Vitamin B-12 Deficiency Mimics Digestive System Disorders
Vitamin B-12 is a component of many a food choice available today. Most commonly it is found in dairy products, such as milk, cheese, yogurt, and also sour cream, but other sources of this vital nutrient may also be employed. They usually are associated with eggs as well as meat and fish sources. Even though researchers have attempted to synthesize vitamin B-12 from algae and plant sources found on land, thus far there has been no success at finding a non-meat, non-ovum, or non-dairy source.
While Americans are generally consuming twice the minimum requirement of B-12, there are segments of the population that are not. Interestingly, this is done because of the choice to live a completely vegan lifestyle and thus remove all animal food sources – including milk and eggs – from the list of acceptable foods. With this elimination comes the danger of nutritional shortfalls. In some cases, vitamin B-12 deficiency mimics digestive system disorders and may give rise to several tests and painful exploratory procedures before the real reason for the symptoms is discovered.
Vitamin B-12 is expressed quite frequently in constipation which suddenly may switch over to bouts of diarrhea accompanied by most severe abdominal cramps. Women have likened these cramps to the onset of a particularly heavy period but those who in the past may have suffered from an ulcer will also describe the pains to fall into a category of that severity. In rare cases, the B-12 deficiency will also result in discolored stool, which gives rise to fears of blood being present in the feces, although this is not the case since the deficiency actually leads to anemia.
Fortunately for the sufferer who recognized – or is diagnosed with – the vitamin B-12 deficiency there are several steps that may be taken to counteract this nutritional shortfall:
* First and foremost, revamp your nutritional intake to include milk products, fish, and eggs. For obvious reasons it is wise to be careful with meat and eggs since you do not want to overdo the cholesterol ingestion, but if you stay with lean meats or low fat milk options, you will be safe.
* Purchase high quality vitamin B-12 supplements and follow the instructions offered on the box.
* If you are following a vegan lifestyle and cannot be dissuaded from remaining on this nutritional path, it is vital that you visit with a registered dietician to ascertain if your nutritional intake could or should be further supplemented with not only B-12 dietary supplements but also other vitamins.
As a conscientious objector to animal based vitamin B-12 you may of course refuse any and all changes in your diet. Yet be mindful that continued failure to boost your B-12 intake will inevitably lead to anemia, severe depression, and a worsening of your body’s digestive system disorder like symptoms. Remember that there are several humanely produced milk and egg products and you might even experiment with keeping your own laying hens – space permitting – if you are truly worried about the health and treatment of these animals.
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