Vitamin B12 Deficiency as a Cause of Fatigue

Do you struggle with chronic fatigue syndrome or extreme fatigue?  Although there are many causes of fatigue, vitamin B12 deficiency may be a more common cause of fatigue than mainstream medicine thinks.

Functions of Vitamin B12

In a previous article, I discussed the vital importance of vitamin B12 for the support and maintenance of your brain and nerves.  The focus of the article was how vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to numbness and tingling in the hands and feet. Some of the major symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency we mentioned were brain fog, weakness, problems with walking, coordination, and balance, and also fatigue.

Vitamin B12 is also needed to needed to make your DNA.  Your DNA makes up your genes in your cells which are responsible for making all of your proteins in your body.  Protein is made to provide your body with a solid frame and structure (skeleton, muscle, ligaments, skin).  Protein is also needed to make some of your hormones, antibodies (immune system) and neurotransmitters (nervous system messengers).  If you don’t produce enough hormones and neurotransmitters your body parts won’t communicate with each other well.  Do you think you could experience fatigue and other symptoms if your body parts weren’t communicating well with each other?  For sure. 

Vitamin B12 is also necessary to make your red blood cells.  Your red blood cells carry oxygen to all of your cells and tissues.  A deficiency in vitamin B12 means you will produce less red blood cells and it means that your cells and tissues will receive less oxygen.  This can lead to anemia.  In a  previous article, I discussed the four stages of vitamin B12 deficiency.  Macrocytic anemia is the last stage of vitamin B12 deficiency.  One of the main symptoms of macrocytic anemia is fatigue.

By the way, folate (vitamin B9) is important as well, as it works with vitamin B12 to make DNA and red blood cells.

Vitamin B12 is also needed to produce energy.  Do you remember the Kreb’s Cycle from high school?  Maybe not because you’d rather forget right? 😉  To keep it simple, vitamin B12 is needed in that cycle to release energy in your cells.  If you’re deficient in vitamin B12 you won’t have good energy.  You will feel fatigued or tired often.  

If you’re deficient in vitamin B12 you won’t have good energy.  You will feel fatigued or tired often.

How common is vitamin B12 deficiency?

The true prevalence of vitamin B12 deficiency is unknown at this time. (1) This has to do with a difference in normal lab range values.  As well, vitamin B12 is often not measured by medical doctors routinely.  See previous article.  

However, data from the Framingham Offspring Study showed that nearly 40 percent of people have “low normal” vitamin B12 levels (below 258 pmol/L or 350 pg/mL). (2, 3) While this is above the normal conventional range of 120-150 pmol/L (163-203 pg/mL) people can experience neurological symptoms in a higher “normal range” of 156-258 pmol/L (211-350 pg/mL). (4, 5) This study included 3,000 men and women between the ages of 26 and 83 years old.  

40 percent of people have “low normal” vitamin B12 levels.  People can experience neurological symptoms at these levels.

Also in this study, 9 percent had overt vitamin B12 deficiency and 16 percent had close to overt deficiency.   This is based on using the conventional lab range of 120-150 pmol/L (163-203 pg/mL).

What was also interesting about this study is that the 26 to 49 year old people had about the same vitamin B12 status as the 65 year olds and up.  Generally, the elderly population would be more prone to vitamin B12 deficiency.  Older people tend to develop gut problems, like low stomach acid, causing problems with digestion and absorption of nutrients like vitamin B12.

What’s interesting about vitamin B12 deficiency is that it can mimic signs and symptoms of diseases commonly associated with aging:

• Degenerative brain disorders
• Decreased mobility
• Cognitive decline
• Memory loss 
• Depression and anxiety

Is it possible that some of the symptoms that are considered “normal” when we age (decreased mobility, cognitive decline, memory loss) are due, at least in part, to vitamin B12 deficiency?

Is it possible that some of the symptoms that are considered “normal” when we age (decreased mobility, cognitive decline, memory loss) are due, at least in part, to vitamin B12 deficiency?

Summary

Vitamin B12 deficiency is more common than mainstream medicine thinks and may be a common cause of fatigue. Vitamin B12 is not only vital for your brain and nerves, it’s a vital ingredient to help give you sustained energy. 

The next article on B12 deficiency will focus on the causes of vitamin B12 deficiency, and treatments to get your levels optimized.