Vitamin deficiency, also known as anemia, happens when your body is not producing enough red blood cells due to you having low levels of vitamin B12 or B9 (folate or folic acid).
Instead of producing healthy red blood cells, it starts producing irregular sizeable red blood cells. As a result, these cells cannot carry oxygen to your body completely as they should.
Both vitamin B12 and B9 have a vital role in your body in carrying out unique processes; due to a lack of vitamin B12 or folic acid, your body is unable to make normal red blood cells, and those cells die more quickly than normal cells; thus, they can not carry oxygen to all the tissues in the body, all this leads to a human body facing anemia.
Why should you take vitamin deficiency seriously?
Vitamin deficiency is a common problem on a global level; until and unless it shows up with intense adverse symptoms, it is primarily unrecognized. People should understand that even mild deficiency can cause severe problems in your body. Vitamin deficiency is not restricted to people of specific ages; it can co-exist with other deficiencies (iron, zinc, etc.) in people. Vitamin deficiencies are found mainly in women who are expecting or lactating or in young children who need vitamins. Your healthcare providers should do vitamin tests to determine the vitamin components a patient needs more than others.
Vitamin B12 deficiency:
Vitamin B12 is found in animal foods mostly and can be added to your diet through supplements. Vitamin B12 is an essential element needed for creating red blood cells and DNA, and it also plays a vital role in developing brain and nerve cells.
Vitamin B12 is found in its free form in supplements and fortified foods, which helps in easy absorption. Vitamin b12 is also found in high quantities in some tablets, but not all of it needs to be absorbed, as an adequate amount of intrinsic factor is also needed. If it’s a severe case of anemia, your doctor might prescribe you vitamin B12 injections in the muscle.
Vitamin D deficiency:
Vitamin D is an essential component that our bodies need and a hormone that our bodies create. In addition, vitamin D is needed to absorb other essential components like calcium and phosphorus which both play a vital role in the bone-building structure.
According to some research, vitamin D also helps reduce cancer cells and helps control infections in the body; it may also help in reducing inflammation. In addition, many tissues and organs have vitamin D receptors, suggesting a primary role in bone building.
Conclusion:
Vitamin tests should be an essential part of your checkups as they may go unnoticed for quite some time, considering it doesn’t have many symptoms that show up. In addition, vitamins play an essential role in bone-building or fighting off cancer cells; thus, ensure you get tested and maintain the vitamin levels in your body through supplements and fortified foods. You should also take vitamin-based supplements per your healthcare provider’s guidance.