Are you a vegetarian? You may be Vitamin B12 deficient
TNN | Updated: Sep 12, 2017, 23:23 IST
Chennai: One in five people in Chennai, a majority of them vegetarians, has a Vitamin B12 deficiency, according to data analysis of diagnostic laboratory Metropolis Healthcare. Tests results of more than 3 lakh samples, including 2 lakh women, showed that more than 15% of the population across nine cities did not have adequate quantity of vitamin 12.
The energy vitamin is the powerhouse that helps the body generate DNA, nerve and blood cells besides helping the brain stay healthy and boosting immunity. The body obtains vitamin B12 from animal-based foods like eggs, meat, shellfish, dairy or other supplements. The body needs to retain this vitamin through periodic consumption of vitamin B12-rich foods, as it is not designed to replenish or store the vitamin for a long time, according to Dr Kirti Chadha, head, Global Reference Laboratory, Metropolis Healthcare.
The analysis, conducted across nine cities, records vitamin B12 deficiency in 20% of those tested with Ahmadabad recording 27.94%, while Indore and Delhi recording 26.87% and 26.58% respectively. Although Chennai was ranked eight after Mumbai, 18.25% of the population tested were found to be deficient.
Besides diet, increasing age makes it difficult for the body to absorb Vitamin B12 people above the age of 50, suffering from celiac disease or other digestive problems push up the risk of developing this deficiency. "It also becomes harder if one has had a weight loss surgery or any other surgery of the stomach. Drinking heavily or taking acid-reducing medications for a long time also affects the absorption of Vitamin B12," Dr Chadha said.
Although anaemia, common among women, puts them at higher risk, statistics showed that the deficiency was more common among men compared to women. "It is probably because women come for opportunistic screening at least once during pregnancy. They are warned about B12 deficiency. The treatment for vitamin B12 or folate deficiency anemia depends on the cause of the condition. They receive injections, tablets or supplements as treatment," said senior gynaecologist Dr Nazira Sadique, from Cloudnine.
TNN | Updated: Sep 12, 2017, 23:23 IST
Chennai: One in five people in Chennai, a majority of them vegetarians, has a Vitamin B12 deficiency, according to data analysis of diagnostic laboratory Metropolis Healthcare. Tests results of more than 3 lakh samples, including 2 lakh women, showed that more than 15% of the population across nine cities did not have adequate quantity of vitamin 12.
The energy vitamin is the powerhouse that helps the body generate DNA, nerve and blood cells besides helping the brain stay healthy and boosting immunity. The body obtains vitamin B12 from animal-based foods like eggs, meat, shellfish, dairy or other supplements. The body needs to retain this vitamin through periodic consumption of vitamin B12-rich foods, as it is not designed to replenish or store the vitamin for a long time, according to Dr Kirti Chadha, head, Global Reference Laboratory, Metropolis Healthcare.
The analysis, conducted across nine cities, records vitamin B12 deficiency in 20% of those tested with Ahmadabad recording 27.94%, while Indore and Delhi recording 26.87% and 26.58% respectively. Although Chennai was ranked eight after Mumbai, 18.25% of the population tested were found to be deficient.
Besides diet, increasing age makes it difficult for the body to absorb Vitamin B12 people above the age of 50, suffering from celiac disease or other digestive problems push up the risk of developing this deficiency. "It also becomes harder if one has had a weight loss surgery or any other surgery of the stomach. Drinking heavily or taking acid-reducing medications for a long time also affects the absorption of Vitamin B12," Dr Chadha said.
Although anaemia, common among women, puts them at higher risk, statistics showed that the deficiency was more common among men compared to women. "It is probably because women come for opportunistic screening at least once during pregnancy. They are warned about B12 deficiency. The treatment for vitamin B12 or folate deficiency anemia depends on the cause of the condition. They receive injections, tablets or supplements as treatment," said senior gynaecologist Dr Nazira Sadique, from Cloudnine.
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