Tag Archives: supplements

15 Surprising Symptoms of Vitamin B12 Deficiency

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Vitamin B12, medically known as cobalamin, is an important vitamin that is responsible for the development of red blood cells and proper functioning of the brain and nervous system, just to name a couple of its duties. Our bodies don’t naturally produce B12, so we must obtain it through diet. B12 deficiency is a common problem because many people have diets low in animal products (the main dietary source of B12), or problems with vitamin absorption. Some surprising symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency include:

  1. Paranoia or neuroticism
  2. Depression, problems with mood calibration or behavioral changes
  3. A sore mouth or tongue (or swollen tongue)
  4. Lethargy or fatigue
  5. Anemia
  6. Foggy brain (trouble concentrating or reasoning)
  7. Heart palpitations or arrhythmia
  8. Nerve problems like loss of sensation and impaired mobility
  9. Stomach problems like gas, constipation, bloating or diarrhea
  10. Numbness of the extremities (sometimes can be confused with carpel tunnel)
  11. Vision problems like blurry vision
  12. Weakness, faintness or dizziness
  13. Jaundice (yellowing skin)
  14. Menstrual complications
  15. Shortness of breath

Time To See The Doc?

While it is important to treat supplements with caution and only start them after talking to your doctor, people who are deficient will require vitamin B12 supplementation. Vitamin B12 deficiencies can be serious business and may creep up on you over time, so if you are experiencing any of the above-listed symptoms, see your doctor soon for B12 screening. Keep an eye out for our article about vitamin B12 rich foods, thanks for visiting DocChat!

These Vitamin-Rich Foods Can Replace Supplements

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Most of us believe we don’t get enough of key vitamins like C or D, so we turn to dietary supplements to bolster our vitamin values, however, this isn’t always the best plan of action. Many people don’t realize that dietary supplements aren’t regulated by the FDA the same as medications are, and therefor often contain unwanted and unlisted filler ingredients, or can interfere with health conditions or medications a person is taking (check out our Dietary Supplements Under the Microscope feature for more reading on the topic). But there is a way around this!

A Safer Way to Boost Vitamin Intake

The small percentage of people who have physician-diagnosed vitamin deficiencies may have to take supplements if they have problems absorbing the vitamins organically, however for most of the population, supplements simply aren’t necessary. If you wish to avoid or discontinue taking vitamin supplements, there is a simple and healthier alternative: make sure to include certain vitamin-rich foods in your daily diet.

Recommended Vitamin Daily Values

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) the respective recommended daily values (DVs) of various vitamins for healthy people (who are over 4 years of age and not pregnant) are as follows:

Vitamin C: 60 mg
Vitamin B6: 2 mg
Vitamin B12: 6 µg
Vitamin K: 80 µg
Vitamin A: 5,000 IU
Vitamin D: 400 IU
Vitamin E: 30 IU

Eat These Foods Daily to Replace Supplements

It is easy to reach your recommended daily value (DV) by routinely including these healthy foods in your diet: 

Vitamin C: 
* 1 orange contains 116% of your recommended DV of vitamin C
* 1 yellow bell pepper contains over 500% of your vitamin C DV!
* 1 cup of broccoli contains over 130% of your DV of vitamin C

Vitamin B6* 3 oz of tuna contains 44% of your DV
*3 oz of turkey contains 34% of your DV
* 1 banana contains %21 of your DV

Vitamin B12
* 3 oz of clams contain over 1000% of your vitamin B12 DV
* 1 cup of fortified breakfast cereal contains 100% of your B12 DV
* 3 oz of rainbow trout contains 90% of your DV

Vitamin K
* 1/2 cup of kale or other leafy green veggies contains 100% of your DV
* 1/2 cup Brussels sprouts contain 98% of your DV
* 1/2 cup of prunes contain 65% of your vitamin K DV

Vitamin A
* A serving of sweet potato contains over 200% of your vitamin A DV
* A serving of carrots contains over %100 of your DV

Vitamin D
* Salmon contains over 200% of your DV (as well as lots of omega-3 fatty acids)!
* 100 g of sardines contain over 120% of your DV
* Shiitake mushrooms contain 39% of your DV of vitamin D 

Vitamin E
* 100 g of almonds contain 127% of your DV of vitamin E
* 100 g of sunflower seeds contain 176% of your DV

So there you have it! Plenty of foods you can eat daily to avoid taking unnecessary supplements. Simply click on the vitamin headings to see more foods that are rich in each vitamin. Thanks for visiting DocChat! If you have any health-related questions, our exceptional board certified DocChat physicians are on standby 24/7/365!