Vitamin B12 deficiency at an early age can lead to serious cognitive problems. Difficulty remembering and thinking can be a sign of vitamin B12 deficiency, research shows.
People with vitamin B12 deficiency have difficulty remembering things or concentrating. A study shows that low levels of vitamin B12 among children it can result in their poor development, visual-spatial performances and social perceptions, in adulthood.
Social perception and visuospatial ability are part of cognitive functions, such as understanding information, responding to it or even making judgments about social rules.
Study data
In this study, children with low levels of vitamin B12 at age 5 had the lowest scores on cognitive tests, which involved solving puzzles and recognizing other children’s feelings.
Dr Ingrid Kvestad, author of the study said: “Our results clearly demonstrate associations between vitamin B12 levels and other measures of cognitive development and function, such as the ability to interpret complex geometric figures and the ability to recognize other children’s emotions.”
These findings suggest that vitamin B12 deficiency produces harmful effects or delays in brain development in children. Previous studies show that vitamin B12 is important for brain development, learning, problem solving and memory.
Foods to eat if you are deficient in vitamin B12
Red meat is an excellent source of vitamin B12, but in South Asia and poorer countries, animal products are limited, which is why there are low levels of vitamin B12 among these populations.
For this study, 500 children in Nepal participated and had their blood tested to estimate their vitamin B12 levels. Then, five years later, these children took several tests of cognitive development.
“Most of the Nepali children who participated in the study were not severely deficient in vitamin B12, but it was suboptimal for good growth and development (…) Our study is one that contributes to a big puzzle to understand the implications the low level of vitamin B12 among children’s cognitive development”, said Dr. Kvestad.
2023-08-18 11:45:02
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