Vitamin B12 deficiency description:
Vitamin B12 deficiency is the most common vitamin deficiency among people over 60. According to the estimates about 10 to 15% of people over this age suffer from vitamin B12 deficiency. Moreover, many vegetarians who have not eaten foods coming from animals for a longer period of time may become unable to absorb vitamin B12 from animals and so they can develop vitamin B12 deficiency.
Since vitamin B12 plays an important role in the human nervous system vitamin B12 deficiency may affect our nerves and the senses of touch and pain. Prolonged vitamin B12 deficiency leads to pernicious anemia, impaired ability to absorb food-bound vitamin B12 and atrophic gastritis.
See also: Vitamin B12 overview, Vitamin B12 deficiency causes and symptoms, Vitamin B12 deficiency diagnosis, Vitamin B12 deficiency treatment, Vitamin B12 deficiency prevention.