Acid Inhibitors and Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Research published in the December 11 issue of JAMA, normally not a nutrition-friendly journal, showed that use of acid-inhibiting medications for 2 or more years may lead to a vitamin B12 deficiency. This was especially so in women and in younger individuals who take stronger doses. the study was done on Kaisesr Permanente patients in Northern California using the records of nearly 26,000 patients with B12 deficiency and matching them with 184,199 patients without the deficiency. Acid is necessary for the absorption of B12. If you suppress the acid, B12 will not be absorbed. A work-around is to take sublingual B12. B12 is normally only found in animal products, such as meat, fish, poultry, dairy, and eggs. Vegetarians need to supplement their diet with vitamin B12. A deficiency results in anemia and peripheral neuropathies among other things.