Vitamin B12 is very important for a number of the body's functions, yet many people have a deficiency and may not know it. Vitamin B12 and Folic acid are essential vitamins needed for cells that divide rapidly, such as those that are blood-forming in the bones and gastro-intestinal tract. Most vegetables don't contain Vitamin B12, so vegetarians should be taking a supplement. Even then, many that eat meat also suffer deficiency, so it is important that B12 levels are sufficient.

Some of the side effects of Vitamin B12 deficiency include neurological problems that can cause numbness or tingling in the extremities, mood disorders including anxiety, insomnia, and night terrors. Fatigue, weakness, nausea and constipation can be common symptoms and loss of appetite and weight may be experienced. Some Vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms resemble other things such as Alzheimer's and other dementia illnesses, so sometimes they can be misdiagnosed.

Equilibrium imbalances and forgetfulness can occur, along with other symptoms that resemble psychological, menstrual, osteoporosis and nervous system issues. Severe Vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms can be easily misdiagnosed because of the resemblance to other serious health problems. By taking Vitamin B12 and Folic acid supplements, you may see other serious illness diagnosis was in error.

It used to be that the first sign of Vitamin B12 deficiency was anemia, which could be fatal. At the first signs of anemia-like symptoms, you should take folic acid, but dosage from foods and your supplements should not exceed 1000 mg daily, and of course you should take all types of Vitamin B, including B6 and B12 because your body loses the ability to absorb Vitamin B12 as you get older, especially over 50.

Knowing Vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms is an important part of recognizing the problem. Besides anemia, if you experience fatigue, back pain, weight loss, bone loss and problems with balance or tingling in the extremities, it is possible it is related to a lack of Vitamin B12. Of course, other symptoms such as abnormal gait, hallucinations and migraine headaches have been attributed to a Vitamin B12 deficiency, as well.

Typically, Vitamin B12 deficiency is detected through blood testing, known as CBC or Complete Blood Count. In some people, it is not a matter that they are not taking in enough Vitamin B12, but it is the lack of their bodies to absorb the B12. That is why it is important to understand deficiency symptoms, because while it is more common in vegetarians to have the deficiency from lack of enough Vitamin B12 intake, there are some people that take in plenty, but none of it is absorbed.

Since Vitamin B12 deficiency is most obvious in blood testing, and anemia is a leading symptom, it would be fair to say that deficiencies of Vitamin B12 could manifest symptoms in any of the body's systems where blood-forming tissues and cells are found. That is the reason there is a wide gamut of Vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms. If you are a vegetarian, it may be important to have a CBC done regularly and if you are over 50 years old, you may want to seek a doctors advice about absorption problems, when it comes to Vitamin B12, which is crucial to so many body functions.