Vitamin B12 is an essential nutrient that keeps the body functioning properly - but when you're running low on the vitamin, a number of unusual changes may occur.
Symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency include fatigue, low mood and nerve problems.
The human body can't create vitamin B12, so you need to get this nutrient from your diet.
It is crucial for making DNA and red blood cells, and it helps support the nervous system.
Other early signs indicating your body is lacking in the essential vitamin include tingling hands and feet, trouble walking or a fast heart rate.
Changes seen on your face are also key indicators of a vitamin B12 deficiency.
Having soft, glowing skin is a symbol of good health.
Skin is the largest organ in the body and plays a vital role in protecting the internal organs from the external environment.
People who have shiny, healthy and glowing skin tend to be those who follow a healthy diet.
Conversely, people who have dull skin are often not eating the right types of food and may be suffering with a number of vitamin deficiencies.
Dark spots
Skin hyperpigmentation is one symptom found on the face that warns of low B12 levels.
Stressful lifestyles can cause skin issues like hyperpigmentation, brown spots, or dark dull-looking skin, and so does a B12 deficiency.
Deficiency of vitamin B12 can cause pigmentation problems leading to patchy skin.
Not eating enough vegetables and fresh fruits can therefore make you skin appear dull and dark.
Another study published in MD Edge looked at whether hyperpigmentation could be a sign of a vitamin B12 deficiency.
Dr Ashish Agarwal and colleagues from the Institute of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh, India looked at vitamin B12 deficiency causing skin hyperpigmentation and partial paralysis.
One research paper looked at a case of a six-year-old boy who suffered with darkening of his hands and feet.
The boy was offered a vitamin B12 treatment which involved weekly injections for a month.
At his four-month follow-up, the boy was asymptomatic with reversal of the hyperpigmentation.
The study found that skin darkening, or hyperpigmentation, is a lesser-known sign of a B12 deficiency.
Pale or yellow-tinged face
B12 deficiency can also cause a condition called jaundice, which makes the skin, and the whites of your eyes take on a yellowish colour.
“Jaundice develops when a person’s body is not able to produce enough red blood cells,” says Medical News Today.
The health site added: “Red blood cells circulating under the skin provide it with its normal colour. Without enough of these cells, the skin may look pale.”
How to avoid B12 deficiency
B12 is naturally present in food that comes from animals, including fish, meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products.
Those who follow vegetarian or vegan diets can get the nutrient from fortified nutritional yeasts.
Supplements that contain only B12, or B12 with other B vitamins, are also widely available.
