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Vitamin B12 Deficiency

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Are you getting enough vitamin B12? Many people don’t, and that deficiency can cause problems.

Vitamin B12 does a lot of things for your body. It helps make your DNA and your red blood cells, for examples.

You can get vitamin B12 from your diet, or from supplements. Exactly how much you need depends on your age.

assorted vitamins

Causes of Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Vitamin B12 deficiency can happen if you have certain conditions, such as:

    Atrophic gastritis, in which your stomach lining has thinned
    Pernicious anemia, which makes it hard for your body to absorb vitamin B12
    Surgery that removed part of your stomach or small intestine, including weight loss surgery
    Conditions affecting the small intestine, such as Crohn's disease, celiac disease, bacterial growth, or a parasite
    Heavy drinking
    Immune system disorders, such as Graves' disease or lupus
    Long-term use of acid-reducing drugs