Sage-Tips

Can low B12 affect red blood cells?

Having vitamin B12 deficiency means that your body does not have enough of this vitamin. You need B12 to make red blood cells, which carry oxygen through your body. Not having enough B12 can lead to anemia, which means your body does not have enough red blood cells to do the job.

Can you have B12 deficiency with normal levels?

The serum B12 test is still widely used as thé test to confirm or rule out a vitamin B12 deficiency. However, a normal blood value cannot rule out a B12 deficiency, as has often been shown in scientific medical literature. Serum B12 can be false normal or even false high, while a deficiency is present.

Does B12 deficiency show up on CBC?

In patients who are deficient in B12, the CBC would show anemia, which manifests as a decrease in both hemoglobin and hematocrit. In addition, the mean corpuscular volume (MCV), which measures the size of red blood cells, would be increased to a level greater than 100.

Does vitamin B12 increase red blood cells?

Your body needs vitamin B12 to make red blood cells. In order to provide vitamin B12 to your cells: You must eat foods that contain vitamin B12, such as meat, poultry, shellfish, eggs, fortified breakfast cereals, and dairy products. Your body must absorb enough vitamin B12.

Can you have B12 deficiency without anemia?

The symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency can develop slowly and worsen over time. Some symptoms may be experienced by people who have a vitamin B12 deficiency without anemia. Some people may experience no symptoms, despite low levels of vitamin B12.

Can a B12 test be wrong?

Low vitamin B12 levels can be measured as false normal or false high, especially in pernicious anemia, due to excessive amounts of anti-intrinsic factor antibodies present in the serum [5,6,7].

Can B12 deficiency go undetected?

When left untreated, a B12 deficiency can cause a number of health problems. Some are mild while others are more serious. Certain groups are more likely than others to have really low levels. Sometimes you may have a deficiency and not know it.

Do regular blood tests show vitamin deficiency?

Blood tests can be used to evaluate a person’s nutritional status, measuring the amounts of essential nutrients in the body to detect nutritional deficits, including vitamin deficiency.