Common vitamin deficiency can produce dementia-like symptoms (Image: Getty)
If you’re experiencing forgetfulness, it might be time to check your vitamin B12 levels. A deficiency in this vital nutrient can mimic dementia-like symptoms, warns Dr Eric Berg, DC, a renowned chiropractor and longevity researcher with over 13 million YouTube followers.
Although Dr Berg no longer practices, he dedicates his time to health education via social media. He’s also the author of the best-selling book The Healthy Keto Plan and the Director of Dr Berg Nutritionals.
In one of his videos, he highlights vitamin B12 as the “top vitamin deficiency that mimics dementia”. This essential vitamin plays a crucial role in producing red blood cells, regulating DNA, converting food into energy, and supporting healthy cognitive functioning and memory.
Without sufficient vitamin B12, you may experience weakness, numbness, difficulty walking, nausea, weight loss, irritability, fatigue, and an increased heart rate. It could even affect your bones, hair, skin, and nails, reports Surrey Live.
Dr Berg emphasises: “Vitamin B12 is essential for normal brain function, without it you can experience symptoms of dementia. This vitamin is abundant in animal products, though certain microbes can also produce it. Low animal product consumption is the most common cause of vitamin B12 deficiency.”
Research has highlighted the serious cognitive repercussions of vitamin B12 deficiency, potentially leading to nerve function issues and conditions such as dementia, peripheral neuropathy or subacute combined degeneration. Insufficient vitamin B12 may disrupt DNA synthesis and cause a rise in homocysteine levels.
A study from 2020 established a “clear association between low vitamin B12 levels and progressive cognitive impairment”. However, researchers cautioned that “further studies are needed to confirm and refine the observed associations over a larger scale and to determine whether this change will translate to a reduction in cognitive decline”.
Low vitamin B12 levels are often found in more than 10% of older people. Besides memory loss, a vitamin B12 deficiency can also cause other neurological problems and psychological symptoms, such as:
- Confusion
- Difficulty thinking and reasoning
- Tingling and numbness in the hands or feet
- Loss of balance and coordination
- Fatigue
- Weakness
- Vision problems
- Peripheral neuropathy, which damages the nervous system
- Depression, anxiety, paranoia, and delusions
- Incontinence
- Loss of taste and smell
Once diagnosed, treatment usually involves high doses of vitamin B12 through injections or supplements, with regular blood tests to monitor progress.
Untreated vitamin B12 deficiency increases the risk of lasting damage, yet most patients can expect substantial recovery within three to six months if it is reversed in time.
The NHS says: “As most cases of vitamin B12 deficiency or folate deficiency can be easily and effectively treated, complications are rare. But complications can occasionally develop, particularly if you have been deficient in either vitamin for some time.”
Low vitamin B12 levels are associated with Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, and Parkinson’s disease (Image: Getty)
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Other symptoms of a vitamin B12 deficiency can include:
- Numbness, pins and needles, and tingling in the extremities
- Pale skin
- Poor balance or staggering
- Rapid pulse
- Shortness of breath
- Swelling of the tongue
What can cause a vitamin B12 deficiency?
Another cause of vitamin B12 deficiency is “low hydrochloric acid (HCL) in your stomach”, Dr Berg added. Explaining why, he said: “Your digestive system requires HCL to break down and absorb many vitamins and minerals. As you age, your HCL level decreases.”
He continued: “It can also decrease if you take antacids or Metformin. Interestingly, acid reflux can be a sign of low HCL, and taking antacids can make matters worse. Betaine hydrochloride is the best way to promote normal stomach acidity.”
The health expert also says you may experience dementia-like symptoms due to the side effects of certain medications and substances, including:
- Antacids
- Bladder medications
- Sleep aids
- SSRIs
- Cholesterol medications
- Blood pressure medications
- Steroids
- Alcohol
A deficiency in any of the following nutrients may also produce dementia-like symptoms: vitamin B1, which is often caused by high sugar and carb consumption, Dr Berg adds. As well as zinc – often a result of phytic acid in grains – and vitamin D – caused by low sun exposure.
“Nutrient deficiencies may shrink your hippocampus, which leads to Alzheimer’s disease,” Dr Berg said. A study titled ‘Concurrent nutrient deficiencies are associated with dementia incidence‘ states: “Concurrent nutrient deficiencies are associated with the risk of dementia.”
However, the report suggests: “The potential of optimising nutritional status to lower dementia risk warrants further study.”
In a separate analysis by UCL, it was found that the “hippocampus size linked with cognitive decline even in those with no signs of Alzheimer’s”. Dr Berg added: “Increasing your ketones will help nourish a brain starved of fuel and nutrients”.
If you’re noticing symptoms of dementia, Dr Berg advises consulting your GP and advises discussing the possibly of starting a keto diet, eating more fatty fish, red meat and seafood, and taking betaine hydrochloride.
Early common symptoms of dementia:
- Forgetting recent events, names, and faces
- Difficulty concentrating
- Difficulty planning or organizing
- Difficulty with language and communication
- Misunderstanding what is being seen
- Being confused about time or place
- Mood changes or difficulty controlling emotions
Other symptoms:
- Difficulty completing familiar tasks
- Becoming more withdrawn or anxious
- Misplacing common items, such as glasses or keys
- Difficulty learning new things
- Reduced motivation
- Hallucinations and delusions
- Depression or anxiety
As dementia progresses, individuals may display aggressive behaviour, struggle to recognise their condition, suffer from sleep disturbances, and encounter misperceptions or misidentifications, along with a distorted sense of time.
Each person’s experience with dementia is unique, and different types of dementia can affect people in various ways. The initial signs of dementia can often be subtle and unclear. If you have any concerns or exhibit any of the symptoms mentioned, consult a doctor. If you do not have a vitamin deficiency, your doctor will investigate other causes.
NHS England said: “Dementia is a growing challenge. As the population ages and people live for longer, it has become one of the most important health and care issues facing the world. In England it is estimated that around 676,000 people have dementia. In the whole of the UK, the number of people with dementia is estimated at 850,000.”
