Vitamin B12 is a vital nutrient your body needs to stay healthy. It helps make DNA, keeps your nerves working properly, and is important for making red blood cells that carry oxygen throughout your body. It also plays a big role in keeping your brain sharp and focused.
But despite being so important, a vitamin B12 deficiency is more common than many people think—especially in older adults, vegetarians, vegans, and people with digestive conditions like Crohn’s disease or celiac disease that make it harder to absorb nutrients.
What makes B12 deficiency tricky is that its symptoms often come on slowly and are easy to miss. Many of them can be mistaken for signs of aging or other health problems. Here are 11 signs that could point to a lack of vitamin B12 in your body:
- Fatigue
One of the earliest signs is feeling tired all the time, even if you’re sleeping well. That’s because your body can’t make enough red blood cells without B12, which means less oxygen reaches your tissues, making you feel sluggish and low on energy. - Weakness
Alongside feeling tired, you might notice that your muscles feel weaker than usual. Everyday tasks like climbing stairs or lifting groceries may seem harder than they used to be. - Pale or Yellow-Tinted Skin
If your skin looks pale or slightly yellow, it might be a sign of anemia caused by low B12. Without enough B12, your red blood cells don’t form correctly and break down more easily, leading to a pale or jaundiced look. - Tingling or Numbness
Low B12 levels can damage your nerves over time. This can lead to a tingling feeling—often described as “pins and needles”—in your hands, feet, or legs. - Balance Problems and Clumsiness
If you’re feeling off-balance, tripping more than usual, or dropping things, it could be due to nerve damage from B12 deficiency affecting your coordination. - Mouth Problems
Look out for a swollen, sore tongue—also called glossitis—which can appear shiny and red. You might also have painful mouth ulcers or a burning feeling in your tongue or mouth. - Dizziness and Shortness of Breath
When your red blood cell count is low due to lack of B12, you might feel dizzy or out of breath, especially when moving around or climbing stairs. - Blurry Vision
Vitamin B12 deficiency can affect your vision by damaging the optic nerve, leading to blurry or disturbed sight. - Mood Swings or Depression
Feeling low, anxious, or moody for no clear reason? B12 is important for brain health and helps your body make chemicals like serotonin and dopamine that affect mood. - High Body Temperature
Though rare, some people with B12 deficiency may experience an unexplained fever or high temperature, which usually goes away after treatment. - Memory Loss or Confusion
Forgetfulness or mental fog can also be signs of a B12 shortage. In older adults, this may even be mistaken for early dementia, but it can often improve with proper treatment.
If any of these symptoms sound familiar, don’t panic—B12 deficiency is both preventable and treatable. You can get B12 from foods like meat, fish, eggs, dairy, and fortified cereals. If your body has trouble absorbing it, supplements or B12 injections may be recommended by your doctor.
A simple blood test can check your B12 levels. So if you’re feeling off and can’t explain why, talking to a healthcare provider could be the first step toward feeling like yourself again.
If you care about health, please read studies about how Mediterranean diet could protect your brain health, and the best time to take vitamins to prevent heart disease.
For more health information, please see recent studies that olive oil may help you live longer, and vitamin D could help lower the risk of autoimmune diseases.
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