STORY AT-A-GLANCE
- Vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to liver enlargement and jaundice; some with a deficiency report eye twitching or spasms
- Low levels of vitamin B12 may easily be missed as many physicians don’t routinely test for it, and symptoms may appear gradually
- Symptoms include anemia, mental fogginess, muscle weakness and fatigue; left untreated it may cause severe or permanent neurological disease, blood disorders or death
- Low stomach acid, needed to absorb the vitamin, contributes to insufficiency. Consuming conventionally grown meat can also contribute to a deficiency; you may need a supplement