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Fibromyalgia symptoms can increase in the summer as the heat rises; even an incremental half-degree in the temperature can cause headaches, dizziness, nausea, swelling, and fatigue for most fibromyalgia patients.  Here are some tips for battling the heat and fibromyalgia pain this summer.

Red puffy face, excess sweating, nausea, and fatigue are symptoms of overheating.  If you have fibromyalgia, then you’re probably more sensitive to the sun’s rays than most. Before you lose your cool, make sure you’re doing all you can to prevent summer headaches.

1- Avoid brain fog

Brain fog is a constant companion with many chronic illnesses like fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, pernicious anemia, and multiple sclerosis (MS). The summer heat makes it even harder to avoid symptoms like dizziness, poor concentration, confusion, light-headedness, weakness, and difficulty walking.

If brain fog is a problem, keep a stash of smelling salts on hand, or a homeopathic rescue remedy.

Also, make sure your vitamin B12 levels are normal by checking regularly with a blood test. Brain fog is a common symptom of vitamin B12 deficiency, but easily treated with a strict regimen of vitamin B12 supplementation.

Read more about fighting fatigue: Boost Energy Now! 20 Practical Tips for Fighting Fatigue

2- Go au naturel

Do you wear breezy cotton pantsuits to work, or do you favor tight Lycra pencil skirts? If you answered the latter, then it’s time to give your wardrobe a summer makeover. Snug synthetic clothes trap heat (think human microwave).

To keep cool throughout the afternoon highs, choose natural fabrics like organic cotton, linen, and hemp. Be generous in picking the right size- summer is not the time for clingy body-hugging tops when you’re trying to prevent a fibro flare-up.

3- Wear a cooling vest

Drastic times call for drastic measures; if you absolutely can’t handle hot temperatures, order yourself a cooling garment from one of the many available websites. Many designed to maintain low temperatures and provide lasting relief to chronic pain sufferers.

4- Sip it

It can’t be said enough times- drink, drink, drink! Dehydration is one of the leading causes of summer headaches and hospital visits. Symptoms of dehydration may include “brain fog,” nausea, headache, and fatigue. Sounds like typical fibromyalgia symptoms, doesn’t it? All the more reason to be extra vigilant with your water consumption if you happen to have fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

For tips on getting enough H2O, read: 12 Ways to Flavor your Drinking Water without Refined Sugar

5- Get misty-eyed

If air conditioning chills you to the bone, as it does for many fibromyalgia sufferers, then another good way to prevent overheating is to stay wet. Spritz yourself with a fan mister, dunk your feet in a tub of water, or set up a sprinkler in your back yard.

6- Stay in the shade

If you can’t find a shady spot to sit, then bring your own portable shade! Keep a beach umbrella stashed in your trunk, along with a scarf, sunglasses, and wide sunhat. In a pinch, a rainy-day umbrella provides excellent protection from the sun’s rays, too.

7 Days of Refreshing, High Energy Smoothies without Caffeine

7- Go to vacation mode

The great thing about vacations is the way you give yourself permission to slow down, take it easy, and keep your schedule flexible. That’s a great attitude to have year-round, especially in coping with chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia.

If you absolutely must go to the mall or check your mail at the post office, plan to go when the sun is least oppressive, before 11:00 am and after 4:00 pm.

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Like this? Read more:

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Images courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Vitamin B12 deficiency is a condition sometimes inherited, but often also acquired; where there is alcoholism and vitamin B12 deficiency, alcoholic neuropathy (nerve damage) is often a factor. Here are some symptoms of alcoholic neuropathy and vitamin B12 deficiency.

What causes alcoholic neuropathy?

Scientists aren’t certain exactly what causes alcoholic neuropathy, but one theory is that long-term alcohol abuse has a toxic effect on the nervous system.  Over time, alcoholics often develop vitamin B12 deficiency that, together with poisoning from alcohol, results in severe irreparable nerve damage, including the destruction of nerve cells.

B12 and Alcohol Consumption

About half of all long-time alcoholics suffer from nerve damage and vitamin B12 deficiency, affecting the central nervous system and peripheral nerves, including the autonomic nervous system that controls internal bodily functions.

Symptoms of alcoholic neuropathy

The earliest symptoms of nerve damage from vitamin B12 deficiency are easily overlooked, especially where alcoholism is a factor. If you feel like you’re always tired and depressed, or have trouble thinking clearly, then that could indicate the onset of neuropathy.  In alcoholics, it’s easy to see how depression can be written off as another result of excess alcohol use.

Painful Tingling in Hands and Feet- What’s Up with That?

Only a physician can confirm if some of the symptoms you’re experiencing are caused by vitamin B12 deficiency, which is easily treatable with supplementation.

Symptoms of alcoholic neuropathy and vitamin B12 deficiency:

•Painful numbness and tingling in the arms and hands, legs and feet, and tongue (“pins and needles”)

•Weak, sore muscles

•Muscular cramps

•Muscular twitches or tremors

•Muscle atrophy (wasting away)

•Movement disorders

•Infertility

•Incontinence

•Inability to urinate

•Diarrhea

•Constipation

•Extreme sensitivity to heat, particularly after exercising

•Difficulty swallowing food

•Altered taste perception

•“Burning mouth syndrome”

•Speech slurring

•Depression

•“Brain fog”

•Difficulty concentrating

•Anxiety

•Aggressive behavior

•Paranoia

•Short-term memory loss

Treatment options

Where alcoholism is the cause of vitamin B12 deficiency, only cessation of alcohol abuse can result in a lifelong cure.

If you are experiencing any of the above-mentioned symptoms, it’s imperative that you request a vitamin B12 blood test from your doctor. While the results aren’t always reliable (they only count total vitamin B12 levels, not active vitamin B12), they can indicate the need for vitamin B12 supplementation.  Overall, your symptoms are the best gauges for deciding how much vitamin B12 you need, and for how long.

If diagnosed with vitamin B12 deficiency, your doctor will prescribe routine vitamin B12 shots (taken intramuscularly), to be followed by long-term vitamin B12 supplements.

Other coping mechanisms for alcoholic neuropathy may include:

•Physical therapy

•Shin splints

•Orthopedic inserts

•Diabetic socks

•Pain relief medication

•Antidepressants

•Anticonvulsants

•Blood pressure medication

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Alcoholic neuropathy

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If you’ve been taking vitamin B12 for memory, give yourself a mental high five- vitamin B12 is beneficial for maintaining healthy brain mass and sustaining healthy cognitive skills. Now, scientists have discovered another excellent brain booster, only it’s not a vitamin…

Flex your brain muscles!

Recently, researchers from Dartmouth College released the results of a study aimed at proving the effect that exercise can have on cognition.

They gathered 54 adults between the ages of 18 and 36; all were healthy (normal vitamin B12 levels) and didn’t have memory loss, but didn’t lead physically active lifestyles either.

•For the first phase of the study, test participants answered questions for a mood test designed to reflect their anxiety levels.

•Next, they took blood screenings for the existence of brain-derived neurotropic factor, or BDNF- a protein scientists believe can affect the cognitive benefits (such as memory) derived from frequent exercise.

•Next, all 54 test subjects performed a memory test- object recognition– in which they were asked to view a set of computer images and remember them later. Unlike most studies based on memory, vitamin B12, and exercise, this one focused on the perirhinal cortex, the part of your brain responsible for remembering objects and where you saw them last (think TV remote control).

5 Ways to Ruin your Memory without getting Vitamin B12 Deficiency

•Next came a 4-week phase in which subjects were randomly divided into two groups: a sedentary group that was told not to exercise for the following month; and a separate group of individuals who agreed to follow a supervised workout routine consisting of 30 minutes of walking or jogging four times per week.

•Additionally, some of the test subjects from each group were instructed to exercise on the day of their return marking the 4-week period.  Half of the sedentary participants and half of the physically active participants were required to run or jog for at least 30 minutes before returning for their second memory test.

And the winners are…

After reviewing the repeat memory tests and mood tests, scientists were gratified to see that frequent exercise does indeed enhance your mood and improve your memory.

•Most of the volunteers who ran or jogged for 30 minutes 4 times per week performed better on the memory test and reported increased feelings of well-being and less stress.

•Of the participants who exercised the previous month but not on the date of the exam, most fared better than the sedentary group, but not as well as the people who exercised that day.

•Scientists were surprised to learn that individuals who were sedentary during the 4-week phase but exercised on the date of the exam felt anxious and moody, more so than they felt at the initial exam four weeks earlier.

•Using the blood tests, researchers also noted that subjects who displayed low BDNF production following exercise saw no improvement in memory skills.

6 Surprising Causes of Memory Loss

Boost your memory now!

For optimum brain health, doctors recommend regular exercise, stress reduction techniques, and taking various vitamins (such as vitamin B12) in order to avoid memory loss caused by vitamin B12 deficiency.

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Differential effects of acute and regular physical exercise on cognition and affect.

How Exercise Can Jog the Memory

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Do you know if you’re getting enough vitamin B12? Blood tests for vitamin B12 deficiency often don’t produce adequate results. And the USRDA standard for vitamin B12 isn’t enough to treat symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency, like fatigue, memory loss, and anxiety.

Am I getting enough vitamin B12?

Getting enough vitamin B12 into your system can be tricky…

If you eat plenty of animal-based foods like beef liver, salmon, and clams, then you’re off to a good start.

However, for a large number of people who eat meat and fish, vitamin B12 just isn’t making it into the bloodstream.

Factors such as autoimmune disorders, gastritis, diabetes, and gastric bypass operations inhibit your ability to absorb vitamin B12.

As a result, you only receive about 1% of the vitamin B12 you get from food. Unfortunately, it’s not enough to prevent ultimate vitamin B12 deficiency.

Which you don’t want to get, as vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms include:

• Chronic fatigue
• Anxiety
• Memory loss
• Dementia
• Paranoia
• Depression
• Aggressive behavior
• Hallucinations
• Painful tingling in the hands and feet
• Partial numbness
• Tremors
• Disability

How can I get more vitamin B12?

If your doctor believes you have vitamin B12 deficiency, he will probably prescribe routine rounds of vitamin B12 shots. These can be weekly or monthly installments of vitamin B12, according to your doctor’s recommendation.

While getting prescription vitamin B12 shots are helpful, many healthcare providers are reluctant to administer enough vitamin B12 to provide lasting relief from fatigue, chronic pain, and other symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency.

As a result, many sufferers of pernicious anemia (or other forms of vitamin B12 deficiency) end up relying on over-the-counter (OTC) supplements to “top off” their vitamin B12 levels.

• Sublingual vitamin B12 tablets that dissolve under your tongue are popular, if not effective, methods of supplementing with cobalamin.  Many people also report tongue irritation or “burning” sensations from frequent use.
• Vitamin B12 pills are useless for most people with vitamin B12 deficiency, as they are unable to digest vitamin B12 in the stomach, due to lack of the intrinsic factor enzyme.

Please tell us…

Do you take vitamin B12 for energy? If so, what type of vitamin B12 do you currently use?

Do you have any questions or suggestions?  Please leave your comments below.

Share with your friends!

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Why use vitamin B12 for energy? Brain fog, depression, and fatigue caused by vitamin B12 deficiency are more than just annoying- they can be debilitating. What’s the basis for using vitamin B12 shots to boost energy and mental clarity, while eliminating fatigue and brain fog, and reducing pain? Here are some energy-specific benefits of vitamin B12.

Vitamin B12 deficiency

The National Institutes of Health Medical Encyclopedia describes overwhelming fatigue as one of the earliest symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency, in addition to painful tingling in the hands and feet, memory problems, and difficulty concentrating.

Specifically, lack of energy from vitamin B12 deficiency is the result of not getting enough oxygen to the brain.

You see, vitamin B12 (cobalamin) plays an active role in helping your body produce normal, healthy red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout your body.  So, your body relies on adequate levels of vitamin B12 for red blood cell production.

With pernicious anemia, one cause of vitamin B12 deficiency, red blood cells come out too large, misshapen, and are unable to make their way out of your bone marrow and into your blood stream, resulting in a dramatic decrease in total numbers of red blood cells in your body…and in your brain.

As a result, you feel the effects of low oxygen as tiredness, low energy, mental confusion, dizziness, memory loss, and inability to concentrate- all because you’re not getting enough vitamin B12.

Worse, long-term vitamin B12 can lead to severe irreparable nerve damage and increased risk for heart attack and stroke.

How does vitamin B12 produce energy?

The case can also be made for supplementing with vitamin B12 even if you’re not suffering from vitamin B12 deficiency.

Several scientific studies focusing on high-doses of vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin) found that mega-doses of 2,500-5,000 mcg of vitamin B12 produced a 50%-80% increase of energy, productivity, and feelings of wellness in healthy individuals who did not have vitamin B12 deficiency.

We know that vitamin B12 helps your body take carbohydrates from foods that you eat and convert them into energy. So, more vitamin B12 in the blood ensures efficiency in carbohydrate digestion, thus maximum energy output.

Vitamin B12 also promotes a healthy metabolism, regulates your nervous system, and helps to sustain brain mass in your old age.

Please tell us…

Do you take vitamin B12 for energy and improved athletic performance? If so, what type of vitamin B12 do you currently use?

Do you have any questions or suggestions?  Please leave your comments below.

Share with your friends!

If you found this article helpful, then please share with your friends, family, and coworkers by email, Facebook, or Google+.

You might also like:

Boost Energy Now! 20 Practical Tips for Fighting Fatigue

Will Vitamin B12 Boost Energy if I don’t have B12 Deficiency? YES!

References:

Images courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

If you suffer from fibromyalgia, then you need a doctor who specializes in chronic pain. When choosing a fibromyalgia doctor, it’s important to ask the right questions from the get-go. Here are some helpful tips for finding a fibromyalgia doctor that meets your expectations.

Fibromyalgia is hard, finding a doctor is harder…

Fibromyalgia is an autoimmune disorder that triggers excruciating muscle pain in its sufferers, in addition to other symptoms like brain fog, fatigue, diarrhea, nausea, and numbness.  Since fibromyalgia is an oft-misunderstood disease, finding the appropriate treatment requires an expert opinion from a doctor who specializes in fibromyalgia.

To find such a physician, you will have to ask many questions, learn your way around a lot of hospital red tape, and be your own best fibro advocate.

Start with your general practitioner

Once you’ve affirmed that your GP is not qualified to treat fibromyalgia, as will most certainly be the case, ask him if he can refer you to a specialist who takes only patients suffering from fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Network

Your doctor is out there, so go find him! You’ll need to get over any shyness you might have about talking to strangers if you’re going to get the help you need to deal with fibromyalgia pain and find relief.

Whenever you visit the hospital, ask the admittance nurse if she can refer you to a fibromyalgia doctor.

Ask your doctor’s nurses and receptionist, as well.

Chronically Pained? Here’s your Essential Chronic Pain Checklist…

Ask your parents, uncles, or aunts if they know of any relatives who have fibromyalgia.

Inquire at work or at your child’s school.

Are you a member of any online forums of Facebook communities for fibromyalgia and chronic pain? Post that you’re looking for a fibromyalgia doctor, and see how many responses you get!

Make a list

Before you go for your initial consultation, prepare a checklist of questions for your doctor. Some good questions to ask are:

•What exactly is fibromyalgia? (See how he responds.)

•What tests do you use to diagnose fibromyalgia?

•How many fibromyalgia patients have you treated?

•What are your credentials for treating fibromyalgia?

•What medications do you frequently prescribe for fibromyalgia pain symptoms?

•What’s your opinion on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)?

•I’ve heard that vitamin B12 deficiency is common with fibromyalgia- do you also treat comorbid conditions?

15 Chronic Pain Causes and 15 Treatments (Vitamin B12 is one)

Keep looking

If you’re currently seeing a fibromyalgia doctor, but you’re unhappy with the care (or lack of care) you’re getting, then don’t hesitate to find somebody else.

A competent fibromyalgia specialist should be able to formulate a treatment that is tailor-made for you, that treats you as a whole person, not just a sum of fibro symptoms.

Sticking with a doctor that doesn’t address your physical, neurological, and emotional needs is counterproductive in lifelong management of fibromyalgia disorder.

Please tell us…

Do you have any questions or suggestions?  Please leave your comments below.

Share with your friends!

If you found this article helpful, then please share with your friends, family, and coworkers by email, Facebook, or Google+.

You might also like:

9 Conditions that Mimic Fibromyalgia and Vitamin B12 Deficiency

10 Celebrities with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Sources:

Treating Fibromyalgia: Finding a Doctor You Can Work With

How to Choose a Doctor

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Ever wonder why vitamin B12 deficiency is so rampant among humans, yet you never hear of animals or marine life having difficulty absorbing vitamin B12? Is vitamin deficiency something unique to humans, or is it bigger than we’ve imagined? Here are some interesting tidbits about vitamin B12 deficiency along the food chain.

Scientists discover vitamin B12 sea sponge

Recently, scientists in the Antarctica discovered something all of us suffering from vitamin B12 deficiency wish we had- a way to extract vitamin B12 from the environment and absorb it into our digestive system.

It’s called cobalamin acquisition protein 1 (CBA1), and it’s a special protein that sea algae use to grab vitamin B12 (cobalamin) from the ocean water and ingest it, kind of the way a sponge soaks up fluids.

Apparently, certain single-celled bacteria and microorganisms are able to replicate this essential protein whenever they happen to need more vitamin B12, and thus avoid acquiring vitamin B12 deficiency.

Getting vitamin B12 from water- isn’t that like trying to squeeze orange juice from a rock?

Well, vitamin B12 occurs naturally in protein foods like beef, chicken, and fish, in sufficient amounts for us land-dwellers to avoid becoming deficient.

But if you happen to be a one-celled microorganism, then you can get just the right amount of vitamin B12 from seawater, provided you are able to make this miracle protein, CBA1.

Where’s my “B12 claw?”

Why don’t we have this lifesaving mechanism, something to grab vitamin B12, latch onto it, and escort it through our digestive system, so that we never have to worry about vitamin B12 deficiency?

We do, actually.

It’s called intrinsic factor, and it’s a special digestive enzyme that we produce for the express purpose of completely digesting vitamin B12 into our body.  Intrinsic factor bonds itself to vitamin B12 from your food supply, protects it from harm as it races through your small intestines, and helps to deliver it into your blood stream.

Unfortunately, if you have a certain autoimmune disorder, pernicious anemia, then you are either unable to make intrinsic factor, or you cannot utilize it efficiently.  Without intrinsic factor, you are like the algae on the ocean floor, only without the B12 sponge- surrounded by all the nutrients you need, but unable to reach them.

What now?

If you eat plenty of meat, dairy products, and eggs, but you constantly feel tired, lethargic, and “out to lunch,” then you might be a candidate for autoimmune vitamin B12 deficiency.

To find out, ask your doctor for a blood test that checks vitamin B12 levels. Although they are not 100% accurate in diagnosing true pernicious anemia, the standard B12 tests will tell your doctor if your total stores of vitamin B12 are dangerously low.

Why B12 Blood Tests are an Epic Fail

Please tell us…

Do you have any questions or suggestions?  Please leave your comments below.

Share with your friends!

If you found this article helpful, then please share with your friends, family, and coworkers by email, Facebook, or Google+.

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Is Vitamin B12 Deficiency an Autoimmune Disorder? Yup.

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This may come as a shock, but your vitamin B12 blood test was probably inaccurate.  Because they count total vitamin B12, as opposed to specifically active B12 levels, serum vitamin B12 testing fails to give a true diagnosis.  As a result, you may have received a positive result when, in reality, you may still have vitamin B12 deficiency.

What is active B12?

Active vitamin B12 is cobalamin that has bound itself to the protein transcobalamin (TC), forming a vitamin B12 complex known as holotranscobalamin (HoloTC), or active vitamin B12.

Active vitamin B12 is the only type that your body is able to access and use for neurological health, energy production, and red blood cell distribution.

A deficiency in active vitamin B12 is what causes symptoms like brain fog, painful tingling and numbness, depression, and chronic fatigue.

Is Vitamin B12 Deficiency an Autoimmune Disorder? Yup.

Unfortunately, active vitamin B12 has a very short life expectancy…

What is inactive B12?

Not all cobalamin you consume is usable. When cobalamin binds itself instead to haptocorrin (HC), it becomes HoloHC, a B12 complex that lacks cellular receptors, making it a passive, or inactive, form of vitamin B12. Your body is unable to make use of HoloHC outside of the liver.

There are no reported symptoms of a deficiency in HoloHC.

Roughly 70-90% of cobalamin in your body is comprised of inactive vitamin B12 (HoloHC).

Looks can be deceiving

According to standard B12 testing, anybody with less than 148pmol/L (200pg/mL) of vitamin B12 in the blood is diagnosed with vitamin B12 deficiency.  Regardless of the absence of symptoms indicating vitamin B12 deficiency (tiredness, memory loss, tingling in the hands and feet), you will be told that you have vitamin deficiency if you don’t meet this threshold.

According to this study on vitamin B12 screening that is exactly what happens in many cases; a significant number of people tested for vitamin B12 deficiency received a positive diagnosis because their total vitamin B12 levels were low, even though they exhibited none of the telltale symptoms. This may be called a “false positive,” because in reality, their active vitamin B12 levels might have been normal.

The opposite is also true; a B12 blood test result indicating normal cobalamin levels does not, in reality, confirm the absence of vitamin B12 deficiency. Because standard B12 testing only tests for total cobalamin, as opposed to usable (active) cobalamin, one can have all the symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency or pernicious anemia without ever receiving a diagnosis…or treatment.

Scientists estimate that half of all people who suffer from vitamin B12 deficiency do not receive treatment, because of false B12 test results.

Will the real B12 please stand up?

Only by testing for active vitamin B12 in the blood can doctors efficiently and accurately diagnose vitamin B12 deficiency, as indicated in this study on Holotranscobalamin levels in patients with B12 deficiency.

In scientific studies proving that vitamin B12 delays the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, scientists tested for active vitamin B12, HoloHC, not total B12 levels.

Too little, too late

Because of current methods of testing for vitamin B12 deficiency, you are not likely to receive treatment until you start experiencing the signs, and damage, linked with insufficient vitamin B12 levels. This is tragic, because nerve cells lost to B12 deficiency can never be recovered in its advanced stages.  Also, until active vitamin B12 levels are restored, you are at an increased risk for heart attack and stroke.

Go with your gut

Currently, testing for active vitamin B12 is not the norm.  If you believe that you have vitamin B12 deficiency, but your doctor doesn’t, you have a few options.

• Refer to the vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms checklist, and ask your doctor to prescribe vitamin B12 shots, even if your B12 blood tests came back normal.
• Seek another doctor’s advice.
• Visit a neurologist.

Please tell us…

Do you have any questions or suggestions?  Please leave your comments below.

Share with your friends!

If you found this article helpful, then please share with your friends, family, and coworkers by email, Facebook, or Google+.

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Laboratory Diagnosis of Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Low vitamin B-12 status in confirmed Alzheimer’s disease as revealed by serum holotranscobalamin

Screening for vitamin B12 Deficiency: Caveat Emptor

Cobalamin Status (Holo-Transcobalamin, Methylmalonic Acid) and Folate as Determinants of Homocysteine Concentration

Images:

LAGUNA DESIGN/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY, MAURO FERMARIELLO/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Looking for some ways to fight brain fog or boost your thinking skills? Look no further than these 3 vitamins for the brain, guaranteed to give you more brainpower and mental clarity.

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) is one of the most essential nutrients for brain health.  This “brain vitamin,” which occurs naturally in animal-based foods, is known sustain healthy brain mass in old age, as proven in a Finnish scientific study on Alzheimer’s disease.

Scientists have concluded that elderly individuals diagnosed with dementia who manage to maintain health vitamin B12 levels have more brain mass than those with vitamin B12 deficiency, and score better in cognitive testing, as well.

Without sufficient levels of vitamin B12, you may experience a decline in cognitive functioning skills, including:

• Forgetfulness
• Confusion
• Brain fog
• Fatigue
• Decreased ability to perform math calculations
• Short attention span

To find out if you have vitamin B12 deficiency, ask your doctor for a blood screening.  Even if you eat a diet rich in B12-foods like beef, poultry, and fish, you may still be at risk, as a significant number of people are unable to absorb vitamin B12 from food sources.

Risk factors for vitamin B12 deficiency include:

• Autoimmune disorders
• Family history for pernicious anemia
• Gastrointestinal disorders, including GERD and Crohn’s disease
• Gastric bypass surgery
• Diabetes
• Vegan dieting

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is proven to benefit your brain’s nerve cells, in addition to boosting your ability to perform thinking skills involving processing information, forming strategies, and building memories.

Most of us get enough vitamin D from the sun; other sources of vitamin D include vitamin supplements and fortified dairy products.

Pregnant moms-to-be and nursing mothers are advised to supplement with vitamin D for their baby’s cognitive development.

Vitamin D deficiency is linked with poor brain health, according to the National Institutes of Mental Health.

Risk factors for vitamin D deficiency include:

• Living in areas with limited sunshine
• Wearing full-body coverings outdoors

To make certain that you get enough vitamin D for brain health, do the following:

• Go out in the sun every day
• Visit a safe tanning salon, and take vitamin D3 supplements
• Take 8,000 IU’s of vitamin D supplements per day

Omega 3’s

It’s no surprise that fatty acids like omega-3’s are such brain boosters- more than half of your brain’s matter is made up of fats. Specifically, DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) accounts for 25% of the omega-3 fatty acids found in your brain.

DHA-type omega 3 fats are animal-based, meaning you can only find them in protein sources such as fish, liver, and organ meats. (All of which, by the way, are also rich sources of vitamin B12, another brain vitamin.)

Insufficient levels of omega-3 fatty acids may result in damage to the nervous system.  Many researchers also suggest a link between omega-3 deficiency and brain disorders such as dementia and mental illness.

In a several studies, 800-900 mg of DHA supplements prescribed to elderly individuals with dementia resulted in a significant improvement in memory, learning, vocabulary, and other cognitive skills.

Please tell us…
Do you have any questions or suggestions?  Please leave your comments below.

Share with your friends!
If you found this article helpful, then please share with your friends, family, and coworkers by email, Facebook, or Google+.

Read more about vitamin B12 and the brain:

Boost Brain Health with B12

Can Vitamin B12 Repair Nerve Cells?

Preventing Alzheimer’s Disease: US Plans to Nip Dementia in the Bud

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Benson Kua, TheAlieness GiselaGiardino²³, Nina Matthews Photography, IsaacMao

All jokes aside- frequent falling is a serious problem, and not always connected to old age.  For example, vitamin B12 deficiency or one of several other conditions may be to blame for balance disorders. Here are some tips for preventing falls.

1) Vitamin B12 deficiency

Vitamin B12 is a crucial nutrient for neurological health, and a shortage of vitamin B12 in the blood (vitamin B12 deficiency) can cause nerve cell damage and destruction, resulting in ailments like chronic pain, numbness, vision problems, tremors, and many others related to your nervous system.

One such disorder is gait ataxia, or unsteady gait.  Damage to the myelin sheath, which protects your nerve cells, can result in movement disorders, including difficulty controlling your leg muscles while walking, running, jumping, or standing on one leg.

Symptoms of gait ataxia include:

• Frequent falling
• Difficulty standing on one leg
• Painful numbness and tingling in arms, legs, and mouth
• Shaky or jerky movements in legs and arms, “clumsiness”
• Seizures, trembling
• Muscular feebleness in the legs and arms
• Poor motor skills
• Hypotension (low blood pressure)
• Blurred vision, double vision, or shaky eye movements

If Vitamin B12 Deficiency Mimics Multiple Sclerosis, How do you tell the Difference?

2) Obesity

Recently, the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society released a report stating that elderly individuals who suffer from morbid obesity are more at risk for frequent falling than frail senior citizens.  While feeble muscles may account for a certain amount of falling in thinner seniors, difficulty maintaining balance accounts for significantly more falling among heavy elderly citizens.

3) Diabetes

Just as pernicious anemia, a cause of vitamin B12 deficiency, can cause nerve damage, diabetes can also create neuropathic symptoms that make it difficult to walk without falling.

Brain Fog from Pernicious Anemia- Telltale Signs

4) Antidepressants

Alzheimer’s disease patients who take antidepressants are at a significantly high risk of stumbling frequently, compared to dementia patients who don’t receive them, according to this report on frequent falling.

5) Mixing meds

Sometimes, combining certain medications can cause you to lose balance and trip more often than usual.  If you notice yourself falling frequently recently, then alert your pharmacist or doctor.

6) Middle ear disorders

The vestibular system of your inner ear and brain controls balance and spatial awareness.  Likewise, a vestibular disorder can cause processing problems resulting in dizziness, light-headedness, and frequent falling.

Examples of vestibular disorders are Meniere’s disease, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV, labyrinthitis or vestibular neuritis.

7) Lumbar spinal stenosis

Sometimes, a slipped disc or arthritis can impair the motor nerves of your spine, causing muscular weakness in your legs, which can in turn make it difficult to walk.

8) Cervical myelopathy

Similar to lumbar spinal stenosis, cervical myelopathy can occur with a slipped disk or arthritis in the neck.  Symptoms include loss of balance and frequent falling, but may not include neck pain.

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9) Joint problems

It’s worth noting the obvious- instabilities of the joints in your hips, knees, or ankles, are common causes of falling.

10) Brain injury

Balance disorders sometimes indicate damage to the brain, whether from a concussion or illness.  Symptoms of brain injury may include dizziness, sudden headaches, and memory problems.

Please tell us…

Do you think you fall more frequently than is considered normal? If so, have you tested for vitamin B12 deficiency?

Do you have any questions or suggestions?  Please leave your comments below.

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Read more about B12 and your nerves

Vitamin B12 Deficiency and Movement Disorders- How They Relate

Balance your B12, Balance your Nerves

Born with it: Clumsiness and Two Left Feet from Dyspraxia

References:

B12 and Gait Ataxia

Obesity tied to older adults’ risk of falls: study

Antidepressants for dementia patients linked to frequent falling

Understanding Vestibular Disorders

Frequent Falls: what they mean and what to do

Images:

Brainsonic, Melissa O’Donohue, Keoni Cabral