Category: Nutrition

Both vitamin B12 and folate are vital to the production of critical neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and noradrenaline.

Feeling depressed can be a sign of vitamin B12 deficiency, a study suggests.

Typical symptoms of depression, along with low mood, include difficulty concentrating and low energy and motivation.

Researchers have found that supplementation with vitamin B12 can help reduce depression symptoms.

Vitamin B12 is an essential nutrient that plays a critical role in the functioning of the brain and the nervous system.

Both vitamin B12 and folate are vital to the production of critical neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and noradrenaline.

Depression is often linked to low levels of serotonin in the brain.

One study has found that those with low levels of vitamin B12 are at triple the risk of developing melancholic depression.

Melancholic depression mostly involves depressed mood.

Depression linked to B12 deficiency

The current study included 115 people experiencing depression.

They were split into three group depending on how well they responded to depression treatment.

The results of blood tests revealed that those who responded the best to treatment had the highest levels of vitamin B12.

After treatment, those who were experiencing the highest levels of depression had the lowest levels of vitamin B12 in their system.

The study’s authors write:

“As far as we know, there have been no previous studies that have suggested a positive relationship between vitamin B12 and the treatment outcome in patients with major depressive disorder who have normal or high vitamin B12 levels.”

The link between depression and vitamin B12 deficiency may be explained by the fact that B12 deficiency can cause damage to the nervous system, which can affect the function of neurotransmitters and lead to symptoms of depression.

Additionally, B12 deficiency can also lead to anaemia, which is a condition characterized by a low red blood cell count.

Anaemia can cause fatigue, weakness, and irritability, all of which can contribute to feelings of depression.

Common signs of B12 deficiency

Other, more common signs of vitamin B12 deficiency include feeling tired, experiencing muscle weakness and being constipated.

Vitamin B12 deficiency is easy to rectify with supplements or by dietary changes.

The body uses vitamin B12 to make red blood cells and to keep the nervous system healthy.

Good sources of vitamin B12 include fish, poultry, eggs and low-fat milk.

Fortified breakfast cereals also contain vitamin B12.

People who may have difficult getting enough vitamin B12 include vegetarians, older people and those with some digestive disorders, such as Crohn’s disease.

Vitamin B12 deficiency can also be caused by certain medical conditions or by certain medications, such as proton pump inhibitors or metformin.

The study was published in the journal BMC Psychiatry (Hintikka et al., 2003).

Vitamin B12 is a critical fuel for the body, helping the body’s nerve and blood cells stay healthy and make DNA.

Night sweats can be a surprising symptom of vitamin B12 deficiency, studies have suggested.

Night sweats can soak the body, pyjamas and bed clothes.

They occur even without an overheated bedroom or sleep environment.

After taking vitamin B12, though, the symptoms can disappear.

Vitamin B12 is a critical fuel for the body, helping the body’s nerve and blood cells stay healthy and make DNA.

In one case study reported in a scientific journal, a man had been suffering from extensive night sweats for years.

They were so bad that he had to change his bedsheets almost daily.

The sweating was most obvious around the upper areas of his body — especially from the top to the mid-chest.

The study’s authors explain the treatment and the results:

“Vitamin-B12 injections 1000mcg daily for seven days followed by monthly injections were prescribed on the basis of elevated homocysteine levels.

Patient reported a dramatic response of his sweating after the second injection of vitamin B12 and remained asymptomatic at three months follows up.”

Several other cases reported by the authors of this study also linked drenching night sweats to vitamin B12 deficiency.

It is still not known exactly why vitamin B12 deficiency should be linked to excessive sweating.

Other symptoms that have been linked to vitamin B12 deficiency include:

• vision problems,
• a smooth tongue,
• pale skin,
• heart palpitations,
• tiredness, weakness and feeling light-headed,
• and numbness or tingling in the body, as well as muscle weakness.

Vitamin B12 deficiency is relatively easy to combat with dietary supplements or a change of diet itself.

Foods that are high in vitamin B12 include liver, fortified cereals, dairy products, salmon and eggs.

Some groups of people are at higher risk of vitamin B12 deficiency, such as older people, vegetarians, and those with digestive disorders.

The study was published in the European Journal of General Medicine (Rehman et al., 2015).

Consuming these products in early life and adulthood doubles the risk for bowel cancer before age 50.

In recent years the risk for developing bowel cancer — technically known as colorectal cancer — has considerably increased among people under 50.

The reason for this appears to be the high sugar intake in our diet consumed during teens and adulthood.

A study has found that women who drink sugar-sweetened beverages are at greater risk of colorectal cancer before they reach age 50.

Developing early-onset colorectal cancer was more common among those who consumed sugary drinks habitually at age 13–18 years and in adulthood.

Dr Yin Cao, the study’s senior author, said:

“Colorectal cancer in younger adults remains relatively rare, but the fact that the rates have been increasing over the past three decades—and we don’t understand why—is a major public health concern and a priority in cancer prevention.

Due to the increase in colorectal cancer at younger ages, the average age of colorectal cancer diagnosis has gone down from 72 years to 66 years.

These cancers are more advanced at diagnosis and have different characteristics compared with cancers from older populations.”

In this study, women who had two or more servings of sugar-sweetened beverages (8 ounces or 230ml) a day were twice as likely to develop colorectal cancer by age 50 than those who had less than one serving a week.

The data show that for each 8-ounce increase, there was a 16 percent increase in risk.

Teen’s growth and development is set between age 13 and 18 and diet can have a big impact during this critical period of time.

Each daily serving of sugary drinks at age 13 to 18 years was linked to a 32 percent higher risk of developing early-onset colorectal cancer.

Sugary drinks have been associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes in both children and adults.

However, the impact of sugary drinks on increasing colorectal cancer rates in the younger population wasn’t clear.

Over the past two decades, drinking sugar-sweetened beverages has increased enormously in teenagers and those aged 20 to 34.

At the same time, colorectal cancer incidence in young adults has also risen.

Dr Cao said:

“In past work, we have shown that poor diet quality was associated with increased risk of early-onset colorectal cancer precursors, but we have not previously examined specific nutrients or foods.”

Also, the study found that other drinks such as milk and coffee were linked to a lower risk of colorectal cancer in young adults, suggesting these unsweetened drinks are a better option in the long run.

Dr Cao said:

“Given this data, we recommend that people avoid sugar-sweetened beverages and instead choose drinks like milk and coffee without sweeteners.”

The study was published in the journal GUT (Hur et al., 2021).

Vitamin B12 deficiency is relatively common, especially in the elderly.

Problems with thinking and memory can be signs of vitamin B12 deficiency, studies find.

Low levels of vitamin B12, along with other vital nutrients, are linked to brain shrinkage.

Deficiencies in these critical micronutrients may also be important in the development of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.

New research has looked at nutrients in the ‘Mediterranean diet’, which is linked to better brain aging.

It found that people had better cognitive functioning when they had higher levels of important nutrients, including vitamin B12, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, folate and others.

The study included 116 seniors who were given tests of their IQ, memory and thinking skills.

Scans also assessed the efficiency of their brains.

Professor Aron Barbey, study co-author, said:

“Efficiency has to do with how information is communicated within the network.

We looked at ‘local efficiency’ – how well information is shared within a spatially confined set of brain regions – and also ‘global efficiency,’ which reflects how many steps are required to transfer information from any one region to any other region in the network.

If your network is more efficiently configured, then it should be easier, on average, to access relevant information and the task should take you less time.”

The results showed that people performed better in the tests if their blood was higher in levels of these nutrients:

• omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids,
• carotenoids,
• lycopene,
• riboflavin,
• folate,
• vitamin B12
• and vitamin D.

Professor Barbey explained the results:

“Our study suggests that diet and nutrition moderate the association between network efficiency and cognitive performance.

This means that the strength of the association between functional brain network efficiency and cognitive performance is associated with the level of the nutrients.”

Other potential signs of vitamin B12 deficiency include feeling tired, experiencing muscle weakness and being constipated.

Good sources of vitamin B12 include fish, poultry, eggs and low-fat milk.

Fortified breakfast cereals also contain vitamin B12.

The study was published in the journal Neuroimage (Zwilling et al., 2019).

Supplements or foods such as dairy, liver, salmon and eggs can rectify a vitamin B12 deficiency.

A tingling or numbness in the hands, legs or feet can be a sign of vitamin B12 deficiency.

The sensation frequently starts in the feet and moves to the hands.

The feelings may also be linked to problems with walking or even difficulty balancing.

Known to doctors as neuropathy, the problem can affect people of all ages, although it is particularly common in those over 50.

Around one-in-twelve people over 50 experiences the condition.

Other causes of neuropathy include autoimmune processes and genetics — however, the most common cause is diabetes.

Other common signs of vitamin B12 deficiency include jaundice, feeling dizzy and lethargy.

The body uses vitamin B12 to make red blood cells and to keep the nervous system healthy.

The good news is that vitamin B12 is easy to correct either with supplementation or a change in diet.

Foods high in vitamin B12 include dairy foods, beef, salmon, eggs and low-fat milk.

Dr John D. England, a neurologist at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans, said:

“People with suspected nerve problems should talk to their doctors about screening tests, especially blood glucose, vitamin B12 level and serum protein levels, since these tests can often point to common causes of neuropathy.”

People who may have difficulty getting enough vitamin B12 include vegetarians, older people and those with some digestive disorders, such as Crohn’s disease.

Dr England said:

“There are many people with a neuropathy who have been walking around for years without having been diagnosed and treated.

Both neurologists and people with neuropathy need to know that the appropriate choice of tests is critical to accurate diagnosis.”

The guidelines were published in the American Academy of Neurology.

Those who lack this vitamin are 70 percent more likely to have muscle weakness and physical disability.

Vitamin D deficiency is a risk factor for muscle wasting (atrophy) and loss of muscle strength (dynapenia).

People with low vitamin D levels are more likely to see declines in muscle mass, strength, and function besides loss of bone density, a study reveals.

The research also shows that vitamin D supplementation could reduce the risk of dynapenia in seniors with low serum 25(OH)D levels by 78 percent.

Muscle atrophy and dynapenia can lead to physical disability in later life, indeed individuals with such conditions have a higher incidence of falling, hospitalisation, and premature death.

Professor Tiago da Silva Alexandre, the study’s co-author, said:

“Vitamin D is known to participate in various functions of the organism.

Actually, it’s a hormone and its many roles include helping to repair muscles and releasing calcium for muscle contraction kinetics.

It was therefore expected to cause muscle alterations of some kind.

That’s exactly what our study proved.”

Muscle tissue and bone are connected biochemically and physically so endocrine disorders such as low blood levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25(OH)D) could result in bone loss and decreases in the size, strength and function of muscles.

Muscle weakness increased by 70 percent

In this study, more than 3000 adults with no history of dynapenia were followed over four years.

Serum 25(OH)D levels reflect the amount of vitamin D stored in the body, the concentration above 50 nmol/L is classified as sufficient, between 30 to 50 nmol/L as insufficient, and below 30 nmol/L as deficient.

The study found that participants with vitamin D deficiency were 70 percent more likely to dynapenia than those with sufficient levels.

Mr Maicon Luís Bicigo Delinocente, the study’s first author, said:

“This is itself an important finding as it shows that vitamin D deficiency heightens the risk of muscle weakness by 70%.

However, because we knew there are many worldwide cases of people with osteoporosis who take vitamin supplements, we needed to try to measure the effectiveness of vitamin D supplementation.”

To obtain the correct data, those on vitamin D supplements and those with osteoporosis were excluded from the study.

Mr Delinocente added:

“we found that the risk of developing muscle weakness by the end of the four-year period was 78% higher for subjects with vitamin D deficiency at the start of the study than for subjects with normal vitamin D levels, and 77% higher for those with vitamin D insufficiency [30-50 nmol/L].”

Vitamin D is essential for the absorption of calcium and phosphorus, maintaining cognitive function, and supporting the immune system.

The main way of getting vitamin D is sunlight, but a large area of  the skin requires exposure to the sun for at least 15 to 20 minutes.

Professor Alexandre said:

“The study analyzed data for people who live in the UK.

There are many more days of sunlight per year in Brazil, and yet we’re known to have a high incidence of vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency, especially among older people.

Indeed, this is the case worldwide.

It’s necessary to explain to people that they risk losing muscle strength if they don’t get enough vitamin D.

They need to expose themselves to the sun, eat food rich in vitamin D or take a supplement, and do resistance training exercises to maintain muscle strength.”

The study was published in the journal Calcified Tissue International (Delinocente et al., 2022).

The symptom is not normally painful, but can be irritating.

Twitching around the eyes can be a sign of vitamin B12 deficiency.

The twitch usually occurs in one eye or the other, or just below them.

The symptom is not normally painful, but can be irritating.

The body uses vitamin B12 to make red blood cells and to keep the nervous system healthy.

B12 deficiency has also been linked to facial pain.

The pain can also be felt across the forehead, occasionally coming down to the edge of the nose.

Other, more common signs of vitamin B12 deficiency include feeling tired, experiencing muscle weakness and being constipated.

Vitamin B12 deficiency can also lead to neuropathy.

This can cause a tingling or numbness in the hands, legs or feet.

The sensation frequently starts in the feet and moves to the hands.

The feelings may also be linked to problems with walking or even difficulty balancing.

People who may have difficulty getting enough vitamin B12 include vegetarians, older people and those with some digestive disorders, such as Crohn’s disease.

Vitamin B12 deficiency is easy to rectify with supplements or by dietary changes.

Vitamin B12 levels can be boosted through supplementation or by eating foods such as dairy, liver, salmon and eggs.

Fortified breakfast cereals also contain vitamin B12.

Dr John D. England, a neurologist at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans, said:

“People with suspected nerve problems should talk to their doctors about screening tests, especially blood glucose, vitamin B12 level and serum protein levels, since these tests can often point to common causes of neuropathy.”

Dr England continued:

“There are many people with a neuropathy who have been walking around for years without having been diagnosed and treated.

Both neurologists and people with neuropathy need to know that the appropriate choice of tests is critical to accurate diagnosis.”

The guidelines were published in the American Academy of Neurology.

Around half the world’s population is deficient in vitamin D.

Tiredness and weak muscles can be a sign of vitamin D deficiency, research finds.

As a result, people with low levels of vitamin D are at double the risk of mobility issues with age, scientists have found.

Other signs of vitamin D deficiency include poor sleep, symptoms of depression and headaches.

The vitamin is thought to play a role in regulating serotonin, a neurotransmitter important for mood.

Around half the world’s population is deficient in vitamin D.

The conclusions about mobility issues come from a study including 2,099 people aged 70-79 whose vitamin D levels were measured.

Dr Denise Houston, the study’s first author, explained the results:

“We observed about a 30 percent increased risk of mobility limitations for those older adults who had low levels of vitamin D, and almost a two-fold higher risk of mobility disability.”

Vitamin D is vital for muscle function and low levels have been linked to diseases including high blood pressure, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Dr Houston said:

“Higher amounts of vitamin D may be needed for the preservation of muscle strength and physical function as well as other health conditions.

However, clinical trials are needed to determine whether increasing vitamin D levels through diet or supplements has an effect on physical function.”

Vitamin D is critical to the functioning of the whole body.

From October to March many people in northern climes do not get enough vitamin D.

Vitamin D is found in oily fish, egg yolks, fortified cereals and some margarine spreads.

Most people need around 10 micrograms per day, which can also be obtained from supplements.

Vitamin D supports the mineral density of bones and aids neuromuscular function as well as reducing the risk of fracture.

The study was published in The Journals of Gerontology: Series A (Houston et al., 2012).

A high omega-3 diet can lower the signs and symptoms of the disease by 50 per cent.

Stiffness in the joints and swelling can be indirect signs of omega-3 deficiency, research suggests.

Waking up stiff in the morning, feeling pain in the joints, swelling, tenderness and loss of flexibility are all signs of arthritis.

Omega-3 deficiency could be contributing, as scientists believe there is a link between this leading cause of disability and a lack of omega-3 in the diet.

Researchers suggest that a diet rich in omega-3 could decrease the symptoms of osteoarthritis.

A study has found that adding fish oil to the diet — and to some degree flaxseed oil (alpha-linolenic acid has an anti-inflammatory effect) — can ease or even prevent osteoarthritis.

With population aging, osteoarthritis will be one of the leading causes of disability.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, by 2040 it is estimated that 26% of US adults aged 18 or older will be diagnosed by a doctor with arthritis.

While there are still no effective medications for treating this condition, omega-3 fish oil can be one of the best natural remedies in treating osteoarthritis.

Professor John Tarlton, the lead researcher of the study, explained the effect of omega-3 on osteoarthritis:

“Classic early signs of the condition, such as the degradation of collagen in cartilage and the loss of molecules that give it shock-absorbing properties, were both reduced with omega-3.

Furthermore, there was strong evidence that omega-3 influences the biochemistry of the disease, and therefore not only helps prevent disease, but also slows its progression, potentially controlling established osteoarthritis.”

Western diets contain high levels of omega-6 fatty acids, which can lead to inflammatory disorders such as colitis, heart disease, osteoporosis, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.

Modern diets contain up to 30 times more omega-6 than omega-3, whereas our ancestor’s diets contained almost an equal level of these two omega fatty acids.

Therefore, supplementation with omega-3 can help to restore this imbalance in Western diets and improve conditions such as colitis and heart-related diseases.

Fish oil is much more effective than flax seed oil, but for vegetarians and vegans this supplement is an important option.

Professor Tarlton concluded:

“Most diets in the developed world are lacking in omega-3, with modern diets having up to 30 times too much omega-6 and too little omega-3.

Taking omega-3 will help redress this imbalance and may positively contribute to a range of other health problems such as heart disease and colitis.”

The study was published in the journal of Osteoarthritis and Cartilage (Knott et al., 2011).