Vitamin B12 is an important B vitamin, important for many processes in the body. Not getting enough is detrimental.
If it’s in short supply the body will fail to make enough red blood cells and can become abnormally large.
A lack of red blood cells results in the tissues and organs in the body not getting enough oxygen, and this can trigger symptoms of anaemia.
Anaemia can lead to heart and lung problems as it causes the heart to struggle getting oxygen to vital organs. The eyes can indicate a number of health conditions, and there are three symptoms which could point to a vitamin B12 deficiency.
Jaundice
People with a vitamin B12 deficiency can look pale or have a slight yellow tinge to their skin and the white of their eyes. This is known as jaundice.
According to a study titled ‘Megaloblastic Anemias: Nutritional and Other Causes’ jaundice happens when a lack of B12 causes problems with the body’s red blood cell production.
If you don’t have as many red blood cells circulating around the body, your skin can appear pale in colour.
Fragility of cells also means they can break down, resulting in excess bilirubin.
Bilirubin is a red or brown-coloured substance which is produced by the liver when it breaks down old blood cells, and large amounts can cause a yellow tinge.
Eye twitching
According to a study in Neurology India, eye twitching is linked to vitamin B12 deficiency.
Similarly, magnesium plays an essential role in the functioning of cells, tissues and organs throughout the body, so eyelid spasms may also be linked to magnesium deficiency.
The study did mention that further research would need to be carried out to be sure this is a symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency.
Blurred vision
Blurred vision can occur when untreated B12 deficiency causes nervous system damage to the optic nerve that leads to your eyes.
This was found in a study titled ‘B12 deficiency with neurological manifestations in the absence of anaemia’.
The damage can play havoc on the nervous signal that travels from the eye to the brain, therefore impairing vision.
Optic neuropathy is the correct medical term for this condition.
While the can be alarming, experts advise it is reversible by supplementing B12.
So how can you avoid a vitamin B12 deficiency?