Vitamin B12 is also sometimes referred to as cobalamin, and it is one of the many water-soluble vitamins around. Since our bodies are not able to produce its own supply of vitamin B12 (the body can actually manufacture some types of nutrients) it has to be obtained on a regular basis by means of the diet.

There are many important roles that vitamin B12 plays, from keeping the nerves healthy to converting food into energy. It’s for this reason why failure to get enough of this nutrient from the food you eat can lead to a deficiency in it. There are many problems that you may encounter if you are suffering from vitamin B12 deficiency.

Here are some of the symptoms that you mat experience if you are not getting good amounts of vitamin B12:

Fatigue

Because vitamin B12 is an important role player in the generation of energy, you may feel weak and exhausted if you are deficient in it. No amount of food can bring back your lost liveliness if your body is not supplied with enough vitamin B12. It’s not just your body that will feel fatigued, but also your brain.

Mood Swings

Speaking of the brain, you may feel irritable most of the time if you are deficient in vitamin B12. That’s because this vitamin is important for maintaining the health of the brain cells. Some people who are not able to obtain enough vitamin B12 from the diet may also experience anxiety and depression. The memory may suffer as well.

Pins and Needles

Vitamin B12 is essential, too, for keeping the nerves in an excellent shape. If you are deficient in the said nutrient, chances are you may experience pins and needles in your extremities, such as the hands and feet. Some people report of numbness or burning sensation. No matter the case, that’s actually a sign of nerve damage.

Oral Sores

Do you often develop those pesky and painful oral sores? Then you might want to consider including more vitamin B12-containing foods in your diet. According to doctors, a deficiency in vitamin B12 can cause oral sores and other mouth issues. It can even lead to the enlargement of the tongue, which is known as glossitis in the medical world.

Shortness of Breath

Being deficient in vitamin B12 may also leave you feeling breathless most of the time, even after mild physical activities. That’s because your body does not have enough of those oxygen-carrying red blood cells or RBCs. Experts say that vitamin B12 is a nutrient so important for RBC manufacturing.

Paleness

And since there is not enough RBCs caused by vitamin B12 deficiency, your skin may also look pale and oftentimes feel cold to the touch. Sometimes the skin may look yellowish, too — experts say that lack of vitamin B12 may cause the production of abnormally large RBCs that easily break down and cause excessive bilirubin in the body.

Blurry Vision

Due to the fact that vitamin B12 is important for keeping the nerves healthy, being deficient in it may cause your vision to be blurry. That’s because the optic nerve, the nerve that sends the images picked up by your eyes to your brain, is also affected. The good news is vision problem caused by vitamin B12 deficiency is reversible.

See to it that your everyday diet consists of foods that are phenomenal sources of vitamin B12 if you want to dodge the above mentioned problems. Some excellent examples include organ meats like kidneys and liver, dairy products like cheese, milk and yogurt, and sea foods like oysters and fish. Your doctor may also recommend vitamin B12 supplementation if your vitamin B12 deficiency is already severe.