Vitamin B12 deficiency in seniors larger than expected, study finds

Alarge number of seniors might be suffering from a deficiency of Vitamin B12 and not know it, a new Quebec study has concluded.

The problem can be easily solved by increasing the consumption of dairy products over and above the amount recommended by Heath Canada.

According to Health Canada, Vitamin B12, also known as cobalamin, plays an important role in some enzyme reactions in the body and is essential for normal red blood cell formation and neurological function. A Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause anemia and may lead to potentially irreversible neurological damage.

“We wanted to see what association there is between what people eat and the risk of developing a Vitamin B12 deficiency,” said Nancy Presse, professor of community health sciences at the Université de Sherbrooke.

A four-year study was conducted with 1,750 seniors in good health. An examination of blood and urine samples found that 10 to 13 per cent of those studied had a B12 deficiency.

Health Canada recommends that seniors consume 2.4 micrograms of B12 daily, Presse said. But she added that she and her colleagues found that a daily intake of 4.8 micrograms — double the official recommendation — was the level needed to significantly reduce the risk of deficiency.

“The 2.4 level is really too weak, everyone is pretty much in agreement on that,” she said. “If we look at studies and work done around the world, the recommendation is often between 5 to 10 micrograms.”

Health Canada recommends that seniors use a vitamin supplement or consume foods rich in B12 such as soya drinks, Presse said. The problem is such foods are rare in this country and the use of supplements is not necessary.

Vitamin B12 is found in meat, poultry, fish, seafood, eggs and dairy products. Since the absorption of B12 requires calcium and since dairy products are rich in calcium, Presse theorized that the consumption of dairy products could have greater impact on avoiding deficiency “and that is indeed what we saw.”

Researchers found the deficiency rate was linked to eating habits and that consuming an additional 1.6 micrograms of B12 in the form of dairy products is sufficient to create a 50- to 60-per-cent reduction in the risk.

“A large glass of milk is 1.6 micrograms,” Presse said. “So it’s easy.”

The study’s authors acknowledge the number their research produced might not provide an accurate depiction of the scale of the problem.

Many factors, from the use of medications to the aging of stomach lining, could also explain the increased risk of a deficiency among the elderly.

The study was published in the November edition of the Journal of Nutrition.