Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Vitamin B12 Deficiency Treatment

By Jared Hillman

The problem of a vitamin B12 deficiency is not very common in America nowadays as it is more linked to a bad nutrition. However, deficiency can appear also as a result of our body's inability to proper absorb the vitamin. It is important then to know the vitamin B12 treatments to avoid severe cases of deficiency.

For mild cases of B12 deficiency, it is always recommended the use of over the counter vitamin supplements. These supplements are easily found in drugstores and come mostly in the form of pills.

In the case of a severe deficiency or malabsorption however, other drugs are used, specifically prescribed drugs such as intramuscular B12 injections and medications such as prednisone. The application of injections is something that must be done for life.

Diet plays an important role in restoring the levels of vitamin B12 and is an integral part of any vitamin B12 deficiency treatment. The people who are at high risk of developing this condition include vegan people, pregnant/lactating women and infants.

Vitamin B12 is mainly found on animal protein food, and this includes fish, meat, poultry, eggs and of course dairy products. The problem with vegan people is that they don't eat these sources of B12, a vitamin rarely found in vegetables.

Infants and pregnant women are at a stage of life where they need higher intake of vitamins and nutrients. In all cases of people with high risks, it is important to add supplementation. Luckily for us, B12 is not needed in the body in high quantities.

Diet as part of a vitamin B12 treatment becomes even more important with patients who have problem with the absorption of the vitamin. These people can't depend on supplements alone.

These are the most common treatments for vitamin B12 deficiency, keep in mind though that this article serves as a source of information. To get a proper diagnose you need to visit a doctor who will vary the treatment and doses of vitamin B12 according to your specific case.

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