We’re frequently asked in our comment section about: vitamin b12 levels too high. Truth is we’ve been delaying this article for a while until we had enough information & facts to allow us to enlighten our readers.
Why Is A Vitamin B-12 Level Test Useful?
The vitamin B-12 level test checks how much vitamin B-12 is in the body. The results can help doctors to determine if abnormal vitamin B-12 levels are causing symptoms. Researchers believe that up to 15 percent of people in the United States have vitamin B-12 deficiency.
Signs and symptoms of deficiency include: confusion
dementia
depression
difficulty maintaining balance
fast heartbeat
numbness and tingling in the hands and feet
poor memory
a sore mouth or tongue Infants with vitamin B-12 deficiency may fail to thrive. They may experience movement problems in addition to delayed development. Pernicious anemia People with symptoms of pernicious anemia may also need a vitamin B-12 level test.
It often affects older adults or those who are lacking intrinsic factor. Intrinsic factor is a substance in the stomach that binds to vitamin B-12 so that the body can absorb it. They can also increase the likelihood of anemia.
Symptoms of other conditions An abnormally high vitamin B-12 status can be an early sign of liver disease, diabetes, or certain types of leukemia.
Benefits Of Supplementing With Vitamin B12
Health conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), certain medications, genetic mutations, age and dietary restrictions can all contribute to an increased need for B12. Vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to serious complications such as nerve damage, anemia and fatigue, which is why those at risk should add a high-quality B12 supplement to their diet While people who consume adequate amounts of B12-rich foods and are able to properly absorb and utilize this nutrient don’t necessarily need to supplement, taking extra B12 has been linked to some health benefits. Reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression: Treatment with a supplement containing a high dose of B12 for 60 days significantly improved depression and anxiety symptoms in adults when compared to a placebo Summary B12 is an important nutrient that is essential for red blood cell formation, DNA synthesis and many other vital processes.
Supplements may help boost mood and reduce symptoms of depression in those who are not deficient in this vitamin.
Save Citation To File
N may be a sign of a serious, even life-threatening, disease. Hematologic disorders like chronic myelogeneous leukemia, promyelocytic leukemia, polycythemia vera and also the hypereosinophilic syndrome can result in elevated levels of cobalamin.
The increase in circulating cobalamin levels is predominantly caused by enhanced production of haptocorrin. Several liver diseases like acute hepatitis, cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma and metastatic liver disease can also be accompanied by an increase in circulating cobalamin. Altogether it can be concluded that an observed elevation of cobalamin in blood merits the a full diagnostic work up to assess the presence of diseas.
What Is Vitamin B12?
It is crucial for:
Since your body cannot produce this vitamin, you need to obtain enough of it from your diet. You are at a higher risk of B12 shortage if you are:
Vegan or vegetarian [11, 12, 13]
Pregnant or breastfeeding [14, 15]
A heavy alcohol drinker [16, 17]
Obese [18, 19, 20]
Suffering from a gut disorder that reduces your ability to absorb dietary B12 (such as Crohn’s disease) [21, 22, 23]
Older, as the gut becomes less efficient at absorbing nutrients with age [24, 25, 22]
Infected with HIV/AIDS [26, 27].