Full Transcript Introduction to B12 deficiency 0:00 You eat meat, you take a multivitamin and your last blood count looked normal. 0:04 So could you still have a B12 problem? 0:07 Yes, because getting B-12 into your diet and getting enough into the body are different things and nerve symptoms can occur without anemia. 0:15 Let's look at the 5 changes that deserve your attention regarding B12 deficiency and how to find out what they mean. 0:22 I want you to recognize a possible treatable reason you're feeling unlike yourself so you can take the right next step towards better energy and function 0:30 instead of guessing which supplements to buy. 0:32 Hi, I'm Dr. 0:33 Mark Stengler and my focus is integrative medicine, including how nutrition and digestive health affect the rest of the body Now in this video,
Fatigue and anemia-related symptoms 0:41 we'll cover the 5 signs and symptoms of B12 deficiency, and why a good diet doesn't always prevent a deficiency and which tests can help clarify the picture. 0:50 Then we will talk about treatment and what to do first. 0:53 These signs are reasons to investigate, not a way to diagnose yourself. 0:58 Number one, fatigue that changes what you can do. 1:01 You see, B12 deficiency can interfere with healthy red cell production and contribute to fatigue. 1:07 A persistent change in ordinary activity is worth describing and looking at, but fatigue alone cannot identify the cause. 1:14 So we want to connect how B-12 affects oxygen delivery and the way we do that is looking the fact that bone marrow produces blood cells and B 12 supports 1:24 DNA production needed for developing cells to divide normally. 1:28 Now B12 deficiency can leave too few healthy red blood cells and because these cells carry oxygen, anemia causes weakness, 1:35 fatigue and breathlessness because you can't get enough oxygen into your cells. 1:40 So for some people, you're doing everyday activities you normally do, your normal walk, and it takes more effort than before. 1:46 You walk upstairs and you are having shortness of breath. 1:48 All sorts of different symptoms can occur when you have anema that's related to B 12 deficiency. 1:55 Now, not every tired person has low B12. 1:58 And B-12 deficiency does not always cause anemia. 2:01 You see, B 12 also supports the nervous system. 2:04 That leads to signs of a normal blight count on blights tests, but it can still cause neurological problems.
Tingling, numbness, and nerve problems 2:10 Tingling or numbness in your hands or feet are signs a B twelve deficiency. 2:14 Because B Twelve deficiency causes abnormal nerve signaling and you get abnormal sensations in you nerves. 2:21 Again, even when you're not anemic. 2:23 And you might have even more serious types of symptoms, even thinking it's something like a stroke going on. 2:28 Peripheral nerves carry information between the body and the brain, including touch and sensation in the feet. 2:34 And the way it works is that B12 supports myelin. 2:37 This is the protective covering around many nerve fibers that help signals travel properly along the nerves. 2:44 A deficiency causes tingling or numbness, and again, it could be something beyond B12 deficiency when you have numbiness and tingle. 2:53 So just because you're not anemic doesn't mean there's not a problem with B-12 because we know neurological symptoms can occur even when we don't have anemia. 3:02 So number three, let's talk about more neurological symptoms. 3:05 New ongoing or worsening tingling is one of the primary symptoms of B12 deficiency. 3:11 Usually it's becoming a lot more severe, not just a mild case. 3:15 And again, you can have problems with balance or even walking, because walking depends on sensory feedback, as well as the muscles being related to the 3:23 nerve function. 3:24 So any of these types of symptoms neurologically could be related B 12 deficiency, And of course, the nerves tell the brain where your limbs are, 3:32 your hands and your feet, and helping to coordinate movement. 3:35 Hey, one second. 3:37 If you're looking for help with any type of health issue, I put together a line of doctor grade supplements that I formulated myself.
Memory, concentration, and tongue changes 3:44 They're the same formulas I use with my patients. 3:47 Click the link below to check them out. 3:49 Okay, back to the video. 3:51 Now let's look at a change you might notice in your memory or concentration, because this is sign symptom number 4, a noticeable change in memory, 3:59 or again, your concentration. 4:01 B12 deficiency can be very relevant to a persistent change of thinking, and mood for that matter. 4:07 That makes it possible to investigate looking at possible causes again, like B12 deficiency. 4:13 And so people with B 12 deficiency often note that they have problems with concentration. 4:18 It's more difficult. 4:19 They've now slower thinking and unusual forgetfulness. 4:22 This is especially common in seniors. 4:24 Some studies show about 25% of seniors have B-12-deficiency. 4:29 Now let's look at science symptom number five, and that is a sore, smooth, or unusually red tongue. 4:35 And this is known as glossitis. 4:37 The fancy term just means inflammation of the tongue, And that can be caused by deficient B12. 4:42 So whenever you have persistent soreness or swelling of tongue obviously you need to have an examination. 4:49 That diagnosis should be then examined in terms of B12 deficiency. 4:54 And people with these symptoms often have irritation, feel like their mouth or their tongue is infected. 5:00 So we want to look at B 12 deficiency amongst other causes for this condition. 5:05 So in summary, B12 deficiency has a variety of different presentations. 5:10 I mentioned five of the more common presentations, and so remember you don't have to have all five them. 5:15 You may just have one of them, so if you have 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5, you should investigate to see if B 12 deficiency is a problem. 5:24 Now I should note that eating B12 in your diet does not always mean that you're absorbing it. 5:29 Perhaps you eat meat, fish, eggs, and dairy, which have good sources of B-12. 5:34 But that doesn't mean you are absorbing. 5:35 If you a person who is more vegan or vegetarian and you not getting enough B 12 in you diet because vegetables alone often don't guarantee sufficient levels,
Causes, testing, and treatment options 5:44 you have to consider B twelve deficiency. 5:46 Though you need stomach acid, digestive enzymes to help break down goos that release to B12, we have something called intrinsic factor we need to absorb, 5:55 B-12 as well, and some people have conditions that interfere with absorption. 6:01 Let's talk about some of those conditions. 6:03 You know, certain stomach conditions, they reduce stomach acids or intrinsic factors, that can be autoimmune problems right in the lining of the stomach, 6:10 for example. 6:11 So you're not producing that intrinsic factory needed to observe B 12 in this small chestnut. 6:16 Long-term acid suppression with the medications like the proton pump and himbers people use for acid reflux and GERD can be an issue. 6:24 Metformin is known to cause B12 deficiency over time. 6:27 That's a common drug used for pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes. 6:31 So if you're on that medication, you should keep an eye on your B-12 level. 6:35 Alcohol depletes you of a lot of the B vitamins, especially B 12. Now let's talk about tests regarding B12 deficiency, and most doctors are obviously aware 6:45 that you can measure B-12 in your blood levels, but there can be different ranges. 6:49 Just low levels of B 12, not deficient, could still cause symptoms. 6:53 There's also another test called methylmalonic acid and it's produced during metabolism and processing the B twelve. 7:00 And so if B12 levels are sufficient, high levels of MMA, or methamalonic acid, can show up in a test. 7:06 And some people consider it to be a much more sensitive test of B-12 deficiency. 7:11 Now, of course, in our diet, we always want to try and get reliable B 12 food sources. 7:15 But for some, people that's not going to work for a variety of reasons I mentioned earlier. 7:20 So we can use injectable B twelve, that can work good. 7:23 Sublingual B Twelve goes right into the bloodstream. 7:26 That can be very good as well. 7:27 And there's many different forms of B12. 7:30 I avoid the older form of b12 and have for many decades known as cyanocobalamin. 7:35 Instead, I mainly use the more natural form known is methylcobaltamin, and that's a good genetic match for most people as it's involved in methylation processes. 7:45 And so for most of my products you'll see at DrStengler.com, we use methylcobalamin, but there are other good natural sources as well. 7:52 So now you know the five main signs and symptoms of B12 deficiency. 7:56 If you have any of these, you should consider taking B 12 or at least get your levels tested to see if you had a problem with B-12-deficiency. 8:05 Well, if like this video, hit the like button. 8:07 You haven't subscribed, make sure you subscribe to the channel and I look forward to talking to you about another health topic in a future video.
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