INVC,,
Delhi,,
If you are forgetting things instead of worrying that you are going towards dementia get your vitamin B 12 levels done said Padmashri and Dr C Roy National Awardee Dr KK AggarwalPresident Heart Care Foundation of India.
Animal products (meat and dairy products) provide the only dietary source of B12 (Cbl) for humans. Strict vegans avoid all animal products, and are at risk of developing nutritional Cbl deficiency.
The usual western diet contains 5 to 7 micrograms of cobalamin per day, while the minimum daily requirement is 6 to 9 micrograms per day. Total body stores of Cbl are 2 to 5 milligrams and one-half of which is in the liver. It takes years to develop vitamin B12 deficiency after absorption of dietary B12 ceases.
There is a link between infection with Helicobacter pylori (as seen in peptic ulcer) and low serum B12 levels. Mild and usually subclinical cobalamin deficiency can also occur in 24% of the elderly. 10 to 30 percent of patients taking metforminj (diabetics, obesity, poly cystic ovarian disease) have impaired Cbl absorption and lower B12 levels, which can be reversed with supplemental oral calcium. Prolonged use of omeprazole (given for acidity) can result in Cbl deficiency.
Women who are only moderate vegetarians may become Cbl deficient during pregnancy and lactation; their infants may also be Cbl deficient.
