Vitamin B12 check

What is vitamin B12?

Whether it's red blood cells, skin cells or nerve cells — vitamin B12 is required whenever your organism makes new cells. Therefore, it is also known as a “cell vitamin.”

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What are the functions of vitamin B12 in the body?

Vitamin B12 is significantly involved in various metabolic processes in your body, including the breakdown of fatty acids, cell division, and nerve function. Its central importance for metabolizing the vitamin folic acid (folate) also makes it important for blood formation. It cannot be produced by humans, animals or plants. Only microorganisms are able to do this. As a result, vitamin B12 deficiency can more easily occur under a strict vegan diet.

In many cases, an undersupply of vitamin B12 can be avoided by regularly eating animal products. However, even if you eat a diet rich in vitamin B12, a targeted intake of vitamin B12 may be necessary if you have certain risk factors (e.g. older age, underlying diseases).

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How do I notice a vitamin B12 deficiency or an overdose?

In order for vitamin B12 to be utilized by the body, the so-called “intrinsic factor” is necessary. This is formed by your stomach lining. For this reason, chronic inflammation of the stomach can promote vitamin B12 deficiency. Even in older people, mucosal changes in the stomach can more easily lead to an undersupply of vitamin B12. In addition, various gastrointestinal diseases such as Crohn's disease and gastric removal (gastrectomy) can result in deficiencies due to illness.

The symptoms that can occur as a result of a vitamin B12 deficiency are varied and largely unspecific. It is therefore all too common that a defect is not identified until late. Symptoms include fatigue, weakness, hair loss and concentration problems. Numbness, unsteadiness of gait and anemia are also possible symptoms. If a pronounced vitamin B12 deficiency remains untreated for a long period of time, it can cause permanent damage, particularly in the brain and nervous system. On the other hand, there is no known dangerous (toxic) effect at high doses.

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Carry out a vitamin B12 check on avi

If you would like to find out more about vitamin B12, simply make an appointment at one of our avi practices and talk to our team of doctors. Here you can decide together whether a vitamin B12 test makes sense for you.
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Good to know: Currently, laboratory testing is only covered by statutory health insurance if there is a specific medical indication and not as a preventive measure (e.g. for a vegan/vegetarian diet or for general complaints).