Vitamin B12 deficiency can have serious consequences – but doctors often overlook it - Salon

Scout still needed treatment, though, for a different and surprising reason: The object had inhibited a step in her body's absorption of vitamin B12.

B12 is an essential nutrient involved in proper functioning of blood cells, nerves and many other critical processes in the body.

When the food is swallowed, a substance in saliva called R-protein — a protein that protects B12 from being destroyed by stomach acid — travels to the stomach along with the food.

Specific cells in the stomach lining, called parietal cells, secrete two substances that are important to B12 absorption.

One is stomach acid — it splits food and B12 apart, allowing the vitamin to bind to the saliva's R-protein.

Another potential contributor to B12 deficiency is low levels of stomach acid.

Production of gastric acid and intrinsic factor by the specialized parietal cells in the stomach is critical for B12 absorption to occur.

But damage to the stomach lining can prevent production of both.

In humans, impaired stomach lining stems from gastric surgery, chronic inflammation or pernicious anemia — a medical condition characterized by fatigue and a long list of other symptoms.

Treatment for B12 deficiency.

While some health care providers routinely measure B12 and other vitamin levels, a typical well-check exam includes only a complete blood count and a metabolic panel, neither of which measures B12 status.

If you experience potential symptoms of a B12 deficiency and also have one of the risk factors above, you should see a doctor to be tested.

In the case of my dog Scout, her symptoms led the vet to run two blood tests: a complete blood count and a B12 test.

Scout's symptoms went away after a few months of taking oral B12 supplements that also contained an active form of the B vitamin folate.

Treatment for B12 deficiency can be oral, applied under the tongue or administered through the nose, or it may require various types of injections.

A B12 supplement or balanced multivitamin may be enough to correct the deficiency, as it was for Scout, but it's best to work with a health care provider to ensure proper diagnosis and treatment.