Deficiency Danger

Vitamin deficiencies are risky--especially a lack of B-12, crucial for developing kids

By Willow Lawson, published on April 02, 2003 - last reviewed on August 30, 2004

You've heard it a million times: to be healthy you need a varied diet. Somewhere it registers on the back of your brain.

Better to move it up front. A report demonstrates just how crucial it is to eat a diet that covers all the nutrient bases. It shows that a deficiency in just one nutrient can have drastic effects on the nervous system that could affect everything from mood to learning.

The Centers for Disease Control reported two cases of severe vitamin B12 deficiency in toddlers who were breast fed by their vegan mothers. The mothers were themselves deficient in B12, although both moms said they intermittently took a vitamin supplement. The lack of B12, or cobalamin, caused serious developmental delays in the children, a girl aged 15 months and a boy aged 30 months. Both children had about 50 percent of the language and motor skills of most kids their age.

Vegans practice a strict form of vegetarianism, cutting out all eggs and dairy products from their diet, as well as meat, fish and poultry. But the only naturally occurring foods with vitamin B12 are animal products. The best sources are milk and other dairy products, fish, chicken, lean beef, tuna and oysters.

B vitamins are crucial for the brains of people of all ages, not just growing children, says Maria Elena Jefferds, Ph.D., a CDC epidemiologist. They help maintain healthy nerve and blood cells. B vitamins are also needed to help convert carbohydrates to energy and synthesize antibodies of the immune system.

Researchers at the CDC hope the two cases drive home the need for the public, especially expectant mothers, to pay attention to what they eat. "This highlights a problem that doesn't just affect vegetarians," says Jefferds. "There are plenty of non-vegan Americans who don't pay enough attention to what they eat and lack basic nutrients."

Vitamin B12 deficiency is particularly difficult to diagnose because the symptoms can be vague. A deficiency in young children usually manifests itself as lethargy or developmental delays between four to eight months of age. Too little B12 can also sidetrack a child's attention span and slow motivation and learning. The rate of B12 deficiency in kids is unknown, according to the CDC.

In adults, the need for B12 is also somewhat nebulous. Symptoms can range from mild confusion and irritability to more serious problems like hallucinations, depression, memory loss and paranoia.

Of course, these symptoms might indicate problems that have nothing to do with diet. And even if they are caused by malnutrition, the deficiency could be something other than B12. The lack of other vitamins, such as B1, B2, B6, and C, can generate feelings of irritability and depression. These vitamins can be found in food often recommend for overall health: fruit, brown rice, broccoli, wheat germ, brussel sprouts and collard greens. But keep in mind that none of these foods have all of the B vitamins.

Eating a nutritious, varied diet can thwart most vitamin deficiencies, even in strict vegetarians. Most adult breakfast cereals, as well as many soy products and even fruit juices, are fortified with a variety of vitamins, including B12. For pregnant or nursing vegan mothers, it's important to eat these foods as well as take a reputable brand of vitamin supplement. Says Jefferds: "It's possible to lead a very healthy life as a vegan."

The children cited in the CDC report were able to recover somewhat from malnutrition after being hospitalized and fed a supplemented diet. However, a year after treatment, both children still had lingering symptoms. The girl, then 28 months old, had the motor skills of a 9- to 18-month-old. Her language ability was equal to that of a 10-month-old. The boy's delays were less severe; six months after being fed a different diet, he was only slightly behind his age group in motor and speech skills.