B12 deficiency, causes of vitamin B12 deficiency

B12 deficiency occurs when there is insufficient dietary intake or absorption impairment which results in a reduction of vitamin B12. B12 is essential to produce red blood cells.
They carry oxygen throughout all the body. Insufficient B12 intake can result in anemia. This means that the body has insufficient red blood cells, and as a result, you will feel tired and weak.

In more serious cases, deficiency in B12 can cause irreversible and severe damage potentially to the body nervous system. This includes sub-acute spinal cord degeneration.

Causes of vitamin B12 deficiency include:

What causes vitamin B12 deficiency? It usually develops when your stomach does not produce sufficient intrinsic factor.
Unable to absorb vitamin B12 by your intestines can also cause vitamin B12 deficiency. Poor absorption can be due to parasites or bacteria presence in the small intestine.

These interfere with the absorption of food. Another cause to take note is not eating sufficient food that contains vitamin B12.
In western countries, having a deficiency because of poor diet is very rare. Those who are on a strict vegetarian diet are at risk of a deficiency because their diet does not include animal and meat products.

Other than the above mentioned causes, crohn's disease can also cause B12 deficiency. It interferes with the absorption of B12. Pancreas damage (pancreas not functioning properly), liver or stomach (surgical removal),
and not taking foods that contain B12 can cause deficiency.

External links
nhs.uk b12 deficiency