A student of Std XII was having panic attacks due to exam pressure. He was taken to a doctor who advised him medication. However, when the family went for a second opinion, the doctors suggested that the child should get Vitamin B12 and D3 tests done. When the tests results arrived, both the levels were found to be severely low.
City doctors highlight that there are many such cases affecting the day-to-day life of people, just because their VItamin B12 and D3 are below normal levels.
Between April and August 2018, 1609 patients tested their B12 levels with Indus Health Plus from Pune and 773 were found to be deficient. The highest incidence of B12 deficiency was found in patients in their thirties (54 per cent), followed by patients in their 40s and 50s with 51 per cent and 45 per cent deficiency respectively.
Amol Naikawadi, Joint Managing Director of Indus Health Plus, says that people need to focus on health and maintain the harmony of food, body and mind. “Processed and ready-to-eat food which is abundantly available in the market nowadays, should be replaced by fresh food that has more nutrition value.
Largely, people in the 30 to 40 age group have been reported with vitamin B12 deficiency in Pune. It becomes essential for people across all age groups to have a well-balanced diet in order to prevent illnesses arising out of nutrient deficiency. Preventive check ups and early detection are therefore necessary,” he points out.
According to Dr Harshal Ekatpure, Consultant, Endocrinology, mild B12 deficiency can lead to subtle symptoms like irritability, forgetfulness, mood swings etc. “Moderate to severe deficiency leads to anemia, mild jaundice, easy fatigue and so on. Hence, regular check ups are advised,” he says.
A 30-year-old was going through severe lower back pain, rib pain, heel pain along with joint pain. She was also asked to undergo tests for Vitamin B12. The tests revealed that her Vitamin B12 levels were quite low.
Dr Neeraj Adkar, Orthopedist — Joint preservation & Replacement Surgeon at Saishree Hospital, Pune, says that pernicious anemia along with knee pain is also associated with the lack of B12. He adds that generally people are unaware of the importance of this vitamin in the functioning of the human body.
“Vitamin B12 is one of the essential vitamins for human body. It comes under the category of water soluble vitamins. it is not synthesised by enzymes present in the human body or plants on their own. Some bacteria and archaea have these particular enzymes to produce this vitamin. This is one of the major reasons for the lack of this vitamin,” says Adkar.
He adds that Vitamin B12 plays a vital role in the formation of Red Blood Cells (RBC), DNA and nerves. “An average adult should get 2.4 micrograms of Vitamin B12 per day. Vitamin B12 is responsible for various functions and therefore is provided to the body through our daily diet,” Adkar points out.
Vitamin D deficiency in children
With less and less physical activity and less exposure to sunlight, children have low vitamin D levels, say paediatricians.
City-based Dr Atish Laddad, Founder and Director of Docterz, a digital platform for doctors to connect better to their patients, says that children often display symptoms of Vitamin D deficiency. “The deficiency affects the bones of children and their growth as well. These days, many parents prefer their children to play indoors which can lead to less exposure to sunlight. There are tests available for the same and medication is also prescribed by doctors,” Dr Laddad adds.
Deficiency can lead to infertility
Speaking about Vitamin D deficiency in women, Dr Anagha Karkhanis, senior gynaecologist and infertility specialist and Director of Cocoon Fertility, says that vitamin D and Vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to infertility among men and women. “There are about 90 per cent patients — men and women — who show lower levels of Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D. Patients come with complaints of hair fall, low sperm count, infertility in general, polycystic ovaries and fatigue. After testing, we find out that they are deficient. A major reason for this is the sedentary lifestyle with less physical activity. Another important reason is their unbalanced diet and high intake of junk food,” Dr Karkhanis says.
She highlights the fact that the women should take these deficiencies more seriously as after the age of 40, it can affect their bone density.
All about Vitamin B12
