Vitamin B12 deficiency has a wide range of symptoms, affecting everything from your mouth in the form of poor oral hygiene, to your toes (pins and needles). What are the warning signs of vitamin B12 affecting your mouth?
A lack of vitamin B12 can leave you feeling tired, groggy and can have a negative effect on your oral hygiene too.
Your body needs B12 to carry out many vital processes including maintaining a healthy nervous system, keeping your brain functioning properly and producing red blood cells.
Unlike some other vitamins, your body can’t create B12 on its own, so you need to ensure you’re getting enough of it from your diet, and if not you’re taking a supplement.
Foods rich in B12 tend to be animal products, so people who eat vegan, plant-based or dairy-free diets may be particularly at risk of vitamin B12 deficiency.
What are the symptoms of B12 deficiency in your mouth?
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To avoid becoming deficient in B12, try to eat a B12-rich diet.
Foods high in vitamin B12 include meat, fish, dairy and eggs.
Many people who are at risk for B12 deficiency may follow vegan diets – the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) estimates up to 11 percent of people who follow this diet are B12 deficient.
Try eating more of these 11 foods to up your vitamin B12 intake:
- Sardines
- Beef
- Cereals with added B12
- Tuna
- Marmite (and other yeast extracts)
- Trout
- Salmon
- Milk
- Cheese
- Yoghurt
- Eggs
If those foods don’t fit with your diet, or you prefer the convenience of getting your vitamins from a supplement, why not add a vitamin B12 supplement to your daily routine?
