Aging IQ is a news aggregate designed to create a location for all of your senior news from holiday meal ideas to cutting edge research. The below article was originally posted on their website by the author below.
Maintaining adequate nutrients are vital to seniors’ health. You may already be encouraging your parents to eat healthy and take a daily multivitamin, but did you know that many seniors may still end up developing a serious deficiency with one particular vitamin?
It’s vitamin B12.
As people grow older, they become increasingly susceptible to vitamin deficiencies. Experts estimate that up to 20% of people 50 and older may have a low intake of vitamin B12. It’s common, serious, and worst of all, it’s usually overlooked until it causes significant health problems.
Vitamin B12 treatments are safe and effective, as long as you catch the problem before permanent damage occurs. By learning the symptoms and risk factors now, you can help your parents detect the signs and get tested earlier.
Here’s everything you need to know about vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms in the elderly, including causes, treatments, and more.
What are the important benefits of vitamin B12?
Vitamin B12 — also known as cobalamin — helps the body make red blood cells and maintain the proper function of nerve cells.
Vitamin B12 benefits for seniors include:
- Generating cell growth
- Boosting cognition
- Supporting bone health
- Supporting the immune system
How does vitamin B12 deficiency cause harm to seniors?
The most common health issues in seniors related to low vitamin B12 levels are:
- Anemia
This means a person’s red blood cell count is low. Red blood cells carry oxygen in the blood, so anemia can cause fatigue or shortness of breath. The breakdown of faulty red blood cells can also cause jaundice, which is yellowing of the skin. - Neuropathy
This condition occurs when nerves throughout the body aren’t working well. It can cause a variety of symptoms, including…
This article was sourced from A Place for Mom.