Vitamin B12 deficiency can affect your body in many ways, leading to worrying physical and mental health symptoms. This essential nutrient is needed for DNA synthesis, energy production, and central nervous system function. When you do not have enough Vitamin B12 in your body, you may experience a range of mild to serious symptoms. Vitamin B12 is found mostly in animal-based foods and its intake can be a bit challenging for vegans or even vegetarians as it is not found naturally in plant-based foods.
Some known symptoms of Vitamin B12 deficiency are pins and needles sensation in hands, weak muscles, numbness of limbs, mouth ulcers or inflammation, fatigue, and weight loss among others. In worse cases, this deficiency can lead to deep depression, delusions, memory loss, incontinence, among others. Do not take Vitamin B12 deficiency lightly. As per the journal Nutrients, a high dietary intake of Vitamin B12 is associated with lower rates of advanced age-related macular degeneration.