Published: by Margit Lindstru 00f 8m |
permalink What harm can having too little of a vitamin do? Consider this: Over the course of two months, a 62-year-old man developed numbness and a "pins and needles" sensation in his hands, had trouble walking, experienced severe joint pain, began turning yellow, and became progressively short of breath. The cause was lack of vitamin B12 in his bloodstream, according to a case report from Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital published in The New England Journal of Medicine. It could have been worse—a severe vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to deep depression, paranoia and delusions, memory loss, incontinence, loss of taste and smell, and more, according to another article in tomorrow's New England Journal. Some people, like strict vegetarians, don't take in enough vitamin B12 every days. Others, like many older people and those who have had weight-loss surgery or live with celiac disease or other digestive condition don't absorb enough of the vitamin. Daily supplements can help.
Tags: harvard health blog, health blog, health blogspot
