Depression and Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Vitamin B12 And Depression
By Christopher Fitch

Feeling a little depressed more than usual is not really that unusual. Depending on the season, weather and daily stress levels, a change in mood is to be expected by most of us. However, serious depression (or clinical depression as it is often termed) represents a true threat to our emotional stability as well as the relationships we have with those who are closest to us. Treating this becomes increasingly important, but if we do not qualify for medication according to our doctor, finding "medical" help might be a challenge.

Something your doctor might mention to you is that your vitamin B12 levels are low. Low B12 levels come with several consequences and depression is one of them. In fact, clinically depressed patients have proven that B12 levels and depression have an inverse relationship. So it may make sense to focus on increasing your daily dosage of vitamin B12. For most of us, that means eating the right foods that are rich in Vitamin B12.

The problem with eating B12-rich foods is that as we age our digestive system has greater difficulty in separating out the B12 and introducing it to our system, a vital process in ensuring that our levels stay positive and, above all else, avoid deficiency. And because the process is a particularly difficult one for our system to execute, no matter how much liver we eat (arguably the food that is richest in B12), we still may witness a drop in B12 levels. In other words, diet alone (no matter how well-intentioned it is) may fail us.

The solution in these cases is to supplements. Often, a One-A-Day vitamin can help us meet our B12 needs on a daily basis and in no time the mild depression that has led us to investigate the issue in the first place will start to ease. Not because of diet, but because we are getting the B12 our systems need.

In some cases (and it seems this is the case more and more often these days) the problem is not necessarily with the foods or supplements, but in the digestive system as a whole. While supplements are frequently easier for our system to process, if the mechanism itself is "broken," then people need to bypass it entirely. And for some people who feel their depression is not getting better but is in fact getting worse, it could be the result of a broken system. This is where B12 injections play a part.

With B12 injections, your medical professional will inject the commercially available B12 supplement straight into your system, bypassing the digestive system as a whole. This is not to say that the dosage will be any different than what you would get from food or supplements, but it will actually reach your system and do its job. This, after all, is the whole point.

So if you are feeling depressed but your mental state is insufficient to warrant heavier, prescribed medication, it is worth asking your medical professional about your B12 levels. If the levels are low, changing your diet to incorporate B12-rich foods and/or taking supplements is usually a wise first step. If that fails, then injections may be your only option.

Learn more about some of the most common Vitamin B12 Deficiency Symptoms that could impact your mood and mental health at B12-Facts.com, a website dedicated to Vitamin B12.

As the editor of B12-Facts.com Christopher Fitch has written about many health related matters, particularly when it comes to sleep health. He has recently taken a keen interest in Vitamin B12 Facts to help prepare for the dreary winter months.

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Liquid B12 Vitamins

Liquid B12 Vitamins are a great way to supplement the bodies need for the vitamin, either sublingually, or via a B12 Shot.

B12 vitamins are needed to help the body properly absorb other nutrients and digest food,and B12 vitamins are essential for maintaining a healthy nervous system and aid in the production of DNA and RNA, the bodies genetic code.

Patients exhibiting early signs of Alzheimer’s, dementia and memory loss can be treated with B12 vitamins if a lack of the vitamin is present, and in many cases, if the symptoms are related to inadequate absorption of the B12 vitamin, aggressive supplementation can slow and even reverse these symptoms.


B12 vitamin deficiency can often occur from inadequate dietary consumption or impaired absorption by the body. As the body gets older, it is harder to get an adequate supply of B12 vitamins through dietary consumption alone. In these instances, Liquid B12 vitamin, sublingual B12 vitamin or the B12 vitamin shot are options that can quickly restore the depleted supply.

In severe cases, B12 vitamin deficiency can lead to severe damage to the nervous system and the spinal cord. In rare cases, lack of vitamin B12 can lead to pernicious anemia, which is a fatal condition.


Liquid B12 vitamins are also known as an energy enhancement, due to the effects that Liquid B12 vitamins have in the production of healthy red blood cells, and the effects the vitamin has in restoring alertness and focus.

When looking a B12 vitamin supplements, one should not overlook the benefits of liquid B12 vitamins.

Benefits of B12 Vitamins

There are many benefits to taking B12 vitamins.






Vitamin B12 is an essential element needed by the body to maintain a healthy nervous system, and for the production of DNA. Vitamin B12 is also responsible for the bodies production of healthy red blood cells, and when used in combination with the other B vitamins, will help to maintain energy levels, memory function, healthy hair growth, and even eyesight.

Vitamin B12 is available in many forms including liquid vitamin B12, sublingual B12 vitamin tablets, and via injection.

Sublingual vitamin B12 is highly recommended, as is the B12 vitamin shot. The sublingual tablets are dissolved under the tongue, making the B12 vitamin immediately available to the body through the bloodstream.

The body’s ability to properly absorbed vitamin B12 through traditional methods diminishes with age, and vitamin B12 is not readily available to those with a strictly vegan diet, because naturally occurring B12 vitamins are only found in meat, eggs and cheeses.

It is highly recommended that those following a vegan diet, as well as those who were older, supplement their B. twelve vitamin a intake by establishing a regular the twelve vitamin supplemention regimen.

Recent studies have shown that the twelve vitamin deficiency has been linked with early memory loss, Alzheimer’s, depression, early hair loss, and and the loss of cognitive functions.

When a B12 vitamin deficiency was identified, the symptoms of many of these debilitating disorders were stopped and in many cases reversed, when treated with proper doses of B12 vitamins.

Because B12 vitamins are water soluble, this vitamin is considered safe, with side effects generally being associated with those sensitive to the metal cobalt, and risks associated with high doses of the twelve vitamins have rarely been documented.

Side Effects of B12 Vitamins

Are there side effects with the B12 vitamins?

Even in large doses, B12 vitamins are usually non -toxic.

However, there are people who have experienced adverse effects.

It’s interesting to note that the few who have experienced adverse side effects chose to have B12 vitamin shots administered as an injection.

B12 vitamin injections have long been associated with the following side effects:

Mild diarrhea
Heart palpitations
Chest pain
Anxiety attacks
Skin rash
Breathing problems
Hives or itchy Skin

Health professionals believe that those patients developing adverse symptoms did so because of preservatives used in the B12 vitamin formula designed for injections.

Those who ingest B12 vitamins in tablets form, or sublingual B12 vitamins rarely, if ever, experience an adverse reaction.

Allergic reactions have been noted in those sensitive to the metal cobalt, and there is a research that suggests those who have had heart surgery may run the small risk of complications associated with taking B12 vitamins, as B12 vitamins may narrow arteries surrounding heart stents.

B12 Vitamin Deficiency

B12 vitamins are needed to help the body properly digest food and absorb other nutrients.

It has been shown that many patients who have exhibited early signs of dementia and Alzheimer’s have had their symptoms slowed and even reversed after a B12 vitamin deficiency was found.
B12 vitamins are essential for maintaining a healthy nervous system and aid in the production of DNA and RNA, the bodies genetic code.
B12 vitamin deficiency can often occur from inadequate dietary consumption or impaired absorption by the body. In severe cases, B12 vitamin deficiency can lead to severe damage to the nervous system and the spinal cord.

Here are ten symptoms that you should look for that could indicate a B12 vitamin deficiency.

1. Loss of Melanin, also known as the skin pigment, resulting in white spots on the skin. The white spots often occur on the outside of the forearm, and could occur in other places. The longer these white spots are present the whiter they become. If left unchecked, the spots can become very dry and flaky, leaving small raw exposed areas of the skin.

2. Migraine headaches. Warning signs of a migraine headache brought on by B12 vitamin deficiency are migraines usually lasting around ten minutes. The migraine pain is sometimes followed by pain in the face and around the eyes. A blind spot can appear in the middle of the vision. In some cases, streaks can appear through the vision that last for hours after the blind spot vanishes. The migraines may be quite debilitating, and could cause vomiting and nausea. B12 Vitamin Deficiency is just one cause of migraines, so if your symptoms haven't subsided after supplementation, see your doctor.

3. Memory loss, lack of or inability to focus and disorientation are also common signs of B12 Vitamin deficiency.


4. Eye twitch, usually in one eye or the other. It can occur on the eyelid or just below the eye.

5. Itchy or tingling tongue. Some report a stinging, or tingling pain.


6. Sharp stabbing or tingling pain in the palms of the hands.

7. Sores in the corners of the mouth that are raw spots, rather than blisters.


8. Shortness of breath without related chest pain.

9. Facial pain, usually on one side of the face.


10. Tingling along the back of one or both thighs, starting at the hips and shooting downward.