels from the eye to the brain is disturbed due to this damage, leading to impaired vision. This condition is called optic neuropathy and treatment involving B12 supplements usually reverses the impairment.
Tingling in hands and feet
One of the most severe side effects of vitamin B12 deficiency is a condition known as Paresthesia – where you may experience a prickling sensation in the hands and feet.
According to Dr. Sehrawat, it happens when Vitamin B12, which plays an important role in the production of a fatty substance known as myelin, which protects and insulates your nerves, goes down. In the absence of B12, myelin production gets disrupted, impacting your nervous system. Since uncomfortable tingling can be a result of other health conditions as well, this symptom should not be taken in isolation when considering a B12 deficiency.
Muscle cramps
Vitamin B12 deficiency also causes muscle cramps due to improper nerve function and red blood cell production.
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