PDF All the New Year’s resolutions made, I’m following up on most and I’m pretty happy with my follow through so far. Although we’re not even two weeks into the new year, so I’m not going to strain too hard to pat myself on the back.
This week, I followed through with my blood work at the doctor’s office. This is a new doctor and it’s only my second time seeing him. I’ve had the worst luck with doctors for the past couple of years, so I’m being very cautious. The last time I went, he ordered more panels than I have ever had and when I went to have the blood drawn, I was more than a little nervous about the amount of vials the phlebotomist carried over to the table. Thankfully, she was really good and I got just slightly lightheaded – not so bad.
So, the results were that my thyroid is “non-therapeutic”, my triglycerides were “through the roof” and I’m “severely vitamin B12 deficient” (quotes are the doctor’s). I was not expecting this at all. I thought we would find the reasons for my fatigue, mood swings, lethargy, inability to lose weight and various other complaints, in my hormones (women of a certain age and all). Turns out those aren’t the hormones giving me such a hard time. My sugar is okay – not great, but ok, my iron levels are good and everything else looks fine. Not the greatest results, but nothing horrible and everything is manageable and apparently connected.
Getting old sucks.
So – I’m back on the no processed carbs plan (boy am I going to miss pasta), generic synthroid for my thyroid, 1000 mcg of B12, and generic Prilosec for my acid reflux, a bump up from the ranitidine which wasn’t working as well as we hoped and if the prilosec doesn’t work I’ll be going to an ENT specialist because then it my be something other than reflux.
Anyway – the reason that I’m writing about this here (other than my inherent need to share every bit of my life with you) is that I had no idea how prevalent B12 deficiencies are. Coincidentally, the day I went to the doctor, Dr. Oz did a show about it. Some studies suggest that up to 40% of the population might be deficient. And the effects can be devastating. Without sufficient B12, our bodies can not replicate DNA normally, which means that we can’t make new, healthy cells:
Common manifestations of vitamin B12 deficiency include weakness, numbness and tingling, fatigue, dizziness, swelling and irritation of the mouth and tongue, and irritability. Anemia can develop, as noted, but a high intake of folate can compensate for a deficiency of vitamin B12 and prevent anemia.
The most serious manifestation of B12 deficiency is impaired brain function, due to the effects of B12 on nerve cells. Advanced B12 deficiency causes dementia severe enough to resemble Alzheimer’s disease. Generally, though, the dementia caused by B12 deficiency is completely reversible with supplementation. While folate can prevent B12-deficient anemia, it cannot prevent the dementia – only B12 itself can do that job.
Yikes, right? So the doctor suggests that I take 1000 micrograms of B12 a day and when I got home and looked at the B complex I had, there are only 15 mcg of B12 – so even if I was taking the supplement, it’s not nearly enough. Now normally, I really like to get all my nutrients from food – but sometimes we need a little help and I’m more than willing to try the supplement especially after I got some information about sources of B12 in our diets…
Guess where B12 comes from… animal protein. And guess how animals make B12… by eating molds and fungi in the grass in the pastures. And guess where they can’t get the molds and the fungi… from processed corn feed. All the more reason to make sure we stop eating corn fed beef and start to demand grass fed. I’m not buying anymore corn fed. Also, they sell grass fed bison in Publix and I’ve never tried it so that will be on the menu soon. Fish is a great source too and our plan is to eat more fish in the new year anyway.
I gave myself permission to take the weekend to feel sorry for myself and Monday we’re on track.
So, go have your B12 checked and demand grass fed beef.
Stepping off my soap box now. Thanks for indulging me.
Oh, and I think I like my doctor, but I’m still being cautious.
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