Vitamins -
Lack of Vitamin B12 May Cause
Pernicious Anemia
When one lacks vitamin B12 in the body, this can result in a
condition known as pernicious anemia. Pernicious anemia can be detected
by a blood test due to the presence of huge immature red blood cells in
one’s blood. Such blood cells show inefficiency at carrying oxygen.
Pernicious anemia can be triggered by a dearth of food in one’s diet
that has vitamin B12. Or another cause could be a lack of intrinsic
factor in one’s stomach. Those who are at risk for this condition are
vegans.
One treatment for pernicious anemia is consuming large amounts of
folacin to assist red blood cells in growing to the right shape and
size. Still, even the right amounts of folacin will not repair any nerve
damage attributed to vitamin B 12 deficiency. The most severe effects of
Vitamin B12 deficiency are irreversible nerve and brain damage.
In reality it will take up to 5 years for the condition to develop,
depending on the amount of B12 still stored in one’s body. This in turn
is dependent on how much food with vitamin B12 you actually consume.
Animal products supply the largest amounts of vitamin B12 since this
nutrient is not really found in vegetables. (This explains why vegans
are at risk for the disease.)
For one to absorb the vitamin into the body, intrinsic factor is
required in the person’s stomach. This factor is actually a protein
produced in the human stomach. However, if a person’s stomach has been
partially or wholly removed, then the capacity to produce intrinsic
factor is lessened or totally eliminated.
Without intrinsic factor, a person can still end up with vitamin B12
deficiency even if he were to constantly consume foods abundant in
vitamin B 12. Should one’s stomach be removed through surgery, he can
receive vitamin B12 shots that must be administered for life at
intervals of every three weeks. By injecting the vitamin into the
bloodstream, it is guaranteed that it will circulate in the person’s
system even without the intrinsic factor.
It is remarkable enough to note that a pound of calves liver per day
has enough vitamin B12 that even those who don’t have the intrinsic
factor will be able to absorb the right amounts of the vitamin to avoid
pernicious anemia.
Among other things, the deficiency is caused by: fish tape worm;
Crohn’s disease, abdominal or intestinal surgery that may hamper the
production or absorption of intrinsic factor; and chronic alcoholism.
The importance of a well-balanced diet that incorporates animal
products cannot be overstressed for preventing the condition. (Vegans,
since they are at risk, should consult a good dietician to avoid
developing pernicious anemia.)
Spotting the condition early on and quickly treating it may reduce
its severity while forestalling neurologic complications. The impact on
the central nervous system could become irreversible should treatment
not be started within 6 months from when symptoms are first detected.
Furthermore, Vitamin B12 deficiency may trigger a false-positive Pap
smear due to the condition’s effect on epithelial cells.
|
